The Definition of Self-Discipline
“I respect the discipline you have. And the drive.”
I hear this all the time and, in my usual self-deprecating way, tend to brush it off as just something people say to all athletes. But I’ve been thinking about it more and more recently - am I really all that disciplined?
I took about a month off from track after the World Championships and during that time I tried to be as low-key as possible. I went home to spend time with my mom and my brother, I relaxed, I ate whatever I wanted, and I worked my butt off because this past summer drained my money reserves more than I would have liked. All in all, it was a nice month off. But, it made coming back seem almost surreal. It’s hard to explain, but suddenly, I was extremely worried about the struggle I’d face trying to get back in shape.
Of course, as soon as I started, everything fell into place. I took one step into the warm-up and wondered what had I been so worried about. I won’t say it’s not tough - that would be a total lie. It’s just a toughness that I’ve become so accustomed to that I barely think about the significance of it anymore.
This brings me back to discipline and drive. Am I really more disciplined and driven than the non-athletic regular people of the world? On some days, I think so. Those are the days when the workouts take everything out of me. When I think to myself, “Why am I torturing myself like this?”. Those are the days when all that athletic drive and discipline are on full display.
But we don’t have killer workouts every day. That’s nowhere near feasible. What we do have are long training sessions, long weeks, and seasons that seem so short and yet so long a the same time. Is it drive and discipline that pushes me every single day? Or is it simply falling into good habits that I’ve established over the years?
“Maybe at its core, discipline is much simpler than we make it out to be. It’s doing what you have to do even when you don’t want to.”
What is discipline, really? Doesn’t being a good employee need a certain type of discipline? Don’t you need a certain level of drive to advance in any career?
I think what makes athletes the poster children of drive and discipline is the fact that you can see these traits in an amplified form. We have very specific goals and everything we do is towards said goals. The discipline and drive go hand in hand in this sense; without the drive to achieve our goals, why would we want to be disciplined at all? What would be the point?
I say all this to really say, I think discipline and drive come in many shapes and forms. This is probably my imposter syndrome speaking, but sometimes it’s hard to see myself as disciplined. I can admit I’m driven. I mean, I’ve spent four years focused on one major goal (the Olympics, for anyone not in the know). But disciplined? I feel I have so little discipline, I’ve constructed a slew of elaborate habits and routines to force myself into health and vitality.
Is creating these routines for myself just another form of discipline? Maybe at its core, discipline is much simpler than we make it out to be. It’s doing what you have to do even when you don’t want to. It’s waking up early every day to make sure you get to work on time. It’s sticking to your healthy eating plan even though your favorite fast-food spot has just sent you a ton of coupons that stack. It’s putting in the time and effort to keep your body in tip-top shape despite how mentally and physically draining it can be.
It’s a weird concept to wrap my head around at times, but it’s always nice to hear any sort of compliment from the people you hold near and dear in your heart. You are disciplined. You are driven. You have character. I need to share that sentiment with the people who I feel embody these characteristics around me more. And I will.
What comes to mind when you think of discipline and drive? I’m very interested to hear if my ramblings sparked anything in anyone - especially since these thoughts have been running through my mind as of late.
Photography by Chevis Armstead II
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