I Found the Formula for Self-Discipline (Literally)

00:20:32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kIoZi3yxYk

Zusammenfassung

TLDRThis video delves into the concept of extreme discipline by examining a military report by Major Kevin S. Donahue, which outlines the US Army's methods for cultivating discipline in soldiers. It divides discipline into two categories: discipline B (observable behaviors), and discipline A (internal attitudes). The military's approach involves rigorous training routines, strict rule enforcement, and behavioral consistency to instill discipline. The video then translates these techniques into steps that individuals can use to build self-discipline at home by setting clear standards, maintaining consistency, and respecting personal rules, ultimately turning disciplined behavior into an integral character trait.

Mitbringsel

  • 🧐 Discipline is both behavior and attitude.
  • 🧱 Start with small, achievable standards.
  • 📅 Routine and structure are key.
  • 💪 Consistency builds self-discipline.
  • 🔄 Training turns behavior into habit.
  • 🚫 No room for compromise in standards.
  • 👥 Respect your own rules diligently.
  • 👨‍✈️ Military training offers valuable lessons for self-discipline.
  • 🎯 Discipline becomes part of identity over time.
  • 📏 Discipline is about mastering oneself.
  • 🏆 Self-discipline is a vital life skill.
  • 🔍 Discipline leads to personal freedom.

Zeitleiste

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The video introduces concepts from a 1993 military report by Major Kevin S. Donahue on discipline. It emphasizes that self-discipline is crucial for overcoming procrastination and laziness. The report suggests a structured 'behavioral reliability' approach used by the US Army to instill consistency in soldiers, teaching them self-discipline by following strict routines. The importance and transformative potential of discipline for personal growth are highlighted, with a promise to unveil a formula to gain discipline.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    The US Army divides discipline into two categories: Discipline Behavior (Discipline B) and Discipline Attitude (Discipline A). Discipline B involves observable behaviors enforced through rigid protocols, as seen in bootcamp where recruits undergo intense, structured routines. The military emphasizes obedience under pressure. Despite stringent methods, this process is about instilling the habit of following orders to achieve consistent behavior. Such systems encourage recruits to react predictably, a principle applicable to achieving self-discipline in personal life.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The contrast between military and personal discipline highlights the essential role of consistent standards. In bootcamp, standards leave no room for compromise, establishing a predictable routine. The video explains that building self-discipline means setting uncompromising personal standards. Comparable to dog training, inconsistency in upholding standards leads to unreliable behavior. Thus, personal discipline requires firm adherence to set rules, fostering behavioral reliability through respect for one’s own commands.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:32

    The transition from disciplined behavior to attitude is discussed, where consistent practice turns discipline into a habit and part of one’s identity. Reference to Aristotle’s virtue ethics emphasizes that habitual disciplined actions lead to disciplined character. The video likens this to figures like Jocko Willink, embodying discipline in their persona. Achieving this level of discipline allows individuals to naturally choose disciplined actions. The segment concludes with actionable steps for cultivating self-discipline through realistic standards and building towards a disciplined lifestyle.

Mehr anzeigen

Mind Map

Video-Fragen und Antworten

  • What is the focus of the video?

    The video focuses on understanding and acquiring discipline, especially drawing from military practices.

  • Who authored the report discussed in the video?

    Major Kevin S. Donahue authored the report on military discipline.

  • What are discipline B and discipline A?

    Discipline B refers to observable, measurable behaviors while discipline A refers to internal disciplined attitude.

  • How does the military instill discipline in recruits?

    The military uses structured routines, strict adherence to protocols, and intense training environments to instill discipline.

  • What analogy is used to explain how to train oneself for discipline?

    Training for discipline is likened to training a dog, where consistency in following rules leads to reliable behavior.

  • Why is self-discipline important according to the video?

    Self-discipline is essential for achieving goals, creating self-respect, and performing tasks effectively irrespective of feelings.

  • What does the video suggest about setting standards for oneself?

    Setting attainable and clear standards for oneself and ensuring strict adherence to them is crucial for building discipline.

  • What is the final goal of acquiring discipline according to the video?

    The goal is to transition discipline from a behavior to an integral part of one's identity and character.

  • Who is Jocko Willink mentioned in the video?

    Jocko Willink is an ex-Navy SEAL known for his emphasis on discipline, illustrated by his daily routine and lifestyle.

  • What practical advice is offered for building self-discipline?

    Start with small, achievable tasks, creating clear rules, and gradually increase complexity as consistency is established.

