10/25/2022
Every morning, I wake up at 4:30 AM, knock out some emails, and then go to the gym.
This is my secret (and how YOU can do the same) 👇
I learned to become DISCIPLINED.
Now, a lot of people have a negative connotation associated with the word "discipline."
But, for me, I think about SELF-discipline, and self-discipline is:
1. Waking at 4:30 in the morning (even though I'd rather stay under the warm covers with my wife)
2. Getting emails done (even though it's boring)
3. Going to the gym (even though it's early and I'm still tired)
.. but I do these things (even when I don't want to) because I know that they're good for me.
THAT is self-discipline.
And the truth is NO ONE is born with self-discipline... we all have to LEARN it in some way, shape, or form.
I still distinctly remember when I was taught self-discipline:
When I was 10 years old, I used to come home every day after school, take my jacket off, and toss it on the floor.
Why?
Well, I knew that my mom was going to pick it up for me.
Until one day when my dad came home early from work, and he saw that my jacket was on the floor...
So, he called me downstairs and asked, "why is your jacket on the floor?" To which 10-year-old Ryan replied, "I don't know."
My dad then proceeded to say "your jacket always needs to be hung up, and it's not your mother's job to do it for you. So, now, you have to go to your room and write a 10-page essay on the importance of not being lazy."
Easy to say, 10-year-old Ryan was not happy...
I mean, are you kidding me?! 10 pages on the importance of not being lazy?!
I still remember sitting at the computer for what felt like an eternity, painfully writing that essay.
But guess what?
After that, I NEVER dropped my jacket on the floor.
And THAT is how I first learned self-discipline.
So, ask yourself: what are your weaknesses?
Maybe it's your weight.
If that's the case, stop reading this post, go into your kitchen, and throw out all the crap that you eat that is putting on weight.
Delete the app on your phone that delivers things.
Drive the other way home that doesn't take you by McDonald's.
Or maybe your weakness is that you waste too much time.
If that's the case, go into your phone and delete all the apps that are taking up too much of your time.
Delete the news apps that you read and the games that you play for no stupid reason.
Or, maybe you want to make more money!
To do that, take the money that you do have and put it away. Lock it up!
At the end of the month, see how much money you have. Then, next month, save an extra $5 per day. The month after that, save an extra $10 a day...
And then each month, take the money you have and invest it. Make your money work for you!
But there's an important catch here:
Don't be one of those people who just tries to pull off the band aid or jump into the cold pool.
Don't just go to extremes because you'll never going to keep it up.
Instead, take baby steps.
Ready. Set. Go!