Rotting in my bed, I can only think of one thing. My soul is craving to move, but my body heeds no call. Seven inches away from me lies my crowded desk not only taking full fledge in my physical Line of sight but also living rent-free in my head. Across the desk lies a ton of papers scattered everywhere with illegible scribbles on all the plans and work that needs to be done. In the center of the desk lies my laptop whose brightness not only illuminates the room but also sends a subtle reminder that work must be done. Amidst these subtle calls, my soul remains defiant and my body immotile. In this dissonant state, my soul feels so distant as it yearns for only one thing – DISCIPLINE. Confronted by this cognitive dissonant state, I beat myself up for doing nothing while aiming to justify the reason I am doing nothing. Undoubtedly, most of us are subject to this dilemma almost daily. Reasonably, it’s not always because we are lazy but because we have followed the colloquial definition of discipline -wrecking the significance of this term in the process. We (including me) have been getting all wrong.
In a generation where “Independence” is everyone’s silent strife, it is no surprise that we have automatically acclaimed the Grind Culture to be able to achieve or account for this sort of lifestyle. Rightly so, a huge part of the Grind Culture is Discipline. Across the streets of Money X (Twitter), a famous saying is thrown around fairly often: “Motivation is overrated; discipline is the real deal. We exhibit Discipline by doing Gym reps that hurt insanely; we showcase Discipline by doing Meal Preps that aren’t the tastiest; we showcase Discipline by doing work when we don’t FEEL like it. That’s a huge paradox. Discipline isn’t just about doing. The reason why we feel like we aren’t disciplined is because we think we always have to do something to feel Disciplined. Conversely, doing nothing is doing something. Consequently, in some situations, doing nothing is the best thing we can do at the moment. In essence, nothing is something. Discipline involves listening to yourself and knowing when that “nothing” is the “something” you need to do.
Speaking of listening, introspection is more than golden for this practice. We don’t think we’re disciplined because we judge ourselves based on the discipline standards of others. Find your definition of Discipline. Create your own Enough and hold yourself accountable. In a society plagued by the Grind Culture, we must exhibit more Internalization and Introspection. Instead of unhealthy comparisons and contradictions with icons on Social Media, listen to you. The point is not self-pity. The point is holding yourself to standards and conditions that will ensure you not only realize your dream life but also not lose yourself in the process. The breaks are meant to rejuvenate you and not break you.
Discipline is not only about work; it also involves the self. Work is futile if the self is lost in the process. Your self-care is directly proportional to your work output. Discipline is a holistic process. Listen to yourself, so you can actualize optimum work. Again, you are not alone in this. I am working on this every day myself. In all, We Rise By Lifting Others.