These days, discipline is touted as one of the key ingredients for what society deems necessary for success. 

Some have gone so far as to say that discipline is freedom, in that choosing to follow a set of habits or rules gives you the life that you want.

But this is not choice, this is force. 

And this is not freedom, this is a prison.

Forcing yourself to do something is yet another prison that you voluntarily choose to occupy.

It is yet another rule to follow that you will eventually break. 

These rules are simply lies that one tells oneself that they are on the “right track”.

That one day they will achieve where they want to go. 

“Be patient. Keep at it. It will come eventually.”

But eventually never comes.

And eventually one can no longer stomach the lie they’ve been telling themselves.

But instead of trying something new, they remain “disciplined”, and in doing so, tell themselves a new lie.

Every red pill is followed by a blue pill. 

There will be those who say, “I must remain disciplined. Without discipline, I would not be motivated to do the things I do.”

But instead of forcing yourself to do something, why not understand why you’re doing it in the first place?

This understanding will be a much more powerful and lasting motivator than any habit, hack, or lie.

There will be others who say, “But discipline works. I can see the progress. I am better than I was yesterday.”

Yes, you may be better than yesterday but for what purpose?

You began your journey of “self-improvement” and “discipline” to reach a destination.

For no one would begin a journey if they did not have a destination.

But you focus on incremental improvements without understanding why you want to improve in the first place. 

You have yet to ask where you want to go.

And for this reason, you will never get there.