Discipline

Great word, I love it.  However, I think, a word that has bad press.  A word, that tends to imply, someone else making you do activities usually that you don’t want to do. A word that conjures up school reports, or life in the army.  Of people who write reports about you.

How many times do you hear, ‘I’ll do what I want’, or ‘Nobody’s telling me what to do’. Especially during the lock down and the inoculations.

Self-discipline though is another thing entirely.  It’s funny though the number of good people who even struggle with that.  How many people are never on time for example?

When my son’s mother was still with us, we were always invited out half an hour early, just to get us there on time. Ross and I would be standing by the door waiting for her on a regular basis, whilst she did ‘something’.  I know people who never get to work on time. Funnily enough, often seen as infuriating but tolerated or even amusing by many.

Just smacks of rudeness to me, a lack of respect for other people.  Difficult not to make this a rant or become patronising, but I wasn’t brought up to be late.  My business coach has a phrase, ‘on time is late’. I wholeheartedly subscribe to that.  If you respect other people, show them you value them.

That, however, is not what this blog is about.

Self-discipline for me is one of the most rewarding aspects of living.  Often even more than the activity that the discipline allows.

On a basic level even, just taking the dogs out, especially when its rainy and windy, and I’m cosy in doors.  Almost always as soon as I’m properly out, I’m thinking how long can I be out?  It can be hard to pull on boots and a raincoat, but it’s worth it.

I get up early in the morning, usually at about a quarter to five.  Yes, its early, but it gives me a couple of hours to invest in me.  Just me, and nothing and no one else.  I meditate, usually best when still between awake and asleep, that in between stage.  Sometimes the energy flowing is electric. Then I head of out with the dogs into the countryside. I go through all those things I am grateful for, my gratitude’s.  I also often see the dawn, the most amazing time of day, everything is waking up and there is always a sense of exciting expectation, you never know exactly what the day will bring, but it’s usually amazing…

And the dawns themselves, are often stunning.  The best time of day without a doubt.  I actually hate getting up, but I love being up to see the dawn, even the expectation of it. The colour of the sky and the shapes of clouds and there are usually a few, with the rays of the sun shining through give a real sense of awe and simply being alive.

On my return I love to exercise, I have written about the joys of exercise and the magic of being, ‘in the zone’ before, but the meditative qualities of exercise are intoxicating.  Yes, intoxicating, a non-addictive drug, high on life.

However, at the end of that ‘morning routine’ there is another high that you can only get from actually getting up and doing these activities and that is the self-satisfaction of self-discipline. 

I got up and I did it!  I’ve been doing it for a long time now.  It has to be said also that not engaging in these activities is also pretty amazing. I can miss some days because I know it’s my decision and not laziness.

Right now, I’m experiencing another sense of self-satisfaction of self-discipline. One that will help me with the other aspects of my morning routine, that is to be below Fourteen Stone. I managed it a couple of years ago, but put weight on, on one holiday and never got back there.

So, no second portions, no snacking and alcohol only once or twice a week.  Actually, the last ones not too hard. I don’t drink too much, the fuzziness kills creativity, for me anyway.

Well, I’m now two days in. I know that’s not much, but it feels good anyway. Celebrate every success, and no excuses, after all the only person I cheat is me.

Two nights I’ve gone to bed having kept my discipline, and I love it. I feel really good.

Lost a couple of pounds since last weeks weigh in.  I’ll take that, now if I can do it again next week, that’ll be really cool too.

Self-discipline, for me is such a reward. Discipline for the self.

How could discipline help you live a better life?