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Dopamine Detox

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Dopamine Detox

How to conquer dopaminergic desires through a detox.

Do I need a Dopamine Detox?

A dopamine detox is most useful when you are struggling to say no to dopaminergic desires. An example of this could be you have an essay to complete but instead watch Netflix or play video games. You know what you should be doing but are giving in to the craving of dopamine, through these activities.

How to Detox

The way your dopamine system is currently working it is almost certain you will experience bordem. Things that should be feeling pleasurable, as they are good for you in the long term, you find boring. The biggest challenge during the detox will be bordem.

To give our brain time to downregulate our dopamine receptors, this requires at least a 2-week minimum.

During the 2 weeks, we must minimise our dopaminergic activities. This doesn’t mean you can’t have fun but minimise the compulsive behaviour that is seemingly an addiction. These are the activities you pick over something good for you because you struggle to fight the dopaminergic urge. You could uninstall apps on your phone that you spend hours scrolling through.

Time-limited pleasurable activities are okay such as watching a single movie. However, you must avoid the activities that your mind craves and binges such as Netflix or video games.

As bordem will be your biggest challenge it may be a good idea to plan out your day. Things such as reading books or even listening to audiobooks is a good idea. Productive activities are also good such as cleaning/tidying, going for a walk, learning new skills. You could even plan out your meals making sure you have the ingredients before you start the detox. The more that you pack your day with these activities that aren’t dopaminergic the less likely you are to relapse. Even social activities are okay as long as it doesn’t include the things you are “addicted” to. 

 

Summary

To summarise the more accessible a dopaminergic activity, the more likely a relapse. Relapses are impulsive and not planned out. Make these dopaminergic activities less accessible. You could learn a skill in these 2 weeks maybe set a goal for the 2 weeks based on the skill. For example, this could be a language and your goal could be to know 100 words of “Spanish” by the end of the two weeks. Keep busy and engage in productive or creative activities.

 

The Mask and Loneliness

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Your mask and Loneliness

What is your mask and how is it making you lonely.

What is a mask?

The mask is a metaphor for a social persona we put on around other people to win favour at expense of our true character being revealed. It could be adopting behaviours that don’t come naturally or feel authentic to increase likeableness with other people.

If you are around people and you feel lonely, it is because the part of you that connects to them it’s not the real you, it’s the mask that you put on. It is very difficult to feel connected to people when all you show is a piece of who you are. 

We adopt this system of using a mask at some point in our lives when we lack confidence in ourselves as a person. Somewhere through your life, you have found that when you are completely transparent with your character it’s not as good for you socially as using this “mask”. Often people find when they use this mask things get better socially however it is not your true character and can cause a disconnection with people along with many other negative aspects. It seems easier to be what people like rather than yourself where fewer people may like you. The more successful this mask is the more emotionally isolated you become. The mask seems like it is combatting loneliness because it may increase the number of interactions with people however they are often void from emotional connections. 

 

How to combat the mask

The first step is to acknowledge there is a part of you that you are afraid of people seeing. It may be hard but it is good practice to show this part of you to some people possibly starting with people you trust. An authentic part of yourself that you would usually hide.

It will be difficult and you should recognise as you try this a part of your mind will rebel. As you take off your mask your mind will tell you things such as “people won’t like what they see” making it incredibly hard. However, you must acknowledge this is an incomplete picture and the bottled up insecurity speaking. There’s a difference between people just not liking you and you believing people don’t like you. The more you put on the mask the more this belief is reinforced as it seems like when you are not your real self people like you more.

You have to recognise that in being your authentic self you face the chance of rejection and that’s okay. Take off the mask bit by bit and you will find people won’t reject or dislike you the way your mind thinks. Security is not about being perfect it’s about being flawed and accepted anyway. A mistake often made is when people try to fix insecurity with perfection. e.g if you dress a certain way because you think it’s what “looks good” and no one calls you ugly this will feed the insecurity and make you think peoples acceptance of you is dependant on whether you dress this way.

 

Summary

You start by noticing the insecurity and lack of value, the part of yourself that you are terrified of people seeing. Then you step by step take this facade off. The more you do this and let people accept or reject your authentic self, the greater the chances are of people accepting you. It requires courage and difficulty. It is very important to recognise this thing that is seemingly protecting you is isolating you. These “solutions” via the mask are the problems themselves. The mask is a bid for control but true control is about choosing the choices within yourself not controlling the external outcomes. You cannot see something external that another person may say or do and attribute it to your sense of self.

