Self-Discipline Equals Self-Confidence
Hi RH Family, it has been a little while since you have heard directly from me. Sometimes life speeds up and with the return of school season, preparing for our first official Men’s collection, and business affairs, to say that the past few weeks have been crazy would be an understatement, but I do thrive in the pace of a busy life. When the world feels as though it is spinning a bit faster than usual, I lean on routine and have recently made the conscious connection that mine and likely your subconscious has made, that self-confidence is directly correlated with self-discipline, and I wanted to share it with you in hopes that maybe reading this will give you an extra push to be an elevated version of yourself, because you have it in you!
In previous posts of mine I have spoken to you about routine and how creating to-do lists can help to keep you on track, but we never touched on what happens when you make a to-do list and don’t do it… For instance, on Sunday evening you make a list either in your mind or on your phone, journal, etc. to wake up at 6am, workout, eat a healthy breakfast, make coffee for your wife and breakfast for the kids, go to work, in the evening take an hour to read, and call a loved one to check in. That sounds like a fantastic way to start your week! But when we have a plan and no self-discipline to execute it results in a lack of self-confidence. Self-discipline means doing what you said you were going to do; if you lack self-discipline, your brain might start putting you down for not waking up early enough to fit in that workout (for the 23rd time that you promised yourself you would), and that negative narrative tumbles into the rest of your day and your belief in yourself. Self-discipline equals self-confidence and momentum is real, for better or for worse. If you are on a downward trajectory, it is easier to continue to slip on the promises you made yourself, but the vise verse is also true, and that's where the untapped potential lives!
I have found that on days that I create a plan of action, such as fitting in a workout, and do not follow through out of a lack of discipline, which is very different that an unforeseen circumstance that threw my day off such as one of my children feeling sick, etc. that it is easier to not eat the way I would ideally like to eat which is healthier, and then by the end of the day as I reflect in bed, I feel disappointed in myself and make a plan to do better tomorrow. Self-discipline also means doing what we need to do even when we don’t want to do it, such as that early morning workout. The key is that I now consciously plan and have the self-discipline to follow through with it because I know I will feel more confident because I did not let myself down, I kept my promise to myself.
I want to quickly be clear that chill days of movie marathons and comfort food are incredibly necessary for our bodies and brains, but when you make a promise to yourself, having the self-discipline to follow through will result in an elevated feeling of self-confidence and self-confidence is self-love. I hope that reading this can make you see things through a new lens, so I challenge you to write down your goals for tomorrow or the week and make a promise to yourself to have the self-discipline to follow through and see how much more confident you feel on the other side. When you set your alarm for tomorrow an hour earlier than usual, remember these words and have the discipline to get up and not press snooze. You can do this – I believe in you!
Best,
Marlon Muller