Weitere Video-Zusammenfassungen anzeigen

Erhalten Sie sofortigen Zugang zu kostenlosen YouTube-Videozusammenfassungen, die von AI unterstützt werden!
Untertitel
en
Automatisches Blättern:
  • 00:00:00
    - I somehow found this internal military report
  • 00:00:03
    on their secrets to extreme discipline.
  • 00:00:07
    And what I found here is actually life-changing.
  • 00:00:10
    Think about it, procrastination, laziness
  • 00:00:12
    and not feeling like it.
  • 00:00:13
    None of that is tolerated in the military.
  • 00:00:16
    Somehow they're able to take average people,
  • 00:00:18
    thousands of them every year and teach them
  • 00:00:20
    what this paper calls behavioral reliability,
  • 00:00:23
    otherwise known as consistency.
  • 00:00:25
    Self-discipline is the power and self-control
  • 00:00:28
    to do the things you know you need to do day in and day out.
  • 00:00:32
    And this report has transformed my understanding
  • 00:00:35
    of how you acquire discipline and even what discipline
  • 00:00:38
    and self-discipline actually are.
  • 00:00:40
    Written in 1993 by Major Kevin S. Donahue,
  • 00:00:43
    the anatomy of discipline breaks down how and why
  • 00:00:46
    the US Army creates disciplined soldiers.
  • 00:00:49
    I'm not quite sure how I found this.
  • 00:00:50
    I haven't seen it anywhere else online,
  • 00:00:52
    but from it I feel that we can extract
  • 00:00:54
    a formula that anyone can use
  • 00:00:56
    to start becoming a more disciplined person.
  • 00:00:58
    In this video, you'll learn what discipline actually is,
  • 00:01:01
    how important it's to your life and a formula you can use
  • 00:01:04
    to get more of it.
  • 00:01:05
    Like I'm actually so excited for today's video
  • 00:01:06
    'cause you are gonna learn some extremely useful stuff.
  • 00:01:09
    This may be the most valuable video
  • 00:01:11
    I have made in a maybe ever.
  • 00:01:13
    So if you find even one good tip,
  • 00:01:15
    please let me know in the comments
  • 00:01:16
    and hit the like button if you wanna see more content
  • 00:01:19
    like this.
  • 00:01:20
    (wind whistling)
  • 00:01:22
    So the main idea of the document
  • 00:01:24
    is that discipline isn't really just one thing.
  • 00:01:26
    Instead it should actually be considered
  • 00:01:28
    two separate categories.
  • 00:01:30
    These categories both work together
  • 00:01:32
    to create a discipline soldier or in our cases
  • 00:01:35
    just a disciplined self.
  • 00:01:36
    But before we discuss the paper's idea
  • 00:01:38
    of military discipline,
  • 00:01:39
    let's take a look at the dictionary definition of discipline
  • 00:01:42
    so we're all on the same page.
  • 00:01:43
    I think the Cambridge definition of self-discipline
  • 00:01:46
    is probably most similar to what we think about
  • 00:01:49
    when we think to ourselves,
  • 00:01:51
    I wish I had more discipline.
  • 00:01:52
    Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do things
  • 00:01:55
    you know you should do even when you do not want to.
  • 00:01:58
    I say that's pretty spot on in terms of the way
  • 00:02:01
    that we understand discipline.
  • 00:02:02
    And as I've learned and as you'll learn today,
  • 00:02:04
    discipline is actually a skill.
  • 00:02:06
    It's a skill that anyone can acquire
  • 00:02:08
    and it's a process of training yourself
  • 00:02:11
    to obey your own rules.
  • 00:02:13
    I quite literally cannot think of a skill
  • 00:02:14
    more valuable than this.
  • 00:02:15
    And for me, this document has unlocked exactly
  • 00:02:18
    how you do that.
  • 00:02:19
    So according to the military, discipline should be split
  • 00:02:22
    into two separate things, discipline B and discipline A.
  • 00:02:26
    Discipline behavior and discipline attitude.
  • 00:02:29
    Discipline B refers to the observable, measurable behaviors
  • 00:02:33
    of discipline.
  • 00:02:34
    Well, discipline A refers to internal disciplined attitude.
  • 00:02:38
    Both B and A together are what create
  • 00:02:40
    a truly disciplined soldier, and they're both acquired
  • 00:02:43
    in different ways.
  • 00:02:44
    And in the military, this entire process begins
  • 00:02:46
    with discipline B and what the military calls bootcamp,
  • 00:02:50
    otherwise known as basic training
  • 00:02:52
