Self-discipline is self-acceptance

If self-discipline feels difficult, then you-re doing it wrong..

• Most people think of self-discipline in terms of willpower. So we see someone who wakes up at 5 AM ever day, eats an avocado-chia-fenne-apricot-papaya smoothie each meal, and work out for three hours before even going to the bathroom in the morning, we then assume they are achieving this through straight-up self-abuse. That there is some insatiable inner demon driving them like a slave to do everything right, no matter what.
  • But this isn’t true. Because, if you actually know anybody like this, you will notice something really frightening about them: they actually enjoy it.
• Our behaviors are not based on logic or ideas. Logic and ideas can influence our decisions, but ultimately, our feelings determine what we do.
• You can will yourself to go to the gym if you don’t feel like it for a few days. But unless the gym ends up feeling good in some way, you will eventually lose motivation, run out of willpower, and stop going. You can will yourself to stop drinking for a day or week, but unless you feel the reward of not drinking, then you will eventually go back to it.
• Any emotionally healthy approach to self-discipline must work with your emotions, rather than against them.
• The key to self-discipline is self-acceptance.