4 Myths of Discipline

Jake Luehrs
February 22, 2025

ONE QUESTION

What positive things have come from the biggest challenges you’ve overcome?

ONE THING TO PONDER

Your life doesn’t improve by simply doing more, it improves by doing less of what doesn’t matter.

ONE PERSPECTIVE

Discipline is a gift we give ourselves, not a punishment.

It’s not a prison, it’s actually a means to freedom and longevity.

We all have word biases, unfortunately those biases hold us back. Discipline is one of the words that holds a negative connotation for many.

Discipline is nothing more than a tool that when used gives you a more accurate self-awareness, self-trust, and significant growth.

These myths about discipline may actually be hindering our potential.

Myth #1 - Discipline Means Being Hard on Myself

It's actually the best way to build trust with yourself and show yourself love.

If you're struggling with self-esteem, self-confidence, etc. use discipline as a way to make and keep promises to yourself.

When you make promises to yourself and don’t follow through, our perspective typically falls into 1 of 3 buckets:

We judge ourselves harshly.

We make excuses and justify - Looking for excuses is the first sign that your goal is in jeopardy. While this helps us feel better (in the moment), it damages our self trust and confidence.

The path of honest self-reflection - This kind of self awareness isn’t a punishment, it’s growth and a gift.

Myth #2 - Discipline Kills Freedom

The truth as I've experienced it is that discipline in the key areas of life actually bring us more freedom and more options.

Remember, we're not aiming for rigid schedules or endless to-do lists. Focus on what truly matters:

-Your health
-Your relationships
-Your financial wellbeing
-Your career growth

Don’t forget that consistency beats intensity over time every time.

Myth #3 - Discipline is Boring

In full transparency, there is an element of boredom with being disciplined.

Boredom typically shows up in the middle, after the motivation has worn off and before results have shown up…that is the moment to push through.

Once the results show up, then we tend to become more engaging.

We're built for more than just comfort and margaritas on the beach. I know, I’ll get some replies on that one, but I’m right, even that will get boring and lacks fulfillment and joy.

We're built for growth, for challenge, for achievement. And when we master discipline in the important areas, we actually create more space for spontaneity and joy in our lives.

Myth #4 - Discipline Always Brings the Perfect Outcome - NOT TRUE

We ultimately get to control 2 things:

-What we choose to think- Nothing in life has meaning except the meaning we give it.
-What we choose to DO

Discipline won't guarantee perfect outcomes, but it will give you something even more valuable: RESILIENCE.

When life gets tough (and it will), your disciplined habits become your anchor.

Want to boost your self-confidence? Make and keep promises to yourself.

Think of discipline as a gift you give yourself—a gift that keeps giving, building your strength, your confidence, and yes, your freedom.

I’ll see you along the way!

Onward and upward!

PODCAST

5 Ways to Actually Make Your Habits Stick

The Mel Robbins Podcast

Let's talk about sticking to habits without driving yourself crazy. Mel breaks it down into 5 doable rules that actually work (and there's science to back them up). Look, we've all been there – you start something new, then life gets busy, you're exhausted, and suddenly that habit you wanted to build is gathering dust. It's super common to throw in the towel, but here's the thing: you've got this. These tricks are straightforward enough that you can start using them right away to finally make those habits stick.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Twelve and a Half
by Gary Vaynerchuk

Human skills are becoming more and more valuable as technology continues to really evolve. We underestimate the power of human characteristics - things like ambition, empathy, compassion and resilience. There are some really great insights in this book that apply to relationships, business and important overall perspectives. I certainly recommend -easy read.