    (drill sergeant screaming)
  • 00:02:59
    Every year the US military needs to take thousands
  • 00:03:02
    of wide-eyed, uninitiated, young men and women
  • 00:03:04
    and turn them into a well-oiled, disciplined machine.
  • 00:03:07
    The moment the recruits step foot off the bus,
  • 00:03:10
    they'll leave their old lives behind
  • 00:03:11
    and be plunged into 10 weeks of what the document calls
  • 00:03:15
    a booster shot of discipline.
  • 00:03:17
    Here's what that looks like.
  • 00:03:18
    In basic training each day begins with yelling
  • 00:03:21
    and whistle blowing around 4:00 or 5:00 AM
  • 00:03:24
    (whistle blowing) (bell ringing)
  • 00:03:26
    (drill sergeant yelling orders)
  • 00:03:29
    - That was devastating.
  • 00:03:31
    I was like, I want to go home
  • 00:03:32
    - From there, recruits must spring into action
  • 00:03:35
    as they only have a few choice minutes to prepare themselves
  • 00:03:38
    for the grueling day ahead.
  • 00:03:39
    In the world of discipline B,
  • 00:03:40
    structure and routine are paramount.
  • 00:03:43
    Here nearly every moment is scheduled, accounted for,
  • 00:03:46
    and regulated, and nearly every behavior seems to be subject
  • 00:03:50
    to a rigid code of conduct.
  • 00:03:52
    Respond like this, hands at your sides, feet right here.
  • 00:03:55
    Every action must be executed exactly
  • 00:03:58
    according to instruction.
  • 00:03:59
    Rigid adherence to protocol is the only option available
  • 00:04:03
    to a recruit unless they want to endure one of several forms
  • 00:04:06
    of punishment, regardless of who they were before training,
  • 00:04:09
    recruits will have their desired
  • 00:04:11
    behavior drilled into them until it becomes habit.
  • 00:04:14
    In basic training, recruits are essentially
  • 00:04:16
    learning one thing above all else.
  • 00:04:18
    To obey orders, recruits must forget about what they feel,
  • 00:04:22
    what they think they want,
  • 00:04:23
    or even what they think they need.
  • 00:04:25
    These feelings must be subdued in service of obedience,
  • 00:04:28
    in service of following the orders that were given
  • 00:04:30
    to them at all costs and under extreme pressure.
  • 00:04:33
    Your orders don't care that you're tired, sore,
  • 00:04:36
    that you don't feel like it.
  • 00:04:37
    You've got to do what you've got to do no matter what.
  • 00:04:40
    (wind whistling)
  • 00:04:43
    Now, according to the document,
  • 00:04:45
    the protocol we've just described is how you create an army
  • 00:04:48
    of discipline soldiers.
  • 00:04:49
    And to sum it up, it's done by forcing the trainees
  • 00:04:52
    to behave in a rigid disciplined way.
  • 00:04:55
    Under threat of punishment, you do what you're told
  • 00:04:58
    and if you step outta line, your insolence will be punished.
  • 00:05:01
    And then essentially the habit of following orders,
  • 00:05:04
    no matter what is drilled in so many times
  • 00:05:06
    that it becomes habit.
  • 00:05:08
    In other words, what they're doing to create discipline B
  • 00:05:10
    is essentially just forcing themself to behave
  • 00:05:13
    in a disciplined way until they actually become disciplined.
  • 00:05:17
    And if this is what the military has deemed results
  • 00:05:19
    in disciplined behavior, I believe them.
  • 00:05:22
    Because let's think about it.
  • 00:05:23
    You and I are trying to master the art of doing
  • 00:05:25
    what you're supposed to do, even when you don't feel like it
  • 00:05:28
    to better our lives and better our character.
  • 00:05:30
    But in the military, having soldiers execute
  • 00:05:33
    on what they said they'd do,
  • 00:05:34
    having them behave in a predictable, reliable way
  • 00:05:37
    every single time is a matter of life and death.
  • 00:05:40
    You have to take thousands of people and train them all
  • 00:05:43
    to behave with what the document called
  • 00:05:45
    behavioral reliability.
  • 00:05:46
    Executing even and especially when they don't feel like it.
  • 00:05:50
    Like if you think about it, what they're actually training
  • 00:05:52
    them to do is silence every instinct in their body
  • 00:05:55
    that tells them to run away from danger
  • 00:05:57
    and run directly into it instead.
  • 00:05:59
    And the document actually describes this
