If you want to become an insanely disciplined person—to show up when it’s challenging, when it’s uncomfortable, when no one’s watching—the strategy is to make discipline your identity. And you do this by consistently doing easy things.
Why Small Steps Matter
You specifically want this to be easy because you need it to be consistent. If you want to start a fitness journey, start with one exercise every single day. Do one push-up, one sit-up. If you want to get into research, start opening up and looking at journal articles every single day. If you want to learn a language, start memorizing one new word every single day.
Your identity is built on a collection of memories. When you look back, you won’t think, “I only did one push-up.” You’ll see that you did push-ups every single day. The consistency itself is what matters—not the size of the action.
How Consistency Builds Identity
With consistency, you’re going to build up strength. You’ll probably get curious about what happens if you push yourself a little bit more. Seeing progress motivates you to keep going. Having this identity of consistency and discipline creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where you continue doing those actions because you are doing what is necessary to reinforce that identity.
The Cumulative Effect
When you are consistently disciplined in a variety of different areas, that cumulatively builds your identity of being a disciplined person. And then there is nothing that you will feel you can’t achieve. The possibilities become endless when discipline becomes your identity—not something you do, but something you are.
Start Small
Start so small that you can actually be consistent. Consistency builds identity, which will allow you to do bigger things. The goal isn’t to do a lot right away. The goal is to show up every day, no matter how small the action. That’s how you become someone who never misses.
