Why Discipline Isn’t Enough

It may sound foolproof, but something’s still missing.

We have all been there at one point or another. After days, weeks, or months of sticking to that workout regimen, after countless evenings spent studying for hours on end, the unthinkable has happened.

You missed a day.

Sound the sirens, all is lost. Why did this seemingly foolproof study plan fall apart yet again? After all, you were disciplined. You followed each rule and guideline to the tee. Forget results, why does this building habits thing never stand the test of time?

Well, it turns out philosophy may have an idea or two about this dilemma.

It’s not your discipline that’s the problem, it’s your intent.

Fewer concepts get thrown around as much these days as the importance of discipline and structure. A couple clear examples of where you would find these two terms being thrown around like confetti would be your local gym or college campus, and for good reason.

Truthfully, if you want to become successful in your pursuits being disciplined and building positive habits are a necessary part of the journey.

But, why?

Are we building habits accompanied with rigid schedules simply for the sake of it? Sure, we know it’s important to do so, but for what reason? What purpose does being disciplined and working within a set of guidelines serve?

Think back to any job you you’ve had, either past or present. In a professional environment there exists a set of rules every employee must follow that reinforces the professional nature of the place.

You wouldn’t, for example, flaunt your brand new neon workout attire reminiscent of a bygone era at the law firm that just hired you on as a temp. You also likely would refrain from speaking to your clients the same way you would speak to a close friend at a party.

The rules and guidelines in place reinforce to employees that this is a place of business. These rules are followed with the intent of remaining employed by the company.

You would not act the same way there as you would in the privacy of your own home. Why?

Because you have, through discipline, built the habit of acting like an employee with the intent to remain employed by this company.

Disciplines purpose is to facilitate growth through consistency. You build habits not for the sake of lifting weights everyday at 2 PM, but to get yourself to think like a weightlifter.

I have been grappling with this notion for what feels like multiple lifetimes. Why couldn’t I get the workout plan to stick? Where did Ifall short in my studies? I could go on and on listing pursuits I undertook with a burning passion, only to be left empty-handed in a matter of months.

The issue was not my lack of dedication, but my lack of intent behind that dedication. I understood what I wanted to do and that became the focus rather than why.

Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius theorized that each of us have a purpose, something we were born to do.

“Everything, a horse, a vine, is created for some duty. For what task, then, were you yourself created? A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.” — Marcus Aurelius

In the spirit of this idea, intent and its relationship to discipline can’t be understated. Why you are doing something is the key to ensuring you continue making improvements. Discipline comes when the your “why” is well understood.

Discipline without a “why” creates habits doomed to fail. A “why” without discipline is little more than a pipe dream.

In this way, your life’s purpose and the intent you bring to accomplishing the task ahead of you is equally as important as the discipline that you will develop along the journey.

The most recent struggle I have had with understanding the nature of discipline involved my faith. I am a Christian, but for some reason I continuously put my faith on the back burner. More often than not, it was the furthest things from my mind.

This was despite the fact that I claimed it to be one of the most important aspects of my life. The Christian worldview is all-encompassing and deserved much more respect than I was giving it.

It didn’t matter how much I tried to read or study scripture, or how frequently I forced myself to utter empty prayers. Gradually, this once joyful and exciting spiritual journey became little more than a headache.

I still studied, still followed the “Believer’s Checklist” as I came to call it, but it felt so empty.

I was more frustrated with it than I had ever been. Then, my mind was reminded of another journey I was walking, one I would describe as being filled to the brim with excitement and dedication.

My love for philosophy, specifically stoicism, and the methods through which I went about studying quickly outlined why my faith was frustrating me so much.

I took note of how I went about researching and studying it. My pursuit of philosophical knowledge knew no bounds and I seldom ever neglected it. Day-in and day-out, I read and thought critically about what it was I was reading.

In moments of frustration, I would find myself thinking back to a statement of Seneca’s, or a lecture I had listened to about mindfulness. I analyzed the material and wrote out notes and questions for later reflection.

Even when I didn’t feel like doing it, the philosopher within me would guide me to pen and paper regardless.

Because I approached my study of philosophy with intent, I wasn’t just studying it. I was living it.

The proof truly was in the pudding. With such an apparent difference in the quality of my journey with philosophy as opposed to the one I was taking with my faith, I could see I made a breakthrough.

Through discipline, I built up the habit of viewing the world the way a philosopher would. My spiritual life was suffering not because I wasn’t being a good enough Christian, but because I hadn’t built up the habit of thinking like one.

If you want to be something, you first need a foundation to stand on. How committed you are really doesn’t matter if you have no legs to stand on. If you don’t think the way a bodybuilder, writer, philosopher,etc. would then it would be nearly impossible to live like one.

This is the nature of discipline at its core, to build the habit of existing like the thing you want to be.

Just like the old saying goes,

“ I think therefore I am.” — Descartes

Approach all pursuits with intent, the knowledge of why you are choose to travel this path. Discipline alone is not enough. Don’t make the mistake of dedicating yourself to something without having a “why”.

Why you are doing something is what you can rely on in times of doubt and uncertainty. Without your “why”, discipline will only produce habits doomed to fail.

Get your “why” and the discipline will come.