Learn Discipline
The thing about discipline is that it requires you to choose. This choice is made repeatedly. Would you want to work on improve yourself or mindlessly scroll on social media? How many times a day, a week, a month do you want to choose to do so?
Choosing to take one action repeatedly over time instills a sense of confidence. You begin to take on bigger challenges. You managed to read one book every two weeks. Now, you are inspired to read one book per week. Your standards are higher, your performance is improved.
Choice is freedom. There is freedom in pursuing that one thing that matters most to you, those around you, and the world. Sometimes, thought not rare, that one thing matters so much that others pay you for it.
I’ve learned that there is no need to overthink about that one thing to pursue. It’s okay to just pick one problem that can be tackled with one skill in hand and go with it.
The fruit of discipline is observed over longer time horizons because it compounds. You see the fruit of choosing to train for a 5k every morning for 6 months not in the first two weeks but you continue because you believe.
Faith is a leap in understanding. An explicable knowing that what you have chosen to pursue is worth being dedicated to. You have faith in finishing (or winning) that 5k because you’ve been training for 6 months.
Discipline is choice made repeatedly. A choice backed by faith. Faith in the importance of making the same choice repeatedly. And in that, we find freedom.