The Pain of Discipline vs. The Pain of Regret
Whenever I debate if what I’m doing is worth the 16–20 hour work days, I simply imagine how life would be 5, 10, 20 years from now if I didn’t grind. Then I get right back to work.
I’d much rather feel the pain of discipline than the pain of regret.
Ask yourself this; “would you rather grind now and relax later OR relax now and struggle later?” You probably chose option 1. Everybody does. However, people’s actions usually don’t map their words. Let me explain…
Positive Actions Feed Discipline
You ever hear people say, “you’re too serious” or “it’s important to balance out your life”?
Phrases like those only prove the level of discipline they have about their craft.
In reality, those who are disciplined are those who see past Friday night and Monday morning.
Get to a point where thoughts of your future drive your present actions.
We only see the LeBron’s, Jay Z’s, and Zuckerberg’s of the world when they’re at their peak. Always remember that they got there by disciplining themselves daily. But guess what... they all “cheated”!
The “Discipline Cheat Code”:
- The more action you take, the better results you get
- The better results you get, the more confident you become in your ability to execute
- The more confident you become, the more you believe your actions are working
- Therefore, you take more actions and the cycle repeats
Take a screenshot of this “cheat code”. Use it to your advantage!
Excuses Feed Regret
How many times do you say you’re going to do something important but never follow through? What was your excuse? Does it even matter?
We create excuses to shield ourselves from “in the moment” shame.
That shame doesn’t just disappear. It manifests into regret that you’ll surely feel later in life. Imagine the feeling of living the next 20, 40, 60 years of your life getting angry at your past decisions.
I’m only 19 so I can’t tell you how it will feel, but there are plenty of people in the world who do. Go ask 40–80 year olds about their lives. This is real and the second you internalize the truth, you won’t think twice about staying up that extra hour.
Right & Wrong
The purpose of the previous section wasn’t to uplift you, obviously. It was to scare you into taking actions that map out your true desires.
This conversation of discipline and regret is binary. You’re either living the “Right Way” or the “Wrong Way”. Unless I’ve been misinformed, I would assume that everyone on the planet seeks happiness. If regret is the complete opposite of happiness, then you know what you need to do.
Wants vs. Wishes
You may be thinking, “yeah, it’s time to hustle!”. Your words don’t mean a damn thing unless you ACTUALLY put in the work. If you really WANT something, your actions will map your words…
“A want without action is just a wish.”
So, are the actions you’re about to take worth the success you claim you desire? If so, your actions will map that belief. Now get after it!
