How to Make Discipline Your Secret Weapon

Source: Adobe Stock by Master1305

Over the years, I’ve heard creatives described by many interesting words… the not so great: unpredictable, unmanageable, flighty, temperamental, finicky, unreliable, unconventional, and the great: innovative, expressive, inspiring, free, intuitive, magnetic, and energetic. The list could go on but rarely though, do you hear a creative person described as being disciplined.

These 2 words naturally contradict each other, which means for creatives to be disciplined, they have to figure out how to exist between chaos and order. Creativity by itself may only ever stay in the "potential" state whereas discipline pushes past the idea and into the real world, helping you create the tangible experience you were born to share. Having the discipline to recognize the moment where an idea becomes a path, that’s creative discipline.

How do you get there? Intuition is certainly one way, you learn to just feel it, but I’ve personally found that practicing discipline in other areas of your life can generate moments of “discipline awareness” that extend into your creative work. 

Discipline can look like a lot of things. It can come in many forms from scheduling daily walks to creating and completing to-do lists. Whatever the case, the goal is that you commit to something and actually do it. It’s a major bonus if that thing is also tied to something physical. There’s simply way too many psychological studies proving the direct connection between physical fitness and that of mental clarity, health and stability.     

So here are some things that have worked for me …

Rituals

• There’s something about the first hour of waking that’s just pure gold to me. There’s a peacefulness to owning that time just before the sun rises, before the world is awake, where reflective, creative thinking can naturally happen. During that time, my mind is both calm and open, ready for something new to enlighten and inspire my day. I use this time to savor my coffee, listen to the sounds of the morning, and enjoy a good book. This is a non-negotiable for me. It’s a ritual that truly sets the tone for my entire day. Try finding something that stimulates your mind before the chatter of the world rolls in, before you start scrolling, or when you’re ready to whine down and turn off the day. Whenever it is, make that time just for you.

*I know not everyone is a morning person, but I’m certain there is a part of your day where you feel the most alive and receptive to reflective thought. Find that time and make it part of a ritual. If you’re unsure on when and how to maximize that time, check out Daniel Pink’s book, “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.” It may help you identify what works best for you. 

The power of sleep

• Creativity and sleep have a rather codependent relationship. Sleep allows you to move between states of low to high consciousness so it’s easy to say that how you sleep directly affects how and what you create. Artists for years have tested methods of using sleep to generate ideas, solve problems and feed their awakened lives. Learning how sleep affects your creative abilities requires intention and consistency. Whether that’s keeping a dream journal, committing to 7-8 hours of sleep every night, or taking power naps, all the above are worth testing in the pursuit of creative discipline. 

Solitude

• You are the only person you have to live with for the rest of your life. Learning how to use moments of solitude to recharge is a gift. Reframe the meaning of being alone; make it about something that strengthens your mind through individual growth and discipline rather than something that challenges it. 

Weight-training

• I can’t say enough about physical fitness and the importance of maintaining a consistent regimen. The mental and physical benefits are literally life sustaining. Everything from increased confidence, mental clarity, reducing stress and anxiety to alleviating depression, better quality sleep, and improving focus. The list goes on and far beyond what I can or would even want to list here, but what’s important to note is that this is the order to the chaos, the ying to the yang, the “if you add nothing else, add this” to building a more disciplined life.  

Intentional social time

• Taking inventory of how you feel before you say yes to your next social hang is a great use of intention. Your time is valuable, how and who you spend it with is vital to your state of mental readiness. If you extend yourself too much socially, you risk draining your motivation to do anything else. Know when it’s too much, leave when you want to leave, say no or yes to things that fit where you are in your season of life. 

Setting boundaries

• People and projects will always want more from you but they are only allowed what you are willing to give. Have clear boundaries, practice some self-control and know when to tap out. I’ve struggled with this one for years, hell I still do. For those of us self-proclaimed people-pleasers, you know the “never want to disappoint” types, yeah it’s hard to know when you sailed past that point of no return and realize you’re swimming in the deep end with only yourself to blame. Your life raft (sticking with that analogy) is your discipline, your rituals, your habits, your boundaries.  

Diversify your creativity

• Creativity is not a singular event, interest, or expression. Sometimes the chaos can’t and shouldn’t be contained, but rather redirected. Diversifying the way you experience your own levels and variety of creativity is important for continuing to grow as a creative. This helps things stay fresh while being contained; organized while being sporadic. Change it up and introduce new ways to express your inner creativity so you can corral the main source with discipline and order.

You can’t do everything, everywhere, all at once (GREAT movie btw), but you can start. One habit can lead to another and another then turn into a behavior and the next thing you know you can’t imagine your life without it. None of the above mention my work as a creative specifically. I didn’t say anything about punching time clocks or having some rigid system in place to manage your creativity. Everything mentioned actually contributes to giving you more freedom to create with clearer paths. I love being disciplined just as much as I love being creative; I am one because I am the other.

Creativity is the awareness of an idea, a recognition of something new; discipline gives you the strength and consistency to make it a reality.