This week at TheDOJO we talked about the idea of Self-Discipline. We discussed what Dicipline is, when, where and how to use it, and that ideas are only useful when we put them into ACTION.
Below is the basis of our Self-Discipline talk, as a black belt myself, self-discipline has been a life long journey for me, an exploration filled with many worthwhile discoveries.
Self-Dsicipline: The ability to make yourself do, what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. (Post this quote where you will see it everyday or where your child does their homework.)"With Self-Discipline, most anything is possible" -Theodore Roosevelt
Home Practice for Children
Children received a Self-Discipline Chart (if you didn't get one email me here) to log and journal their results. Parents we encourage you to implement it! This morning our children (age 4) after breakfast, were proud to bring their plates to the sink saying "Self-Discipline!". It built their confidence and strengthened their character.
The Idea Put Into Action
Anytime we make and keep a promise to ourselves (self-discipline) we build our confidence & self-esteem. Anytime we break that promise to ourselves we lower our self-esteem and our confidence in ourselves. We simply don't trust ourselves that we will do what we say we will do. This may be realized by us consciously or subconsciously. Just imagine how good it feels, the confidence you have in yourself when you use self-discipline by eating right, exercising, saving for retirement, controlling spending, controlling portion sizes at meals, enjoying a desert rather than over indulging. All easy to say, hard to do.
Self-Discipline is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. Like the athlete who through effort, time, and practice develops a stronger physical self, our character strengthens through use, challenge and practice. In other words, "welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself." Don't most people just avoid it? Black belts are not like most people, that is why they are black belts.
We develop a stronger character in our children and ourselves when we welcome adversity and see it as a teachable moment, an opportunity to evolve. If your child doesn't want to go to class, great! It's the moment you have been waiting for! Anybody can do something when it's easy, but those who develop a strong character have the self-discipline to do something when they don't feel like it. They may need our help, where a child or student stops that is where the job of a teacher, parent, mentor, or coach begins. We inspire them to go way beyond themselves. If I was a parent, and I am, I would want my child to develop character strength such as self-discipline, focus, confidence, self-control, perseverance, integrity, respect to name a few qualities. These don't happen by accident. They are cultivated through many teachable moments, and it is handwork, that's why we help parents, for that it takes a village to raise a child.
At TheDOJO our Martial Arts Education builds strong character in our students, children especially. It's one of the things parents like best about the Intelligent Curriculum I have designed which unleashes human potential.
Thinking...The Mind is The Secret
Gandhi said, "What we think, we become." The mind can only occupy one thought at a time, so when I catch myself thinking of an easy way out, apathy, complacency, laziness, fatigue...I focus my thought energy on the choice of self-discipline and the results it will yield to me. I keep my mind on the things I want and off of the things I don't want. As martial artists, first we replace the disempowering thought with the empowering thought, then we take action on it. Simple, what we think we become.
Lastly, we must water that which we want to grow. The "I want it now mindset" of our society is not the right environment to cultivate Self-Discipline, so we must be atypical. We can not treat our children efficiently, like downloading an app. It takes time, patience and many teachable moments to be effective, developing in them and ourselves, the quality of self-discipline.
Why go through all this work? We are martial artists, it's who we are and the path we seek.