  • 00:06:01
    in a really, really useful way for us
  • 00:06:03
    trying to create self-discipline.
  • 00:06:04
    They call it resolving the clash of wills within.
  • 00:06:08
    In the military's case,
  • 00:06:09
    it's the will to be disciplined/follow orders
  • 00:06:13
    versus the will to live.
  • 00:06:15
    Now in our case, the clash of will seems almost trivial
  • 00:06:17
    in comparison.
  • 00:06:18
    The will to do what you said you would do versus the will
  • 00:06:22
    toward relaxing, sleeping, eating, chilling,
  • 00:06:25
    the main manifestations of just not feeling like it.
  • 00:06:28
    But if you think about it, this resolution
  • 00:06:29
    is do or die in terms of our own lives.
  • 00:06:32
    Do you have the power to really commit to something
  • 00:06:34
    and show up for yourself every single day
  • 00:06:37
    regardless of how you feel?
  • 00:06:38
    Do you have the power to push past feelings of discomfort
  • 00:06:41
    to consistently do the things you know are best for you?
  • 00:06:44
    Do you have the power to silence all doubts, impulses,
  • 00:06:48
    desires inside you to execute the task at hand
  • 00:06:51
    over all the weeks, months, years that it might take
  • 00:06:54
    in order to reach your goals?
  • 00:06:56
    This is self-discipline.
  • 00:06:57
    It's the skill of showing up for yourself
  • 00:07:00
    when you need it the most.
  • 00:07:01
    It's doing the hard things day after day
  • 00:07:03
    for no other reason than you said you would.
  • 00:07:05
    Discipline is deferring to the authority
  • 00:07:07
    of your higher self, the self that knows what's best for you
  • 00:07:10
    and has crafted a meticulous plan to get you there.
  • 00:07:13
    A plan that would deliver to you the life of your dreams
  • 00:07:16
    if only you could stick to it.
  • 00:07:18
    Also, I hope you guys know that I'm saying all this
  • 00:07:20
    as someone who's also trying to be more disciplined,
  • 00:07:22
    not as someone who's like attained lots of discipline.
  • 00:07:25
    You know, it's funny, most of us would never think
  • 00:07:27
    of breaking big promises to our loved ones
  • 00:07:29
    or missing a deadline for our boss at work,
  • 00:07:31
    but then we're 100% comfortable letting ourselves down.
  • 00:07:34
    But in basic training, you basically don't have the luxury.
  • 00:07:37
    You're being forced to show up and perform
  • 00:07:39
    according to plan, no matter how you feel
  • 00:07:41
    Zero tolerance, no excuses, and there's a drill sergeant
  • 00:07:44
    literally screaming in your face
  • 00:07:46
    making sure that that happens.
  • 00:07:47
    But although their methods are a little different
  • 00:07:49
    than what we might be able to do at home.
  • 00:07:51
    The military's process of creating discipline B
  • 00:07:54
    reveals some core truths
  • 00:07:56
    about how we can create discipline ourselves.
  • 00:07:59
    I truly didn't comprehend this concept
  • 00:08:00
    until I made this video.
  • 00:08:02
    I didn't quite see how discipline differed from say,
  • 00:08:05
    self-control or willpower.
  • 00:08:07
    I also kind of thought it was just about just doing it,
  • 00:08:09
    or just forcing yourself every time you didn't feel like it.
  • 00:08:12
    And yeah, obviously it's a little bit of that,
  • 00:08:13
    but it's also a lot more than that.
  • 00:08:16
    So here's what we can take away about acquiring discipline B
  • 00:08:19
    from the military's example,
  • 00:08:22
    (wind whistling)
  • 00:08:25
    How to become disciplined.
  • 00:08:26
    One, discipline starts with standards.
  • 00:08:29
    In basic training, nearly every behavior
  • 00:08:31
    is subject to a standard, a rule.
  • 00:08:33
    It has a clear process for the way that it should be done.
  • 00:08:37
    Similarly, self-discipline starts with creating standards,
  • 00:08:40
    rules and plans for your own behaviors
  • 00:08:43
    and then following through with the rules
  • 00:08:45
    that you create for yourself.
  • 00:08:46
    Two, uphold said standards. Leave no room for compromise.
  • 00:08:51
    The military and its drill sergeants give zero (beep)
  • 00:08:54
    that you did not get enough sleep.
  • 00:08:55
    They don't care how you feel today.
  • 00:08:57
    They don't even care if you're sick.
