All right, welcome back to the Daily Mastermind, George Wright III, with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. Man, I feel like I've said that about 1,200 times, which I guess I have because it's been about 1,300 episodes. Thanks for joining me today. I hope you liked that interview yesterday. I sure love interviewing top entrepreneurs, founders, experts. And then on Monday, we talked about building resilience by design. So I'm glad you're here today. Today, we're going to talk about driving one of the most important principles that you can find to get results, and that is the power of discipline. Because, you know, here's the truth. You know, motivation might get you started, but discipline is definitely going to keep you growing. and consistency is what guarantees your results when it comes to anything in life, but especially in business. And so this week, remember, I'm kind of talking a little bit about resilience and discipline and performance, but I want to talk to you about discipline because discipline's not punishment. I think a lot of people look at it as like a restriction or taking away your freedom, but it's the freedom to become the person you were meant to be. That's what discipline is, the freedom to create the life that you want, the freedom to build success that lasts, not success that comes and goes depending on how you feel or your mood for the moment. So today, let's talk about how discipline becomes your advantage, why consistency matters with, you know, the intensity that you have and how you can build long-term commitment in a world full of distractions, because let's be honest, there is so many distractions out there that it's harder and harder to be disciplined. So if you look at the world's top performers in business, sports, music, leadership, they all share a pretty common trait. They're pretty disciplined. I'm talking the world's top performers. They don't rely on motivation. They don't rely on inspiration. They don't rely on just feeling ready. They have systems, they have commitments, you know, they rely on their identity. But most people think success is about doing more. And the real secret is doing less, but consistently. It's not about massive action. It's about intentional action. And it's about showing up when excitement fades, right? It's like prosperity pillar number three, you know, act in spite of your mood. Because discipline is what bridges the gap between goals and results. You know, goals are going to tell you what you want, but discipline turns it into like who you become. You know, your goal combined with discipline is going to get you there. And so discipline, you know, obviously becomes easier when you realize it's not something that you force, it's something that you align with. And when you know who you want to be, discipline becomes a natural expression of your identity. So it is important to have that vision and you don have to push yourself every day You simply have to be in alignment with who your future version is going to be and that carry you So you know this is why some people succeed and other people don You know, it's not because they're luckier or smarter, but it's because they're more consistent. So discipline is going to give you that competitive edge because so many people practice it in the wrong way, right? Because very few people stay consistent. Let's put it that way. And discipline is your ability to stay consistent. When you combine discipline with the right mindset, you're really going to be unstoppable. So I say it all the time and you hear the word discipline, but it's really important for you to understand some components of it because maybe it'll help you to internalize it a little bit more. Let's start with one of the biggest traps entrepreneurs fall into. And it's waiting for when they're feeling motivated. You know, they think once I feel inspired or once I get motivated, I'll do it. But motivation is unpredictable. And you can't run a business on motivation. You can't create your best life on motivation. It comes and goes. If your success depends on motivation, you're only going to take action when it's convenient. And success is never convenient. So, you know, think of motivation as like a spark, but discipline is the engine and consistency is the fuel that you're going to use to path all the way to your goals. And if you don't feel like doing something in order to accomplish your goals, you're never going to get there. You've got to stay committed and not act based on your feelings. Because discipline is not about feeling good. It's about, you know, doing things despite how you feel. You know what I'm saying? So here's the bigger problem with relying on motivation too, is it creates guilt cycles. You know, you start with excitement. You inevitably will hit some kind of a dip, motivational fade, and you stop, and then you feel bad and you feel guilty. And that guilt is what keeps you stuck. I've been there. You know, you feel guilty not going to the gym. And if you wait for motivation, there's just no consistency. So discipline will become your driver that breaks that whole cycle. You know, you stop needing permission from your emotions to move forward, like this motivational thing you need. You stop negotiating with your excuses. You stop giving attention to the stories that you're telling yourself that slow you down. Discipline is going to create the consistency. And every time you follow through, you get more results, you get more evidence, and you get more belief, and you'll stay more consistent. So that's how it's created. So you've got to build this discipline, you know, advantage, this discipline muscle. And so let me give you some ideas. These are just some things that can help you that maybe you know, but you got to hear it again. The first thing is you've got to simplify your standards. I'm not saying lower your standards. I'm saying simplify. Most people fail because they overcommit. They create huge lists, lots of goals, complicated plans, and they wonder why they can't stay consistent. Well, discipline, it becomes really difficult when you have unrealistic expectations So if you want to master discipline