4 secrets to finding unshakeable self-discipline outside the confines of corporate America

For most of my career, I’ve worked for organizations larger than myself.

With those jobs came expectations, and I rose to the occasion, every single time.

Then one day, I had to ask myself: What would happen if all those expectations went away? What if I lost the corporate structure of accountability and was obligated only to myself?

Would I find the well of the self-discipline I’d come to pride myself on? Or would I sink down into my couch, binge-watching Netflix?

It was a question that arose when I decided to leave my job as the chief technology officer at Red Ventures, a high-growth startup headquartered in South Carolina, for a trip around the world and then a new life outside the confines of an office, a team and a traditional job. And the fact that I didn’t know the answer haunted me.

I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have a plan. Without structure, was I capable of keeping myself, not just on track, but moving forward?

The shorter answer is, yes — with help. In the process of finding out who I was outside the confines of a larger organization, I found four key elements to keeping myself disciplined, focused and driven.

Find your passion — and follow it.

You’ve probably heard this one before, but when you’re working on something you’re passionate about, it energizes you. It invigorates you. You want to work on it. Your mind doesn’t wander to the show you could be watching or the nap you could be taking. You’re angling for opportunities to dig in, solve problems, crank out a few extra hours.

I honed in on two passion projects when I came back from my trip: One, I can’t talk about just yet. The other is a travel blog I’ve built to share my families’ adventures abroad, as well as the tips and tricks that make traveling with kids not just possible, but enjoyable. And I’m obsessed — with how to grow our brand, build our audience and find success in an entirely new medium.

It’s work that’s worth the grind. So I can’t help but grind.

Find high-achievers — and surround yourself with them.

The people we surround ourselves with have a profound impact on who we become. Surround yourself with big thinkers, doers and hard-chargers, and chances are, you’ll become one, too.

That’s why I knew I could never work from home. At Red Ventures, I thrived off the energy of those around me. I knew I was going to need some version of that in my new chapter of life. So I joined a coworking space near my home in Charlotte, N.C. And in that space, I’ve found connections, resources and motivation. I’m surrounded by people who are experts in areas I know little to nothing about, and they’re helping me figure out what new strategies to try next. It’s a community of self-starters, high-achievers and visionaries, and they inspire me, every single day.

Let’s face it: No matter how strong your work ethic, everyone has bad days. But now, when my motivation wanes, I just have to look around to find the inspiration I need to keep going.

Find a way to hold yourself accountable — alone or with a friend.

While the people around can provide great motivation, they aren’t necessarily the ones holding your feet to the fire when it comes to accomplishing your goals.

At Red Ventures, I had a CEO to report to. I had metrics to hit. I had a team to keep on track. It was like any company in that way: The accountability was baked in to my role at every step of the way.

In my world now, accountability can be a moving target. There’s no one focused on keeping you on track. You’re the boss, and it’s all too easy to give yourself a pass on the tough projects or the tight deadlines.

Fortunately for me, my wife, Natasha, provides that accountability. We talk about our goals constantly, and she always questions where I’m heading on one project or another, as well as why I’m doing it. She balances that against the commitments we’ve made as a family to spend time with our son and as a couple, and she holds me accountable there, too.

Your accountability partner doesn’t have to be your spouse, but it does need to be someone who shares your drive and who won’t shy away from a tough conversation. After all, accountability isn’t about being nice; it’s about making sure you get work done.

Set your priorities — then dig in hard to get them done.

When your to-do list is a mile long, it’s hard to pick out what comes first. Even worse, when you have too many things on your plate, it’s nearly impossible to find the time to put in the hard, valuable work on the tasks that really matter.

When I was at Red Ventures, I learned about a solution to that problem. It’s a method called Kanban, built around the premise that you should focus on just a small number of tasks at a given time. The goal is to enhance your productivity and keep you working on a task until it’s complete. Then, it’s on to the next most important thing.

When I embarked on my own, I worried I would fall into a rut of working hard without making any progress. The Kanban method works for me because it keeps me working toward a purpose. It’s not going to be perfect — nothing is — but it’s a system that forces you to ask yourself what’s most important and then helps you drive toward that goal with full force.

These days, I’m working harder than I ever have. I’m making progress on my goals. And I’m having fun. Turns out, when you have all that going for you, Netflix isn’t all that appealing.

Abhishek (AJ) Ratani is an Entreprenuer, World Traveler and the former CTO and President of RV Technology at Charlotte-based Red Ventures. AJ recently traveled the world with his wife and then 2-year old covering 6 continents and 31 countries in 8.5 months. Follow their travels via their family travel blog. AJ’s other passions range from playing with the latest technology including blockchain, to being an investor in great ideas, finding ways to help other entrepreneurs succeed and being a voice for inclusion and diversity in the workplace.