  • 00:08:58
    They really don't care if there's a really good reason
  • 00:09:00
    that you can't.
  • 00:09:01
    If something is in order, it's in order. End of story.
  • 00:09:04
    This is again so revealing about how we can actually become
  • 00:09:07
    self-disciplined people.
  • 00:09:09
    Because how many of us, myself, very much so included,
  • 00:09:11
    have rough instructions a general guide
  • 00:09:13
    for what they want outta themselves each day,
  • 00:09:15
    but leave tons of room for compromise.
  • 00:09:18
    I'll make a to-do list for myself, knowing full well
  • 00:09:21
    writing them all down that I don't even have time
  • 00:09:23
    for half the things that I put on that list.
  • 00:09:25
    But if our goal is behavioral reliability like the military,
  • 00:09:28
    then this is an issue.
  • 00:09:30
    Because to cultivate self discipline, we need some rules
  • 00:09:33
    for ourselves that are never optional, zero compromise.
  • 00:09:36
    Like the military couldn't produce discipline B
  • 00:09:38
    if either A, the standards were unclear,
  • 00:09:40
    or B, the drill sergeants didn't uphold the standards
  • 00:09:43
    half the time because it's the combination of the both,
  • 00:09:46
    the rules and the adherence to those rules
  • 00:09:49
    that creates predictable, reliable behavior
  • 00:09:51
    when it matters most.
  • 00:09:52
    Think about what would happen if you tried to train a dog
  • 00:09:55
    to do something, but half the time you decided
  • 00:09:57
    that the dog's response was optional.
  • 00:09:59
    You ask them to sit, but you still gave them a treat.
  • 00:10:01
    If they didn't sit, the dog is learning that your rules
  • 00:10:04
    don't mean anything, they don't matter.
  • 00:10:05
    And so sometimes they'll sit and sometimes they won't.
  • 00:10:08
    And that's what you actually train them to do
  • 00:10:10
    by being inconsistent with your rules
  • 00:10:12
    and your standards of what you're asking of them.
  • 00:10:14
    So creating behavioral reliability, creating the conditions
  • 00:10:18
    that ensure that you show up for yourself every single time
  • 00:10:21
    is about following your own rules and taking your own orders
  • 00:10:24
    very seriously, I told you there was life changing stuff
  • 00:10:27
    in this video.
  • 00:10:28
    Like isn't that not just like.
  • 00:10:30
    In my opinion, this is all also a form of self-respect.
  • 00:10:33
    You're respecting the orders that you give yourself
  • 00:10:36
    as if there would be a harsh punishment,
  • 00:10:38
    as if there was a drill sergeant waiting
  • 00:10:40
    to give you a sugar cookie
  • 00:10:41
    if you didn't do what you said you would.
  • 00:10:42
    Now with self-discipline, there's obviously no one coming
  • 00:10:45
    to yell at you for breaking the promises
  • 00:10:47
    that you made to yourself.
  • 00:10:48
    So in this instance, you're both the soldier
  • 00:10:51
    and the sergeant, and to the extent
  • 00:10:53
    that the two have a solid, dependable relationship,
  • 00:10:56
    you get behavioral reliability, you get consistency
  • 00:11:00
    and predictability of behavior.
  • 00:11:02
    The drill sergeant creates the orders
  • 00:11:04
    and the soldier follows through no matter what.
  • 00:11:06
    That's their relationship and it's ultimately built
  • 00:11:09
    on respect.
  • 00:11:10
    How much respect you have for your own word?
  • 00:11:13
    Your answer will be dependent on your previous track record
  • 00:11:16
    of success and the relationship between the part of you
  • 00:11:19
    that creates the orders and the part of you that follows
  • 00:11:21
    through with the orders or doesn't.
  • 00:11:24
    So framing it this way you can see that every time
  • 00:11:26
    you break a promise to yourself,
  • 00:11:28
    it's your self-respect that's on the line.
  • 00:11:30
    In other words, you either build up or tear down
  • 00:11:33
    the power that you have over yourself with ever behavior
  • 00:11:36
    you do or don't follow through with.
  • 00:11:39
    So from this, we have our first formula
  • 00:11:41
    for creating self-discipline.
  • 00:11:42
    One, create standards for your behavior
  • 00:11:44
    and two, follow through with them no matter what.
  • 00:11:46
    Through this, you're building respect for the sanctity
