It never ceases to amaze me how there are so many similarities there are between working out at the gym or doing something physical and entrepreneurship. Maybe because both require focus, dedication, motivation, and (dare I say it) discipline.
But not just any kind of discipline. Let me tell you how I came to this, then let’s break down how to take that discipline and turn it into a daily habit that you don’t need discipline to keep doing.
I teach fitness classes at a local studio and recently, I was talking to a student who’s been building back her strength after an extended period off. She said, “I just need more discipline. I want to train myself not to take a modification so I can get stronger.”
She was talking about how she doesn’t want to use a lighter weightload because she feels like that’s taking an easy way out. So instead, she thought if she just muscles through it, she’ll eventually get stronger.
We’ve been sold that since elementary school. Butt in chair. Eyes on chalkboard. Ears alert. Even when it’s a strain, physically or emotionally. So it’s no wonder that we grow up and we think discipline looks like pure repetition, stuffing down how you actually feel and whether you actually can do that.
What literally is “discipline” to do something?
The denotation of “discipline” is “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.”
How many times have you struggled to do something, yet called yourself lazy because you wanted to take a break? How many times have you struggled to lift something and called yourself weak?
And even after struggling to do something that was way past your abilities, you forced yourself to keep struggling. Keep striving. Beating yourself up the whole way, saying, “I just need more discipline. If only I stuck with it, I wouldn’t feel like this.”
We’ve been conditioned (again, since childhood) to accept that castigation. Look at that definition again. It ends with “…using punishment to correct disobedience.” Physical punishment. Mental punishment. It’s all punishment.
Think of the words we use when we’re doing something hard. We say “Oh it’s punishing work, but it makes us stronger” as a way to justify it.
Does punishment ever work? Spoiler…nah.
It’s one thing to “muscle through” a triceps kickback for a minute at a weightload that’s too heavy for you. You can trick yourself into doing massive damage by lifting something that’s too heavy for you.
Yet we call that “getting stronger” in the name of not looking weak in front of others. That’s so understandable to want to avoid (because, y’know, showing emotion or struggle has been packaged as “less than” in this country).
After a bit more chatting, I shared that that’s the opposite of what I believe makes you stronger. I don’t believe that it’s forcing ourselves to do something unsafe for our bodies and minds in the name of “strength” and “keeping up with everyone else”.
It’s knowing when to say, “This weight is throwing off my form and I’m learning bad habits to compensate.”
What does discipline to create actually look like?
To me, discipline is the act of showing up and doing what we can manage now until that becomes easy, then increasing the intensity. It’s in that stair-step up that we find growth and strength and new gains. And, like most things, when we take a step back and actually do it correctly, that’s when we see sustainable growth.
It’s being mindful of where our limits are and, within those boundaries, building trust with your body and mind that you can keep showing up. Even if it would be easier to fake it ‘til you make it, discipline is about doing what you know will lead to growth.
That’s discipline. Training your mind and body to keep showing up and doing the reps so you can get where you want to be (not to fake being strong for a minute or two at a time).
And it works with everything, not just lifting weights, though that’s such a visceral example we all understand. So how do you take this strength / discipline analogy and apply it to creating content for your business?
Writer’s block is laziness.
I saw Alton Brown talk the other night and during a Q+A session, someone posed the question, “How do you stay focused to complete a piece under a deadline when you have writer’s block?”
Brown went on to share that he believes writer’s block is an excuse. Writing is a skill you hone and you do so with repetition. It’s the butt in chair part of discipline. It’s putting in the reps of those triceps extensions (at a weight you can manage!) so you can build up that muscle and that strength.
He said something that was, possibly for him, a throw-away in the middle of a sentence that was impactful. He said, “You sit down and write. It’s pipe fitting. Your job is to write so you write.”
That pipe fitting comment stuck out to me. It’s a process. You don’t just write a book one day. The writing is the “fun” part (actually, being done is the fun part, but…y’know, for the sake of example). The other parts allow you to have fun. Finding the right pieces, grinding them to size, checking to see if they fit, re-sizing something…
It’s not just about sitting down and writing. It’s about setting yourself up to do the thing so you can write. It’s the discipline to show up and trust that you’ve got something that other people want to experience. It turns into a habit. A thing you do.
Turning discipline into a habit.
We’ve probably all read Atomic Habits (or listened to some Tim Ferris episodes) so you don’t need me regurgitating a bunch of “this worked for me so it has to work for you or else you’re lazy and deserve everything bad because you can’t discipline yourself to wake up at 5am” bullshit.
The best thing my coach ever said to me was to be the person who. Here’s an easy example. I rarely have to force myself to take my dog for a walk. I know it’s good for them, mentally and physically. It’s bonding time for us. And if I don’t, things get torn up in the house. I’m just a person who walks their dog, no decision-making necessary.
That’s the same when creating a habit. Become the person who…writes every day, who sends an email to their list every week, who responds thoughtfully to other people’s content they worked hard on.
Here’s what helps me stay in the practice of being a person who so I don’t have to rely on discipline to muscle through the hard stuff.
Look for the joy.
It’s one thing to sit down and force yourself to do it. That sounds a lot like punishment. And idk about you, but I don’t do well when I’m forced to do something. I will drag my feet so hard, they’ll hit the center of the Earth before my butt makes it in the chair.
But when I set myself up to find joy in the process, it’s different. I guess you could say it’s “romanticising” it, but are we still saying that? As in, taking pleasure in the things that feel good about the practice so you look forward to it. The candles, the coffee, the blankets.
Focus on the small wins.
Like at the gym, you go because you start to feel different in your body, more confident and capable. Then you feel good, more flexible and with better sleep. Then you feel strong. Then you feel like you WANT to keep going so you can keep feeling those things. Eventually, you’re just a person who goes to the gym.
Same goes with your content creation and writing practice. Little things add up that feel good and unlock that dopamine. Letting those snowball will help you want to be here, in this writing practice, until it becomes a thing you just do.
Create what you wish you had five years ago.
I believe we’re all here in entrepreneurship, especially us service providers and coaches, to create the things we wish we had five years ago. And I believe if we’re making offers and creating content that specifically speaks to that (and finding joy and focusing on small wins), this part is a no-brainer.
Make a list of what you wish you had when you started, or three years ago, or whatever time-frame and get hyper specific solving those problems. You’ll want to dig into it because you want to help people like you not struggle if they don’t have to.
So there it is. Beating writer’s block isn’t about putting your butt in the chair. I can get more done in two hours with focused intention versus eight hours of forcing myself to sit in my office. The trick is having the right kind of discipline to get started and letting the habit take over from there. Content creation, writing, just about anything can get run through these filters for an easier experience.
