Category: Being Disciplined

To understand 10,000 things… understand one really well.

There are 10,000 ways to the summit of a mountain… yet they all converge to one singular point.

Which path you choose to take isn’t as important as having chosen a path.

There will be challenges, adversities, confusion, problem solving, victories, scenic points, and more on each.

Each path will have at least 10,000 things to teach you.

If you always give up too soon, however, and climb back down, change your mind, or double back… You’ll never get past even the first 10 lessons of the mountain.

And you’ll end up repeating the same lessons at the beginning of each different path over and over and over again.

This isn’t to say you should never switch paths. Some paths will certainly be more wise and more aligned to take than others.

It’s simply to say, the path isn’t always “clearer” on the other side. At some point you have to fully commit. Give it a full send. Utilize the resources at your disposal in their entirety.

The view at the top is the view at the top is the view at the top.

Your self-declared boundaries are only as good as they are enforced.

Which is why it’s good strategy to only declare boundaries that you’re going to enforce completely. Not partially and only when you feel like it… but in an all-of-the-time kind of way.

Because the problem with being partial or mood-dependent is that the same energy seeps into other boundary areas, too. Your being soft with your intermittent fasting boundary, causes you to become soft with your exercise regiment, which trickles into being soft about your cheat days, etc.

…But, that’s also the opportunity.

Because if you can get one boundary completely correct… your other boundaries will start to absorb the same kind of energy too.

You resolve on an intermittent fasting window that’s practical and aligned with your lifestyle; this makes you feel like the kind of person who does what they say and makes you want to show up to your workouts when you say you will; which makes you more likely to stick to your cheat day(s), etc.

It’s a reminder to 1) treat your word as law, 2) be mindful and practical with what words you choose to say as law, and 3) start by getting just one law right—like really and completely right. Use the energy from that to build your others from there.

Wanna know what’s more impressive than people showing up to the gym motivated to workout?

…People who show up who aren’t.

Wanna know what’s more impressive than people who do creative work when they’re inspired and excited?

…People who do that kind of work when they’re not.

Wanna know what’s more impressive than people who share successes, victories, and highlights?

…People who share failures, struggles, and lowlights (in a non-nagging, constructive light).

Wanna know what’s more impressive than the significant other who does cute things on birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries?

…The significant other who does cute things when it’s not.

Wanna know what’s more impressive than people who do community service and act in kindness to fulfill a requirement at their school or work?

…People who do that when it’s not.

Want to impress yourself and others more?

Do more of the things you know are good and right.

…When there’s not a condition behind it of any kind.

Point a power hose at a rock and probably the most that’ll happen is the rock will get wet—maybe even move if the rock is small enough.

Leave that same rock under a dripping waterfall however… and after a few years, erosion will wear away at its seemingly impenetrable surface. Leave it there long enough and you might even see it drip its way all the way through the rock to the other side.

This is a strategy that works.

Sure, there’s a time and a place to blast at a seemingly impenetrable challenge with full force… but, more often than not—full force blasts fatigue and burn out before any noticeable change ever takes effect.

Drip, drip, drip, however? …With unrelenting consistency and over a long enough period of time? And no rock stands a chance.

P.s. If you appreciate these daily drips in the form of 1-minute emails, you can support my future work by buying me a coffee here. Thanks :)

When I lift weights… time crawls.

When I train martial arts or play a sport… time flies.

Some people will tell you to only do the things that make time fly.

…After all, why suffer your way through exercise, for example, when you could be getting it in in a fun way?

And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with choosing the fun route… there is something to be said about learning how to discipline yourself to endure the type of temporary suffering that leads to lasting benefits/rewards, too.

Because once you can learn to do it for, again, weight lifting as an example… not only will you be hardening your body… but, you’ll be hardening your mind.

And a hardened mind isn’t only useful for lifting weights…

It’s one of the most useful tools for every single other endeavor you ever come across in life.