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Dopamine & Adenosine

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Why you feel motivated at night

How to feel motivated during the day and become more productive.

Why you feel motivation at night

You feel motivated at night to do great things because there is no cost to this motivation. You are going to sleep so you don’t have to do these things you are motivated about right now. When you wake up in the morning and you’re tired there’s suddenly a cost to going to the gym, you can either do that or lie in bed and the instant gratification of lying in bed often wins.

Neuroscience

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that encourages you to act. A basic example of this is the motivation to drink water or eat.

However, dopamine can also work as an addiction encouraging you to perform bad habits or do things that are not beneficial to your life. For example, when you wake up in the morning you may feel the dopaminergic urge to check your phone or to watch Netflix instead of working. It often causes you to go for the instant gratification option rather than the action that is better for you in the long term.

Adenosine is a receptor that increases as a by-product of ATP which is sort of the brains fuel. Throughout the day adenosine increases and inhibits dopamine release. This is why maybe later in the day you may find it easier to study, such as revising the night before an exam instead of during the day. There are fewer dopaminergic urges for you to watch Netflix or do other instant gratification activities as there is less dopamine.

However high adenosine also means fatigue so working when you have high adenosine and low dopamine you will produce a lower quality of work and less consistency. The ideal situation is low dopamine and low adenosine. 

When you sleep at night your adenosine levels reset for the next day. Likewise, your dopamine levels do not start high. In the morning you can determine whether your day will be dictated by dopaminergic urges or what you want in the long run.

 

Avoiding the dopamine trap

Every fibre of your being will want to pick up your phone in the morning or watch Netflix instead of going for a walk or to the gym. However, this first hour of the day is what decides if you fall into the dopamine trap.

When you pick up your phone first thing in the morning you are increasing your dopamine setting yourself up to fail. If you wake up and are scrolling through Instagram you are not going to experience any motivation as your brain is being mentally distracted and now dictated by dopamine.

To avoid this dopamine trap in the morning you could keep your phone away from you possibly in a different room. Be aware of these urges to do the habits you know you shouldn’t, but don’t dwell on them. If you spend too long thinking about it your mind will convince you to do the habit you know you shouldn’t and tell yourself to just start the gym tomorrow.

In the morning try avoiding all technology for the first hour. 

There are certain activities you can try in the morning or throughout the day to cultivate motivation. When you experience motivation at night it is often when you put your phone down or maybe when you’re having a shower in the form of “shower thoughts”. This is because you are alone with your thoughts and without these dopaminergic options around you.

These activities often include you engaging in a physical activity that doesn’t require you to think such as having a shower or going for a walk. Motivation then bubbles forth and you start to have original and inspiring thoughts. 

Use these activities to bring you inspiration and deep thoughts. Go for a walk first thing in the morning or even try meditation, instead of scrolling through social media. There are many activities you can do that can leave you alone with your thoughts while performing mindless action. 

This will allow you to gain and feel a sense of control over your life. You will no longer feel a slave to your desires or incapable. When you feel more control and capability you will also feel increased confidence. 

Focus

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Focus

How to improve your focus, drive, and motivation.

Flow State

There is a state of working called either deep work or the flow state. This state is what allows athletes to train for hours on end, breaking records and achieving what seems impossible to some. Most of the highest achievers and innovators in any field of work use this state of flow to achieve their goals. 

To enter this state it is important to have a micro and a macro goal:

A micro goal is a short term goal that may be for that individual session e.g. write 10 pages, complete an essay, run 5 miles etc. This allows you to have an aim and something you can see yourself achieving giving you a sense of control over your near future which is very important when it comes to focusing and “motivation”.

A macro goal is a longer-term goal over a long period of time that your micro-goals contribute to. This could be getting a certain result in an exam, finishing a book you are writing, whatever it may be for your field of work. It is important not to set a macro goal too far in the future such as years as it may not feel close enough for you to feel the pressure of the goal and deadline to work. A 6-month goal is ideal however it may be slightly longer or shorter.