simplify your standards and focus on a few things that actually move the needle Most of us do all kinds of daily rituals that don even move the needle for our business So make your habits small enough that you can consistently repeat them You know discipline thrives on simplicity It may be as simple as just getting up in the morning and going to the gym or whatever Another suggestion would be create identity-based habits. Now, what do I mean by that? You don't rise to the level of your goals. Like I said on Monday, you fall to the level of your habits. And your habits are always going to reflect your identity. So if you want to change your behavior and your habits, you got to change your identity first. So instead of saying, I want to be disciplined, say, I am someone who keeps my commitments. Instead of saying, I want to get in shape, say, I'm someone who values my health. and, you know, instead of saying I want to be more consistent, just say, you know, I'm somebody who shows up every day, and I'm consistent with that. Identity that you create for yourself will drive your habits, and you know as well as I do, habits are going to get your results. So, you know, here's the key with identity-based habits, by the way. Consistency matters more than intensity. So, one small habit daily will outperform a massive habit done once in a while, right? You could go kill it at the gym or have a great diet and then not be consistent and the habits aren't going to work. And then I will say one other thing. I think it's important that we all learn to eliminate this negotiation window that we work with. Every time you hesitate, you're negotiating. You know, when you have a thought come up of something you know you need to do, you stop and you think about it. And what you're doing is negotiating with yourself and you're talking yourself out of stuff. You know, resilient, disciplined leaders don't negotiate with themselves. They decide, they commit, and they stay resolved to what they've decided. This means get rid of the wiggle room. No more, I'll do it later. I don't think about it. Or, oh, there's better timing later, maybe tomorrow. The moment you remove the window of negotiation, discipline is going to become easier. So discipline is built in the moments that you choose not to negotiate with excuses. So I want to mention one other thing before we go though, the long game, okay? Because discipline is not just about today's activities. Discipline is who you're becoming over months and years and decades. This discipline will grow and build and you'll layer on it. Most people, you know, overestimate what they can do in a week and they underestimate what they can do in like two years, three years, five years. You've probably heard that before The long game requires a little bit of patience and it rewards persistence You know rewards those who are willing to do the work even when it is not giving them a big reward So that's the difference between you know being a high level producer and just an amateur Professionals act in spite of their mood If you want to create your best life you got to learn to act in spite of your mood on a long basis And here the truth Success is not built on the big deals It built in those quiet moments It built in your routine It built in your mindset. It's built in your daily commitments. The long game requires patience. Give yourself a little grace. Give yourself a little patience and just stay consistent with small habits, with simple standards. And trust that those small habits and actions are going to take you into massive results over time because they will. Consistency will compound. And those commitments compound and the discipline compounds. You've got to, just like you would with finance, use the power of compounding. Don't worry about trying to get it all done right now. So that's kind of my message I wanted to give you today. I really want you to think seriously about discipline. So take these takeaways. If you take anything away from the podcast today, the first takeaway is discipline is going to be your freedom. It's not punishment. It's going to create the freedom to become and live the life that you want to live. Second, consistency will always be the intensity. Don't gung-ho about it. Just be consistent with small driven habits. And then third, discipline is driven by your identity. So if you want to change your habits and discipline, change what focus you have on your identity. It's not about something that you practice. It's about who you become. You're a disciplined person. You're a person that's committed. You're a person that's resolved when you make a commitment. And so that's the message for today. I want you to really think really strongly this week. We talked on Monday about resilience, and now we're talking about discipline. You know, tomorrow I've got a great interview for you, but on Friday I'm going to talk a little bit more about time mastery, give you a little business principles. And remember, these are all things that I've learned from some of the greatest leaders and thought leaders out there. I didn't make any of this stuff up. I've got a lot of personal experience to kind of help drive it home and validate it. But I think if you just take these messages each week and you apply them in your life, and I continue to remind you, you're going to see massive changes. You're going to create the life that you were meant to live, but you've got to take action. And so hit me up on the Daily Mastermind. Click the links in the show notes. I'm going to throw in some extra things in the show notes just for those of you that like to dig in. We've got some free gifts and things. You can go over to dailymastermind.com and check out other things we have for your resources. But remember, you're the average of the people you hang out with. The point of the Daily Mastermind is to stay consistent and give you something consistently you can use in your life. And so I hope it's doing that for you. If it is, please share the show. Share at least with somebody that you know and that would help us to build the community as well. I look forward to talking to you tomorrow. So have a great day. Thank you.