  • 00:11:49
    of your own commands and you're building respect up
  • 00:11:51
    for yourself by following through
  • 00:11:52
    with what you said you'd do.
  • 00:11:54
    Which points to another important element
  • 00:11:56
    of self-discipline.
  • 00:11:57
    Three, set yourself up for success by only creating orders,
  • 00:12:00
    you can and will follow.
  • 00:12:02
    The tasks asked of a military recruit on day one
  • 00:12:06
    are a lot different than the tasks asked of them
  • 00:12:09
    on the first day that they step onto the battlefield.
  • 00:12:12
    You can't expect them to perform incredible feats
  • 00:12:14
    of discipline until they've been trained to do so.
  • 00:12:17
    That's obvious yet how many of us create
  • 00:12:19
    impossible standards for ourselves
  • 00:12:21
    and then beat ourselves up for not achieving them.
  • 00:12:23
    It's important to not only be the good soldier
  • 00:12:25
    that follows through, but also a good drill sergeant,
  • 00:12:28
    a good leader of yourself so that you have the opportunity
  • 00:12:31
    to build up that self-respect and self rapport.
  • 00:12:34
    I'm eroding my authority with myself
  • 00:12:37
    if I'm creating standards and rules for myself
  • 00:12:39
    that I can't possibly comply with.
  • 00:12:41
    If you're starting with zero self-discipline, no order,
  • 00:12:44
    no rules in your life that you have a track record
  • 00:12:46
    of consistently following through with,
  • 00:12:48
    then making your standard the like perfect daily routine
  • 00:12:51
    is not only unrealistic, but by the logic of this video,
  • 00:12:55
    detrimental to creating actual discipline
  • 00:12:57
    because then your drill sergeant is all bark and no bite.
  • 00:13:00
    Because if the drill sergeant is creating rules
  • 00:13:02
    that the soldiers can't win and they're unnecessarily cruel
  • 00:13:05
    or difficult to the men that they're trying to train,
  • 00:13:08
    then they're creating insubordination
  • 00:13:10
    because they haven't earned the men's respect.
  • 00:13:12
    A real leader challenges their team,
  • 00:13:14
    but at the current level, every time you create a rule
  • 00:13:16
    for yourself that's too hard or impossible
  • 00:13:18
    to follow through with, you undermine
  • 00:13:20
    that relationship within.
  • 00:13:22
    And finally, the fourth truth based on the document
  • 00:13:24
    is that four, discipline is acquired through training
  • 00:13:27
    until the point of habit.
  • 00:13:29
    Did anyone start watching this video thinking
  • 00:13:30
    that discipline is maybe like a thing
  • 00:13:32
    that you kind of have it or you don't
  • 00:13:33
    like a personality trait?
  • 00:13:35
    I know throughout my life the most people that I've known
  • 00:13:37
    that have been extremely disciplined have been kind of like
  • 00:13:39
    that their entire lives.
  • 00:13:41
    So it's definitely something that crossed my mind.
  • 00:13:43
    But the military example is just so illuminating.
  • 00:13:45
    In the army they train their officers to acquire discipline
  • 00:13:48
    by drilling the desired behavior into them
  • 00:13:51
    over and over again until the desired behavioral response
  • 00:13:54
    becomes habit.
  • 00:13:56
    And this according to the document,
  • 00:13:57
    is the beginning of the acquisition of discipline A.
  • 00:14:01
    So according to the document, once you've had so much
  • 00:14:03
    training and discipline, discipline, behavior,
  • 00:14:05
    that it becomes habit.
  • 00:14:07
    You transition to disciplined attitude.
  • 00:14:10
    But a better way of saying it is that at the point
  • 00:14:12
    that the transition occurs,
  • 00:14:13
    you move from merely behaving in a disciplined way
  • 00:14:16
    to actually being a disciplined person.
  • 00:14:19
    At this point, discipline actually seeps its way
  • 00:14:21
    into your character and identity and actually becomes
  • 00:14:25
    part of who you are.
  • 00:14:26
    This is when things get really interesting.
  • 00:14:28
    I think discipline A is what each of us are looking for,
  • 00:14:31
    when we say, ugh, I wish I had more discipline.
  • 00:14:33
    What we're really asking for is more of the skill
  • 00:14:36
    of discipline, the power to employ this tool as we need it.
