It’s much more comfortable to sit on the couch and let myself be entertained than to create my own work. It’s easier to eat yummy food that’s rough on my health. And let’s face it, it’s way more fun to spend than to save. But living a comfortable life will not take us where we want to go. Only strength and discipline will do that.

Discipline is a daily choice that becomes a habit.

When I first started working out, I had to decide every day to go. I had to talk myself into it. Once I’m there, once I get moving, I feel great, and I never regret going. It’s like GI Joe’s slogan, “knowing is half the battle, but with working out, the saying should be, “going is half the battle.”

I love working out, but I still have to force myself to go sometimes. But once I form a habit, I just get up and go. It’s no longer a decision.

Dieting is hard. It feels good to eat what we want when we want. Let’s be honest, junk food tastes really good. I can dig into a bowl of ice cream or a bag of chips pretty easily despite how important clean eating is to me. But those choices affect me in the short and long term.

It feels really good to lounge on the couch and binge watch my favorite shows. It gives me something to talk to my co-workers about. But I start feeling like I am watching someone else live their life instead of living my own.

I used to spend most of my weekends shopping. It wasn’t bad shopping, it was for home goods and improvement. We spent a lot of money at home depot. I only go out to go grocery shopping on the weekends now, and my spending has gone way down.

Even job security, it is more comfortable to my brain to work for a familiar, smaller hourly wage and blame my money problems on my boss, than to strike out on my own and try my best to face the risk/reward balance that comes with entrepreneurship.

We feel secure watching TV and movies, eating junk food, spending our weekends shopping for the things we “need.” and blaming our boss for how much we make.

The comforts of life have their place. I like all these things as much as then next person. But discipline is a key factor here. Move your body. Stop watching TV and go live your life. Eat food that will nourish your body. Save money so you have money.

Discipline is the pathway to Freedom.  – Jocko willink