The difficulty of the task is another large factor as it can determine how engaged you are which is very important when achieving the deep work state. A task has to match your skill in that area. For example, if a task is too hard compared to your current skill in that field you will most likely feel anxious or overwhelmed making it very difficult to enter a flow state or remain there. Likewise, if a task is too easy and your skill exceeds it you may not be engaged and will drift. It is ideal to have the task match your skill level so that it is challenging but not too overwhelming so that you will stay engaged. You may find you need to break down tasks in order to do this so you can understand certain things and not become overwhelmed before tackling the original task. An example of this is an essay, if your task is writing an essay but you don’t know enough about the subject the essay is about, it may be a good idea to set learning that as its own task and the original essay won’t seem as daunting when you come to it.

Distractions are the enemy of the deep work state. The smallest thing such as a phone notification can remove you from this state of flow. It is best to remove as many distractions as you can or put your phone etc in another room. It is not easy to enter the deep work state and you will feel extreme resistance therefore when a distraction takes you out of this state it is very difficult to return to. Over time the resistance entering the flow state will decrease as long as you remain consistent in practising it.

Locus of control

A large part of “motivation” and the habits people form is due to what we view as in our control. In society, we are often led to believe that people are born with inherent skills in certain fields and that is why they achieve great things. This is completely untrue and can be a very harmful view to hold. 

A study in 1998 by Professor Claudia Mueller shows the power of the “Locus of control”.

She gave a group of children a task to complete and returned results to them showing the highest results. Half of these children were told that they achieved this high result because of inherent skill. The other half were told they achieved these results based on hard work. 

Both groups were then given a choice of tasks ranging from easy to difficult. The group who were told their previous results were due to inherent skill put very little effort into the tasks spending most of their time on the easier one. The second group who believed their results were due to hard work spent most of their time on the harder task and achieved much higher results. 

This theory is referred to as the locus of control. An internal locus of control means that you believe you and your actions determine the results you get. An external locus means that people believe their results are due to forces out of their control such as luck, fate, prejudice, bias, circumstance, etc. 

Simply put this study proved that your belief of what you can achieve and the degree of control you believe you have will likely determine the results you get.

If you have an external locus of control you will find motivation very hard to come by as you are not accepting that you yourself can determine your own future and results. It will be extremely difficult to do anything if you believe that in the end, some external factors determine your results unrelated to your actions. This is why goals can also prove useful as they show a future controlled by only you and your current actions.

If you know that your current actions shape your future it becomes much easier to do them and adds a purpose to your days.

Some things can be influenced by external factors such as luck in situations like whether you get a good book deal the first time however this can always be conquered with persistence which means the control is still in your hands. 

Harry Potter was rejected 12 times by publishers before success. 

A way to acknowledge and start to believe in an internal locus of control is to look at where some of the people who inspire you came from. More often than not these people did not start with great things or skills but used the power of drive and persistence.

These people include:

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Steve Jobs
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Ralph Lauren
  • Oprah Winfrey
  • Sylvester Stallone

Many of these people who started with almost nothing became what they are today despite the odds being stacked against them due to persistence and consistent focus. It will add a sense of purpose to your life and you will begin to feel better about yourself and find improvements in areas you might not expect such as confidence.

Stoicism

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The Power of Stoicism

How to gain control of your emotions and change your life for the better.

What is Stoicism

Stoicism is an ancient way of life and philosophy for focusing on what is in your control and preventing what isn’t from affecting you. It also teaches you to practise gratitude and to accept all that comes your way however bad it might seem. Three of the most impactful stoics were Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca, influencing many people, including Nelson Mandela. 

Control

“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our actions.” – Epictetus

When it rains it is unexpected and typically an unwanted or bad thing for most people, especially if we get caught in it. However, we don’t get emotional or start crying when it rains because we have learnt to expect it, that it is unavoidable and that it won’t last forever. This same logic can be applied to almost any bad situation.

The key is strengthening what we can control, that being our response to situations, which takes time and practice. Between stimulus and response, there is a space where we can pause and choose our response. 

There are many ways of practising and improving your control over emotions and reactions one of which is negative visualisation.

“Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil.” – Marcus Aurelius

This does not mean to give up or not try because things may be difficult but to expect difficulties so that when they come we are prepared and feel more of a sense of control and understanding around the situation. This also means when positive things occur they are much more apparent and can be appreciated naturally. Gratitude is a key aspect of stoicism acknowledging and appreciating all the small details. 

