Discipline...

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what makes a difference between those who get results and those who don't. What makes one person stick to a healthy exercise and nutrition program and another give up by lunchtime. I realise it all comes down to the mindset of the person and their discipline. 

According to Merriam-Webster, discipline is defined as 'training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; control gained by enforcing obedience or order; orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behaviour; self-control'. 
From this, it is clear that discipline is planned, structured and it involves mind over matter.  

For those of you who are Christian you may be giving up something or committing to something for Lent. Even if you are not spiritual you can still use this lent period as a time to refocus and get back on track. Perhaps you lost momentum after New Year's. Sometimes we just need a mental nudge to help us be focused and disciplined.

People often ask me what it takes to keep trim and fit.  I tell them it is hard work and discipline. Discipline not to have the extra slice of cake, discipline to wake up at 4:30am to get in your long runs, discipline to endure the discomfort of hard workouts to build a lean body. Probably most importantly of all, discipline to put yourself first and know that your goals are more important than anything anyone else can say or do.

The reality is you can lose some weight and get fitter with an average effort. But if you want to get to single digit body fat % or achieve great feats of human performance, you need to practise discipline every minute of everyday of your life. You need to go beyond the ordinary effort levels and push yourself harder. After all, what could be worth more than achieving what you want?