  • 00:14:40
    Because as the document claims,
  • 00:14:42
    discipline control from without can only be relaxed safely
  • 00:14:46
    when it is replaced by something better,
  • 00:14:48
    control from within.
  • 00:14:50
    So until we transition to discipline A,
  • 00:14:52
    we're gonna have to be really mindful
  • 00:14:54
    about continually forcing ourselves into discipline behavior
  • 00:14:59
    over and over and over again.
  • 00:15:00
    So until this point, discipline is really something
  • 00:15:02
    that we're doing, but it's not really something
  • 00:15:04
    that we have.
  • 00:15:05
    We haven't actually acquired it as a skill yet
  • 00:15:08
    until we transition to discipline A.
  • 00:15:11
    And I thought it was really interesting that the document
  • 00:15:13
    then goes in quotes Aristotle in discussing
  • 00:15:15
    how exactly a virtue such as discipline might be acquired.
  • 00:15:19
    Quote, "Virtues are initially acquired
  • 00:15:21
    through their purposeful activation
  • 00:15:23
    leading to the habitation of virtuous deeds.
  • 00:15:26
    Eventually the learner internalizes the habitual behavior
  • 00:15:29
    leading to the next step of virtuous character."
  • 00:15:32
    And according to literally Aristotle,
  • 00:15:34
    once a virtue becomes part of your character,
  • 00:15:36
    becomes part of your identity, this is when things
  • 00:15:39
    really start to shift.
  • 00:15:40
    You start to behave more naturally in a way
  • 00:15:42
    that's more aligned with this new part of your self concept.
  • 00:15:46
    Once you've really and truly acquired discipline,
  • 00:15:49
    the choice to behave in a disciplined way
  • 00:15:51
    becomes the more natural choice to you.
  • 00:15:54
    The best way to explain this is probably
  • 00:15:55
    through Jocko Willink.
  • 00:15:57
    You somehow don't know who he is.
  • 00:15:58
    He's an ex Navy seal who like bleeds discipline,
  • 00:16:01
    whose whole brand is discipline, who has posted a screenshot
  • 00:16:04
    of his watch saying 4:30 AM,
  • 00:16:07
    the time he gets up to workout every single day
  • 00:16:09
    for like years now, his Instagram kills me.
  • 00:16:12
    At this point being this disciplined of a person,
  • 00:16:15
    it would probably in a way be more difficult for him
  • 00:16:19
    to behave in a way that's undisciplined
  • 00:16:22
    versus behave in the disciplined way.
  • 00:16:24
    It's hard to make that make sense.
  • 00:16:25
    It doesn't mean that he's not tempted to slack off.
  • 00:16:28
    I'm sure he does like everyone else,
  • 00:16:29
    but at this point, his identity is so intertwined
  • 00:16:32
    with the virtue of self-discipline,
  • 00:16:35
    he can really count on himself and his character to show up
  • 00:16:38
    and do the hard thing even and especially
  • 00:16:40
    when he really doesn't want to.
  • 00:16:42
    And obviously that's exactly what we're looking for
  • 00:16:44
    when we say I want more self-discipline.
  • 00:16:47
    We wanna be able to stay on track with our goals
  • 00:16:49
    no matter what.
  • 00:16:50
    We don't wanna be battered around by circumstances.
  • 00:16:52
    We wanna be in charge of ourselves when it matters the most.
  • 00:16:55
    We want to become masters of our minds.
  • 00:16:57
    We want to be able to choose the harder
  • 00:17:00
    but clearly better option in any and all situations.
  • 00:17:04
    So let's put everything that we've learned into a process
  • 00:17:07
    on how to acquire discipline for ourselves.
  • 00:17:09
    To acquire the virtue of discipline.
  • 00:17:12
    As we said before, one, start with our standards.
  • 00:17:15
    Create rules and standards for yourself.
  • 00:17:18
    Two, never break these promises to yourself.
  • 00:17:20
    Do not compromise an inch on these standards.
  • 00:17:24
    Three, the most important thing is to keep these promises
  • 00:17:27
    at all costs.
  • 00:17:28
    So therefore, start small.
  • 00:17:30
    Until you've established a track record of success,
  • 00:17:34
    you wanna be extremely cautious with which things
  • 00:17:36
    that you choose to be standards.
  • 00:17:38
    Now the classic military example is making your bed.
  • 00:17:41
    And I think this is pretty much the perfect discipline
  • 00:17:43
    for most people to start with.