It is important not to misunderstand negative visualisation and see it as life is bad, but to expect difficulties so that you can better deal with them and there possibly even come a time where they don’t seem like difficulties anymore.

Take it step by step

We know what it is we need to do the problem is doing it.

“You could be good today. But instead, you choose tomorrow.” – Marcus Aurelius

We often have the information and know what we need to do whether it’s losing weight, being productive, eating healthy. We know how to do it, the problem is we don’t act.  Stoicism focuses on the action it is not what you say or what you think but the action. It is important just to take that first step and that small action and day by day you can build it up but you have to act and not just think or say

Discard your anxiety

“Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions — not outside.” – Marcus Aurelius

An important step is to recognise your anxiety is not an external force outside of your control. It is not something that is inevitably caused by certain situations. It is a feeling inside you that you can control along with all other emotions and feelings through practice and persistence. It does not come overnight but the more you remind yourself that you don’t have to let this affect you and that you are in control whenever these feelings crop up the stronger your control will become. Recognise that you are not anxious because of the situation but because that’s a response you have developed for the situation that can be changed.

How to deal with people

“Be strict with yourself and tolerant with others” – Marcus Aurelius

The purpose of these practises is for yourself you can not set these standards for other people. You have to leave everyone else and their mistakes out of it and not expect from them what you expect from yourself.

Do not resent others, people will present obstacles for you that might currently affect you whether you get annoyed or retaliate. Stoicism teaches you to see this as an obstacle you can overcome and be good despite other people and whatever they might present. People are a challenge you can rise to overcome and use to become a better person while gaining control over your emotions and temperament. We can’t control what happens but we can control how we respond.

Conclusion

The benefits of stoicism will not come overnight but they are things to remind yourself of when things get tough. The more you remind yourself and try to practise it the more efficient you will become at it. Try telling yourself certain mantras each day or whenever you’re faced with a difficult situation.

  • Control what you can control, don’t let what you can’t bring you down.
  • It is not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.
  • Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself
  • Waste no more time contemplating what a good person should be and be one.
  • Accept whatever comes your way whether good or bad and embrace it.

         “Don’t be overheard complaining not even to yourself” – Marcus Aurelius

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Journaling

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The Benefits of Journaling

Exploring the power of writing our thoughts down.

Introduction

Journaling has been a constructive habit for hundreds of years evident by Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. The book Meditations was not intended to be published and displayed the many benefits of converting our thoughts into words. It provides incredible insight into stoicism and invaluable ways of thinking that still prove useful today.

Life Lessons

Nothing compares to the teachings of our own personal experiences. Journaling allows us to keep track of our lives and see exactly where things go right or wrong. This allows us to review our life and learn important lessons for moving forwards. There are many situations that we may forget or are often hidden in the subconscious that may be a pivotal point in the change of our feelings or how we act. When we put our life and feelings into words we can review this journal when things are rough and see where we are going wrong and what to change to improve it.

Bringing out the Subconscious

A large part of our feelings and actions are determined by our subconscious mind. These subconscious thoughts go unacknowledged and remain in the dark often coming out in a negative or destructive way. By journaling, we illuminate our subconscious revealing our deepest insecurities and feelings confronting them so we can move forward and deal with them constructively. 

Accountability

Keeping a journal each day alone is an act of discipline which can often progress into other habits or aspects of your life. Not only this but by keeping a journal, you are holding yourself accountable when trying to stick to habits. We often give up on habits such as working out or learning a new language because it seems like a lot of work for seemingly little progression. If we look back at our journal we can acknowledge every small step and improvement providing inspiration and motivation to keep going.

Reducing Anxiety

Life can often be chaotic which can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed or overthinking. By journaling, you are taking these thoughts and feelings and putting them into order through writing. This allows for a sense of control as well as a clear view of your thoughts and situation so you can tackle it productively rather than spiralling into a pattern of anxiety and overthinking. Studies have also shown that it breaks down emotional blockages so we don’t have to hold on to panicked or stressful thoughts which can impact us throughout the whole day.

