Self-Discipline with Meaning

by Gregory Allen Butler

I frequently hear people say that to be successful in life one needs self-discipline. But for some people, that's impossible. It's like there is a chromosome missing, or something. And for others, it's all in a day's work.

I've experienced both extremes. I find I have all the necessary self-discipline to reach any goal if the goal has meaning for me. If it doesn't, I don't.

Meaning is the transforming agent. It's like an essential nutrient. Without it, I languish. With it, I work with focus and determination that usually hits the mark squarely, and on time.

I find meaning necessary to transform self-discipline from rigidity into self-expression. For example, without meaning, self-discipline can make me feel like I'm following the orders of a drill sergeant in the Marines. With meaning, however, it feels like the joy of laying down a sax solo over the chords of Herbie Hancock. Without meaning, there is no self-expression, no life, no sweetness. But if I am prompted to reach a goal because of meaning, what could have seemed almost impossible, becomes effortless. Self-discipline with meaning is an enlightened self-discipline-it's like being in the zone.

Therefore, there is no need for self-discipline to be a form of self-torture. It's simply setting priorities and giving a higher priority to that which is important to you. If my goals are aligned with what has meaning for me, then prioritization becomes a painless process.

If, for example, it is meaningful for me to go to write an article on the death of my mother, then I write the article. And if it's not meaningful for me to write an article about politics, I don't write it. I wouldn't be able to. Meaning translates into motivation and that makes self-discipline painless. Without motivation, it's a chore.

Everybody has self-discipline to some degree. It comes from what we are motivated to do. And what we are motivated to do comes from what we find meaningful. To the drunk, a bottle of wine has great meaning. Sometimes to such a degree that nothing else matters. To the investor, making money has meaning.

Why would anyone expend any amount of energy to reach a goal that had no meaning? They wouldn't. Sometimes we set off to reach a goal without discovering if there is meaning in it for us or not. That's when self-discipline becomes difficult.

You have heard the saying, "If there is a will, there is a way." Similarly, if there is meaning, there is energy. With meaning we can summon up the energy and self-discipline we need. Without meaning, we will most likely run out of energy and enthusiasm when the going gets tough.

It comes down to knowing yourself. How can you find meaning if you don't know yourself? I'm not referring to your name or your age or your financial status. I'm referring to what resonates in you. If someone talks to you about global warming, do you become passionate or do you just want to change the subject?

When you go to an art museum, are you inspired or bored? Do you like to read the opinion pages of the newspaper or the sports page?

There are no right or wrong answers here. Only information.

If you found out today that you had only six months to live, what would you do in those coming months? That should give you an idea of what is meaningful in your life.

With only six months left to live, how much work is it going to take to meet your goal? Is it going to be hard to motivate yourself to do it? I don't think so. You'll probably have the most productive six months of your life. And the most fulfilling.

It's amazing how a crisis can unleash such great amounts of energy in people. And the reason is that the crisis reveals to them what is meaningful.

Jesse Owens said, "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort." Where does that determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort come from? Is it genetic? Is it our conditioning? Is it the way we were raised?

I'm sure it's a combination of all of these factors, but a discovery of meaning is the biggest driving factor that enlivens our efforts with passion.

Sometimes we lose the meaning. Our mind covers it up with mental concepts, fears, phobias, distractions, and self-doubt. That is why it is so important to be able to connect to the source of being-to consciousness. The light of this inner consciousness dispels the darkness of doubt and fear. When you are connected to consciousness-your source of being-the mind can no longer run your life.

Without fear and doubt clouding perception of what is meaningful, inspiration and enthusiasm have room to manifest in life. Then it is not a question of finding self-discipline to reach goals, it is a question of finding time to rest and slow down and find balance.

The ego-mind has the tendency to find limitations. This is an impediment to enthusiasm. If you can find what is meaningful in your life you are on the way to transcending limitations. Your mind is becoming fertile ground for enthusiasm.

That is the premise behind holistic personal development. Don't put the cart before the horse. Remove the impediments of the mind and you will find life's goals a lot easier to attain. And to do that, you only need to dive deep within and discover what's important to you.