By Nova Pierce
I think that it is always important to begin by defining words so that everyone involved in the conversation is on the same page. Webster’s first description defines discipline as
“: to punish or penalize for the sake of enforcing obedience and perfecting moral character”.
I don’t know about you but this sounds rather daunting and quite honestly not something that I would willingly engage in. Why would I wish to force myself into obedience? Why would I purposefully place limitations on myself when the world already places so many on me already? “Perfecting moral character”, perfection is unattainable anyway so why strive for such a thing? Is it not merely a waste of time? These are the hopeless thoughts I personally conjured when I read this initial definition of the word.
However, being the tech savvy Gen Z brat that I am, I continued scrolling until I found a definition that satisfied me. Through my diligence, I was able to find myself a definition within the Cambridge Dictionary’s that resonated with me. Its second definition of discipline (yes I disliked the first one as well) states that discipline is
“the ability to control yourself or other people, even in difficult situations”
If we view this term through this lens we can look at discipline in a new light. Based on this explanation “discipline” is synonymous with “self-regulation.” The process of discipline is the behavioral embodiment of mind over matter, mastery of delayed gratification; of one’s immediate desires versus their future aspirations. Thus lacking discipline– in self control, is to lose power over the development of one’s reality; to take a passenger seat in one’s life. While this would allow us to decrease our accountability for our situations it would also rob us of our treasure-filled future.
Conquering this skill of discipline is what has led many to their success. Whether that’s riches, love, glory, or peace of mind; each sector of your life can be improved with this transferable skill. So why not invest in it? Why not fight your impulses to go after what will lead to your fulfillment? If cold showers, running marathons, and resisting your impulse buys could bring you ultimate satisfaction why not do it?
You know, initially, when I wrote this I wanted to label this article “Discipline: Life’s Cheat Code”, however, after reflecting, I realized that “cheat code” isn’t all that accurate. I feel like cheat codes would be misleading because they make it seem as though it would be easy. And that just isn’t true. While the process of developing discipline may be simple, it is not easy. Changing your mindset and going against the part of your brain that says “we must have this thing now” (the limbic system) is no easy feat. These are some of the most ancient parts of our brains and the ones that fully develop the quickest. We have grown used to their chants and the buzz of their desires. So the true question is, how long will you be controlled by it?
17 Self-Discipline Exercises to Help Build Self-Control (positivepsychology.com)
Self-defined financial enthusiast, traveler, and lover of the written arts, Nova Pierce is an MSW student with a BA in psychology; with over three years of working experience in mental healthcare. She’s enamored with topics on spirituality, social justice, and the overall human experience. You can contact her at thenewcitizenspress@gmail.com.