How to journal

While journaling is an incredibly helpful tool for putting our life and thoughts into order it can also have negative effects when done wrong. If you are journaling, holding onto the past and focusing on the pain it will only promote negativity. It must be done constructively so while being raw and honest with your emotions you have to focus on solutions and moving forwards. A good way to journal is to write down emotions throughout the day, along with any general experiences. Keep track of positive things you have done as well as areas you can improve but do not focus on the negatives instead use them as a clear indication of where to improve.

Procrastination

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Procrastination

Why do you procrastinate and how can you overcome it?

Procrastination

Often procrastination is caused by our lack of focus and abundance of distractions. I have compiled five ways on how to combat procrastination and do what is most important for your life and future.

 

Eat the frog

A quote from Mark Twain – “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

The message behind this quote is that if you have a difficult task, you should get it done first and as early as possible. When you get the biggest task done first you will feel more at ease and it won’t be looming over you throughout the day. You will find it much more difficult to unwind with this seemingly huge task that needs doing still in the back of your mind. And the more you postpone it the more it will add up. If you don’t eat the frog today you will have to eat two tomorrow.

The 3 2 1 Method

This task may seem stupid or seemingly “too easy” however it can work in many instances and provide a small boost to get you going. 

First, think about the task you need to do then count down from 3 2 1 in your head and at the end do the task.

This builds up a psychological momentum towards the task and acts as the first step. It can prove useful, as counting from 3 2 1 in your head is much easier than getting up and doing the task as an alternative first step.

Just do something

Many people believe that in order to act or work we need motivation. In reality, we often need to act in order to gain motivation. If motivation and inspiration are difficult to come by it may be much easier just to start with action. It doesn’t have to be a huge task or something long and tedious but just doing something can offer momentum and motivation for a task you have been putting off. It could be a habit you already have such as brushing your teeth or making your bed. Action creates motivation and motivation inspires more action. If we start to slack or become lazy we can not expect a burst of motivation to rescue us and instead should just try and do something as small as it might be.

Change your enviroment

Your environment is a huge factor contributing to your habits and mentality. If your surroundings are chaotic and messy your lifestyle and mind are likely to follow suit. It is much easier to change your physical environment than it is to try and work through it. Make sure your surroundings are conducive to the work that you need to complete. For tasks such as writing or essays, a state of deep focus is required without distraction so anything out on your desk or around you can act as a distraction and disrupt your state of focus as well as wasting time. Your phone is one of the biggest distractions which can lead to you checking just one notification and before you know it you’ve spent 20 minutes scrolling through social media. When working put your phone on silent and out of sight until you’re done.

Time Blocks

Using time blocks can be very useful when improving your productivity and focus. Focus is the same as any muscle you must train it in order to make it stronger. A way to do this is by removing distractions from your workspace and setting a timer to work and do nothing else. You can’t allow you’re self to get distracted and must stay focused until the timer goes off. This time could be anywhere from 10-30 minutes to start with, if your focus isn’t too good start with the lower amount of time. Do this each day and when it becomes seemingly easy to do add 10 minutes. Repeating this will train your focus and allow you to work productively for longer. The maximum time anyone can focus for is 90 minutes so you could set that as your target.

Confidence

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Confidence

How to gain and grow your confidence

How it works

Whether you realize it or not, your subconscious mind is constantly judging yourself the same way you judge others. Everything from your thoughts, habits, actions, or what you say is being judged by yourself and can start to form low self-esteem. This happens because we each have a value system that we hold ourselves accountable to and judge ourselves for not achieving. The less of our actions and life choices that match with our values the lower self esteem we are likely to have. 

How to gain confidence

Affirmations are something many people believe to be a solution to low self-esteem however they are often ineffective and possibly harmful if our actions do not align. We can start to self-doubt ourselves in all aspects of life including interactions with others. Our subconscious accounts for 90% of our overall mental function and that’s why it can sometimes seem like mental struggles are out of our control. The goal is to work on your relationship with your own subconscious finding values that fit your life and living in accordance with them. Every time you go against something you believe is good for you, you create an opportunity for self-doubt. However small it may seem simple actions such as sleeping in, not going to the gym, not eating healthy when you told yourself you would, add up in your subconscious mind and form a negative judgment on who you are and your credibility as a person.

To discover your values ask yourself questions such as:

  • How does my ideal self act when no one else is around?
  • How does my ideal self interact with the people around me?
  • Does my ideal self make mistakes?
  • How do I respond to those mistakes?
  • Do I learn from them?

