Minimalism - Living a Life of Discipline

Minimalism – Living a Life of Discipline

Discipline is a great topic.   It is needed in both living a simple life and in investments, but today we will discuss it mainly from living a simple, successful life viewpoint.  The little image above really defines Discipline and what it takes to be a person who is disciplined.

Few things in life are accomplished without discipline.   I have been reading several books recently on Mindset, Habits, and Mental toughness.  One thing in common with them all is the requirement for discipline.

The reason many fail to be successful in accomplishing their goals in life is a lack of discipline.   It is easy to start, but even easier to get distracted and lose focus.    We must develop the discipline to FOLLOW THROUGH on what we start.   Repetition is the key to success.   Try to get a good habit of repetition and do it over and over.  Soon that habit will give you the ability to acquire the needed trait of discipline.

If you are attempting to budget, and a big expense comes up that would throw the budget out of whack for the month, Discipline allows you to calmly control the situation and just modify your other expenditures to allow for the unforeseen expense.  Discipline teaches you to allow for unforeseen circumstances that will plague you all through life. 
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Discipline and control go hand in hand.   Your mindset has to be very steady and calm which allows you to respond to situations, not react.  Disciplined people are unmoved by all the chaos going on around them.

If you want to lose weight on a diet, you must start and then have enough discipline to continue to control your eating habits.   If you want to be above average on your investment returns, it does not come easy.  You must study, read, and have great discipline.   Discipline clearly ties in with another good trait and that is perseverance.   If you stick to things and keep on keeping on, you will accomplish great things.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary says Discipline is the

1.  training that makes people more willing to obey or more able to control themselves.

 

1. training to act in accordance with rules; a drill is example of military discipline.

 

1. an activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training:

 
Sticking to specific and regular mealtimes is an excellent discipline for many dieters.
 
So control of self allows us the discipline to accomplish things.   In the book “The 10x Rule”, Grant Cardone says we should not just try to be disciplined in our lives, but DO IT.    Trying leaves us room to not succeed, whereas when we say we will “Do” something, we will commit more firmly to accomplishing our goal.
 
Without discipline, you will not accomplish a lot.   Discipline makes us do what we may not want to do because it is needful.    Sleeping in may be more relaxing than getting up to do your daily exercises, but being disciplined will allow you to fight through the issue and get up and face the new day.

If you go on a diet, and you lose 10 lbs. and that was your goal,  it feels great.  But if we are not careful, we will go right back to where we were.   That is called the Yo-Yo effect.   We lose 10 lbs., get excited that we reached our goal, and then a week later, we gain back 12 lbs.    To really win at whatever our goal is, we must have enough discipline to not only accomplish a goal but to sustain it.  That means changing our methods and habits that caused us to be overweight, to begin with.  Weight is just a result of a bigger issue of perhaps eating too many desserts or failing to exercise daily.

It is easy to start on some goal, it takes a lot of perseverance to stick with it and stay disciplined.  Almost all the books I have read on habits, continually speak of having discipline.

What are the Advantages of being disciplined?

• Sticking to new habits will come easier
• Goals will be accomplished more quickly
• Your self-esteem will increase as you see yourself in control
• Others will see you leading a consistent productive life
• New goals will seem less difficult to achieve as you now know you can do whatever it takes.

 
Are the disadvantages of discipline?

I really can’t think of any.  Being disciplined will allow you to have continual and consistent success in whatever you set your heart to do.
 
 
In my earlier years, I had a desire to do well but lacked the discipline to continue on the path of the goal.
 
The bible encourages us have discipline in our spiritual life.
 
Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 
 
So what will it take to get discipline in your life?   First, you must really desire to do things in an orderly, consistent fashion.    Getting the proper mindset will get you going in the right direction.  Believing you can is the right first step. 
 
Henry Ford once said:   “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are right.”
 
Start today.   First, plan out your work or goal, and then follow through consistently on it.    Failing to plan is planning to fail.   Always have a plan and work through every setback.
 
When you obtain the needed discipline, you will find yourself in control of your attitude, words, thoughts, actions, and will have the right mindset due to the right self-talk you are speaking to yourself.  Have control over yourself.   It is a wonderful way to live, and your productivity will increase and your goals will become so much easier to obtain.   Life can be simple if we live with Discipline.
 

 

 
 
2 Links on Minimalism articles from Joshua Becker’s weekly blog:

How Minimalism saved Stephanie Giese’s family of 7 from Financial ruin.
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/minimalism-saved-our-family/

Bradley Williams on 10 things they learned to do without living in a van.
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/van/

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