Friday, January 5, 2024

The Pain of Discipline or the Pain of Regret

As the new year kicks off, many of us will fall into cynicism regarding New Year’s resolutions—and for good reason

By Alex Kuiper, Representative

I know myself that in the past I have often had high hopes for starting new healthy habits for myself in the New Year, only to have them fall by the wayside at some point between mid-January or mid-February.

Many regular patrons of local gyms often joke, “Brace yourselves, here comes the New Year’s crowd,” as the facilities flood with well-intentioned folks looking to improve their health and physique.

It can be daunting to not only begin but to maintain new healthy and beneficial habits. It is so easy to stick to the habits we know, that are comforting, and that can be hard to give up. In the inverse, it can be very hard to stick to habits that are new to us, that are uncomfortable, and that are hard to maintain.

One of the most difficult mental blocks I’ve found is not giving myself the permission to fail at something. I’ve found that the unrelenting negative chatter in my mind is the most sabotaging aspect of my behaviour, especially when it’s related to my shortcomings—and this chatter is often driven by regret.

It’s at this place that I’ve found the gift of discipline to be a terrific counterbalance to that voice. The first bit of discipline I use is to tell that voice to shut-up and to keep tomorrow open as a new opportunity.

It’s that first small step of discipline that I’ve found helps me to create the momentum to build more discipline. If I can focus on the small steps of discipline and gain a win, then I find it minimizes the loud voice of regret.

This can be true in our work lives also. It can be easy to fall into bad habits or bad relations with those we work with. It can seem impossible to make positive changes and have an impact on our work life.

But not having the discipline to change ourselves or challenge ourselves to make the workplace a better place can lead to years of regret in a large portion of our lives.

So, maybe this year, try discipline to work at the voice in your mind. You likely won’t regret it.

The Pain of Discipline or the Pain of Regret

You might be interested in