Sometimes it can be useful to write down the values you discover and take them to a trusted friend or preferably mental health professional such as a therapist to find out if it is a healthy value system.

Summary

The most important step moving forwards in gaining confidence is to create healthier values and expectations of yourself. Some values may be unrealistic and should change or some behaviours may be negative and should change but the main goal is to live acting in accordance with your ideal self and values. You begin to form a relationship with your subconscious mind and become proud of who you are. For some people, this may take discipline which we discussed how to gain in our previous blog. With confidence, you can live how you want, say and act how you really want to without constantly judging yourself because you are confident in who you are.

Gratitude

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Gratitude

How Gratitude can reduce stress and lead to a more fulfilled life.

Introduction

Every day millions of people dream of the life you’ve got, the situation you are in, the possessions you have. While you do the exact same thing wishing you had what someone else does. And that person whose life you dream of is doing the exact same thing. 

This desire for wanting more can lead to suffering and explains why people can have all the possessions and attributes you dream of but still struggle.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have goals as they can be very beneficial, but to stop the envy and appreciate what you have.

 

Benefits of Gratitude

Practicing Gratitude can not only help solve this suffering caused by the desire for what you haven’t got. It also leads to much more optimistic views on the future as well as increased self-confidence and a huge reduction in stress. You learn to be content in the present moment no matter the situation and things that would have previously bothered you seem insignificant.

What is Gratitude?

   Gratitude 

the certainty of judgment in the present moment.

Action For the common good in the present moment.

Appreciation in the present moment for anything that comes your way.

Often there is good to be appreciated in seemingly bad situations

How To Practice Gratitude

One of the best ways to practice gratitude is through writing a journal. Focus on things throughout the day that you appreciate no matter how small and write at least 5 things down. Studies have shown not only can this have the previously mentioned benefits of gratitude but also improved long-term sleep quality.

The most important aspect when practicing gratitude is to try to feel it emotionally, you cannot just be logically grateful as it has almost no impact on your feelings or emotions and will not create the desired benefits or fulfillment.   

Things as simple as being alive breathing the world around you take a moment to appreciate it. Hundreds of thousands of people will not be alive tomorrow be grateful that at this moment you and your loved ones are. It is important to stay in the present and appreciate things in the current moment.

 

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Self-Discipline

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Self Discipline

How to gain control over your life and find peace

Benefits

The guilt and stress caused by tasks adding up or last-minute work before a deadline can become overwhelming. This stress can have a large impact on your mental health and make you feel not in control of your life. By becoming self-disciplined you gain a new sense of control, no longer feeling like a passenger in your life but the driver in full control. Your life and future become determined by you in the moment. You gain new standards for your quality of life and an increased sense of self-worth. 

 

How to achieve it

A way to become disciplined is not to look at the end result as the achievement but the process of getting there. Whether it is work, cooking, cleaning, or any other chore acknowledge each small step in the process as an example of self-discipline and achievement. As you repeat these tasks they start to become therapeutic, you gain a sense of peace as you are in control of your mind and body, not moods or in the moment desires. Recognise when your desires start to impact your mind and take control do what’s best for you.

Achieving Goals

Self-discipline pairs well with visualisation, you use it to become the person you want to be in the moment, not the future. To become a winner, however, you may perceive one, you must act like a winner long before you have achieved your dreams. This means you must practice the habits of your ideal self now, not tomorrow or anytime in the future. Visualise your ideal self based on your personal values not how you will look or be perceived by other people. When you practice these habits every day, consistently, you will feel like a winner even before you have achieved your set goals.

Examples of discipline

There are numerous examples of self-discipline being used to defy the odds. Napoleon Bonaparte is an example, he came from a family that were not wealthy with the odds stacked against him. He joined the military when others his age were partying giving in to their desires and rose in the ranks using hard work and self-discipline to become the emperor of France. 

There are some modern-day examples who even dropped out of school, such as Richard Branson, George Foreman, Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein.     

      Other Examples:

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Steve Harvey
  • J.K Rowling
  • Richard Branson
  • Oprah Winfrey
  • Leonardo Dicaprio

These examples show that however bad it seems, or if it feels that life is out to get you, this is never true, you can be in full control, living the life you dream of, as the person you want to be.