Is Discipline Worth It?
Discipline. A 10-letter word that makes me cringe internally. I’ve been thinking about that word a lot lately. It is something I’ve struggled with since graduating college. There’s no blueprint for what you’re “supposed” to do, so it leaves a world of possibilities open. And if you are surrounded by people who also struggle with discipline, it can be a really fast spiral towards a life you are surprised you have. When did it become OK to be the type of person who sleeps in until the last possible moment, and is consistently late?
So how does this relate to surviving? The more you practice discipline now, the more you can rely on it when you face adverse conditions. For example, can you be disciplined about rationing food and water? Can you be disciplined about prepping and making sure you have a cache of supplies?
The reason it’s so top of mind right now is because I’ve started this platform to talk about surviving almost any situation. But the truth is, I have a long way to go if I want to survive this life. I spent the previous three years dedicating a lot of time to my mental health. Yes, 1,095 days of time spent focusing on getting through post partum depression, suicidal ideation, and more fun than I can name. And being in the right mind space to be able to tackle disasters is crucial. It will always be a work in progress, but that is a good thing!
However, the result of learning how to survive my mental state for the past three years was overeating, binge drinking, being completely sedentary, and generally forgetting what “fun” looked like. Now that I am getting serious about survival, I’m realizing that if I were to be as physically tough as the women in Gaza/Ukraine protecting their kids, I need to be strong not only mentally but physically. This is the next step in personally prepping myself.
If you look and discipline and mental health, it all ties together. The more discipline you have, the more promises you keep to your “self.” This proves to yourself that you love yourself and want to take care of yourself, which then begets more discipline. It’s pretty cool how it’s all connected. Lately, I’ve been getting up early to workout and to focus on my side-hustle. I was inspired in part by the 5 AM Club; here’s the link to the audiobook on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TpcrpE. And I have to say, getting up at the same time every day (even on the weekends!) has been a game changer. It’s proven that discipline is a rock solid foundation upon which to build. So is having and maintaining discipline worth it? For me, in this phase of life, the answer is an emphatic yes.