  • 00:17:44
    As evidenced by the 49 million viewed video
  • 00:17:47
    by Admiral McRaven on the importance of making your bed.
  • 00:17:50
    - If you make your bed every morning,
  • 00:17:52
    you will have accomplished the first task of the day.
  • 00:17:54
    It will give you a small sense of pride
  • 00:17:56
    and it will encourage you to do another task
  • 00:17:58
    and another and another.
  • 00:18:00
    And by the end of the day, that one task completed
  • 00:18:02
    will have turned into many tasks completed.
  • 00:18:04
    Making your bed will also reinforce
  • 00:18:06
    the fact that the little things in life matter.
  • 00:18:07
    If you can't do the little things right,
  • 00:18:09
    you'll never be able to do the big things right.
  • 00:18:11
    And if by chance you have a miserable day,
  • 00:18:12
    you will come home to a bed that is made.
  • 00:18:14
    - But you have to be smart, if you're currently at a point
  • 00:18:16
    where you are always late for work or you're really chaotic
  • 00:18:19
    in the morning, then setting that as your first discipline,
  • 00:18:22
    you might be setting yourself up for failure.
  • 00:18:24
    The goal is 100% compliance rate.
  • 00:18:27
    So start silly small.
  • 00:18:29
    Start with something you 100% know you can do
  • 00:18:32
    every single day, essentially for the rest of your life.
  • 00:18:36
    Four, build up to a disciplined lifestyle.
  • 00:18:38
    As soon as you've established a track record of success
  • 00:18:41
    with the silly small stuff, one by one,
  • 00:18:44
    start to add in the most important stuff.
  • 00:18:46
    Starting with things like adhering to a daily routine
  • 00:18:50
    of your choosing, working out,
  • 00:18:51
    or getting some sort of physical movement every day
  • 00:18:54
    and disciplined with your school or work.
  • 00:18:56
    Those are obviously very vague,
  • 00:18:57
    but you wanna look within them for the specific behaviors
  • 00:19:00
    that you can turn into standards or rules.
  • 00:19:03
    Do it one by one as soon as you've mastered one,
  • 00:19:05
    move on to the next one.
  • 00:19:06
    And again, upholding these standards
  • 00:19:08
    is the most important part.
  • 00:19:10
    Five, expect to be on guard with all of these disciplines
  • 00:19:13
    for at least the first year.
  • 00:19:15
    If you drop your guard, you may drop your disciplines.
  • 00:19:17
    I quite literally cannot think of a more valuable skill
  • 00:19:20
    than training yourself to obey your own rules
  • 00:19:22
    and creating a lifestyle where you adhere to the standards
  • 00:19:26
    that you create for yourself.
  • 00:19:27
    Like if you don't have the skill, then what do you have?
  • 00:19:29
    You know, like I feel like this skill is really
  • 00:19:31
    the basis for any sort of self-mastery.
  • 00:19:34
    I've always really valued discipline and like looked up
  • 00:19:36
    to people who are really disciplined,
  • 00:19:38
    but I never quite understood
  • 00:19:39
    how you could actually get more of it.
  • 00:19:41
    And the classic advice seemed to just be,
  • 00:19:43
    to just force yourself.
  • 00:19:45
    It was missing that piece about discipline
  • 00:19:46
    really being this whole process of training yourself
  • 00:19:50
    to take yourself seriously.
  • 00:19:51
    And to end it all off with another Aristotle quote
  • 00:19:53
    to the point of all of this,
  • 00:19:55
    is that the reason that all of this is worth the effort
  • 00:19:58
    if it wasn't already obvious,
  • 00:19:59
    is that, "Freedom is obedience to self formulated rules."
  • 00:20:04
    AKA, the 300 BC version of Jocko's discipline
  • 00:20:07
    equals freedom.
  • 00:20:09
    Hope you guys are enjoying the first taste
  • 00:20:10
    of the new content.
  • 00:20:11
    And if you haven't heard yet, my new online course,
  • 00:20:13
    How to Change, is almost ready.
  • 00:20:15
    Click the link below if you're interested
  • 00:20:17
    in more information.
  • 00:20:18
    Thank you so much for watching
  • 00:20:19
    and I'll see you in the next one.
  • 00:20:21
    (upbeat music)
Tags
  • discipline
  • military training
  • self-discipline
  • behavioral reliability
  • consistency
  • Major Kevin S. Donahue
  • self-improvement
  • training
  • self-control
  • habit building