Low Discipline seems easy enough to spot. We notice it in our friends. We bemoan it in our colleagues.
We feel it all too often in ourselves.
But a lot of the time, what appears to be low Discipline is something else entirely.
Imagine that every day you look at your work station and walk the other way. Maybe it’s a Discipline issue and you need perseverance. But maybe what’s going on is you’re afraid of failure. You can’t bear an hour listening to your inner voice insist you aren’t good enough.
In that case, you don’t need Discipline, you need Courage.
Or imagine find yourself distracted while you work. You set aside hours but sit, pen in hand, staring into the middle distance. Maybe it’s a Discipline issue and you need focus. But maybe what’s going on is you’re exhausted. You’ve worked yourself to the bone. Your mind has been pulling triple duty and is in no shape to bring a creative idea to life.
In that case, you don’t need Discipline, you need Rest.
We will never create under ideal circumstances. We’ll always have self-doubt or be just a little tired. That’s life on planet Earth! That’s the stuff of being human!
And we need strong Discipline in order to work DESPITE.
But if you’re significantly depleted in Courage, Rest, Connection, or Inspiration, Discipline is at best a shallow and temporary solution. EVERY CREATIVE ISSUE has a knack for presenting as low Discipline. And seeing through the masquerade wins us the chance to resource ourselves with what we TRULY NEED.
Address your low Courage and you’ll feel a pull TOWARD our work station.
Get some Rest, and your mind can’t wait to focus.
Make some new Connections and feel bolstered to complete a project.
Do some Inspiration exercises and delight in creativity.
For a moment take Discipline out of the crosshairs. Ask yourself, is there an UNDERLYING condition at play?
The first step toward solving your Discipline issue may be realizing that you don’t have a Discipline issue at all.