YOUR MIND WILL TRY TO TALK YOU OUT OF IT BUT DO IT ANYWAY

We talk about discipline like it is a character trait, something you either have or you do not. But the truth is, discipline is often a daily negotiation with your own mind.

Let me paint a familiar picture. You wake up early with the best intentions: move your body, reply to emails, prep the report, finally tackle that one annoying task. And then… your brain slides in with the counteroffer: Maybe tomorrow is better.

You have already done so much, what’s one more rest day? You need more clarity before you start.

This is not laziness, it is how the mind protects us from discomfort. From effort. From change. The problem is, this type of protection keeps us stuck.

Whether you are a founder, team leader, or mid-career professional, the pattern is the same. We overestimate how motivated we need to feel, and underestimate how powerful small follow-throughs are. Mental resistance is the gap between what you intend to do and what you actually do. The more often you negotiate with your excuses, the more those excuses win.

Discipline is not part of a flawless morning routine. For me this is what it looks like:

• Finishing the proposal even though no one is chasing me.

• Saying no to the extra meeting so I can think clearly.

• Making a start, even when I feel behind.

• Showing up to the task, before the deadline forces me to.

  
  

Discipline is doing what needs to be done, even when it does not feel good. Especially then.

The unseen discipline behind success can be told in many stories. A client of mine runs a successful logistics company. You see the smooth branding and polished ops now but three years ago, he was stuck in analysis paralysis. Constantly planning, rarely executing. His turning point was when he started to incorporate a calendar block titled “Do it before your brain talks you out of it,” into his routine. He committed to 90 minutes every morning where no email, no meetings, no second-guessing could interrupt. All he focussed on was action without allowing intrusive thoughts to cloud his judgement. 90 minutes was doable, he got into the habit and tripled his revenue in 18 months. 

The more often we keep your promises to ourselves, the more our confidence compounds. We stop needing external deadlines or applause or waiting to feel ready. We simply become the kind of person who follows through. And that’s the identity that builds careers, teams, and empires. 

You do not need to be superhuman as long as you can outsmart your excuses…one decision at a time. 

So next time your brain offers a perfectly logical reason to avoid the work, smile, thank it, and do the thing anyway. Your future self will not remember the excuse, but they will remember that you kept going.