## Notes [[Mindfulness for feelings and temptations]] [[Discipline is a muscle]] [[Discipline is different and not as sexy as motivation]] [[Our small decisions compound to generate large results]] [[Improvement requires continuous effort]] ## Highlights discipline should be nurtured like a developing muscle—with steady practice and reasonable rest to prevent fatigue ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/01c70e6c-0fdd-476a-aabc-f93bf73c90a7)) discipline is more than an internal challenge, it also depends greatly on your surroundings. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d6721860-ead2-44d0-9729-d35f7de2dfca)) Discipline isn’t to be confused with motivation, which is based on emotion and is typically fleeting. Motivation is complementary to discipline because it can be a catalyst for setting a goal and even inspire some action toward that goal, but it’s short-lived. In contrast to motivation, discipline is characterized by self-sustained habits that steadily lead you toward a goal, even when you don’t feel motivated. When motivation fades, Hollins explains, discipline carries you forward. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/34ee7303-29e6-415e-9013-b90a08c6f0f8)) ^448ung form habits that you’re intrinsically motivated to do because these are shown to be the most sustainable. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/a5ffca8b-ba6e-4a3e-8a7a-7eb4e5092598)) behaving in disciplined ways strengthens new pathways in your prefrontal cortex and makes discipline more automatic. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/e01f04b7-9867-4ec3-b0ea-c83b6a61ed4c)) ### New highlights added December 20, 2023 at 5:28 PM Just like too much exercise can overwork muscles in your body, constantly exercising discipline to resist strong temptations can exhaust your will. If you deplete your capacity for discipline by not ever giving yourself a break, this can carry over into other areas of your life. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/1a454b08-b018-4b1a-b5e4-509f4d5a0d3f)) ^g8obwa In The Willpower Instinct, Kelly McGonigal explains that, much like chronic stress, unrelenting discipline demands a lot of energy from your body, making you more vulnerable to illness.) ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/6162f785-b219-4c7c-9fcd-54bab5dc696a)) ^m7cy05 , if you resist using social media for an unsustainably long time, you may reach a breaking point that leads to a TikTok binge or other indulgences worse than you set out to solve by practicing discipline in the first place. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/6c8ab046-178e-4144-b35c-f14320302ba9)) ^sfw6a6 Emotional Tools to Build Discipline ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d46eb059-dccd-4afe-812f-018fcb87a66c)) Hollins explains that there are three main categories of motivation: independence, excellence, and service. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/b9fbcfb9-b6fb-447e-8d65-48a594d5a4f9)) allow yourself to experience them with an awareness that they’re temporary ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/8854ddc8-bbd7-4e24-8b67-c0c6b3da020a)) apply the 10-10-10 rule. This means thinking about how the decision you’re facing will affect you 10 minutes from now, 10 hours from now, and 10 days from now. To demonstrate the 10-10-10 rule, imagine you want to stop working to watch TV. Consider how in ten minutes you’ll have made no further progress on your tasks. In ten hours, you’ll probably have forgotten whatever you watched on TV, but you’ll still be bothered by the work you still need to finish. In ten days, the TV you watched will have been inconsequential to progressing toward your goals, but any work you completed will have brought you that much further along. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/1f274812-fcd9-4893-a9ea-f6c224a6d08a)) ^drlnr4 if you’re tempted by something that would lead to a lapse in discipline, wait 10 minutes before giving in. By doing this, you’ll allow the impulse to fade, while giving yourself time to make a more rational decision about what to do. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/76336d02-5857-49ef-b70b-5f39f6c01cec)) ^ki4nh6 Build an External World That Encourages Discipline ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/cc2227c4-75d2-4cb6-b146-2c4eadcc9975)) Build an Environment That Encourages Discipline ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/e718063a-bc4d-4c7e-a287-219ae3a38f0f)) advantage of your cravings for dopamine by rewarding yourself for completing tasks ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/e6bf70e3-9b9c-4cf6-bb7c-07da39c4d396)) an accountability partner ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/2605e5ee-1c5a-44e2-bedb-15ab7fd86935)) The Hawthorne Effect is the idea that knowing people are watching you makes you perform tasks more effectively. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/8a908cad-2457-410c-bfe2-128cfca3d9d8)) find a positive mentor. Identify and connect with someone who inspires you to be disciplined toward your goals. For example, this could be someone who’s already had success in the area of the goal you’re pursuing ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/d87b8cae-72af-4c74-8836-5916ca64bcf4))