A Classic Dilemma...

...what would you do? 🤔

Sponsored by

Welcome to the Storybook

Each week, I share… ✍️

  • a definition 🤓

  • a quick story 📖

  • a mindset shift 🤯

  • an opportunity list 💡

…to keep you going, personally and professionally. 🚀

AI Generated Image

SELF-DISCIPLINE - noun

the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it

My wife and kids enjoyed a nice staycation last weekend with my Mother-in-law.

I stayed home at night with the pup…

… and whenever I am home alone, I have a vice for dinner.

I notoriously grab fast food for the convenience of it and…

…there’s no one watching.

No judgement from the family or anyone else when coming home with a greasy bag of goodness, when I’m flying solo.

So the other night, I went out for McDonald’s.

Yep… a Mickey D’s quarter pounder with cheese, 6 piece nugget, and a large fry.

As I drive into the parking lot, I see my gym in the other complex across the street and a new opportunity popped into my head.

Was I really going to skip McDonald’s and go to the gym instead?

I wasn’t even in gym clothes or had on the right shoes.

I sat there before pulling into the drive thru and thought for a bit.

Then said myself “ugh, fine!”

I was sooo ready to dive into my fast food craving, but instead…

…I went home, changed clothes, and went to the gym.

A small decision, when no one was watching, was a pretty incredible experience.

I proved to myself that I had the SELF-DISCIPLINE in that moment to choose the better option and remain on my path.

I don’t hit 100% of my shots, but in this moment, I hit the game winner.

🤯 THE MINDSET SHIFT 🤯

Once you’ve decided to make positive changes in your life, and you’ve started to put one foot in front of the other to act on those changes…

SELF-DISCIPLINE is required to solidify your new habit formation.

Especially when no one is watching.

There will be opportunities every single day to slip up.

And if you do slip… that’s okay.

Don’t beat yourself up.

It will take time, patience, and lots of effort.

Just keep reminding yourself why the positive changes are important to you and get back on your path.

What’s been helpful for me is seeing the visual progress as I achieve my goals.

Whether those goals are related to health, relationships, career, financial, or whatever else you’re striving for, tracking the progress helps you remain motivated and achieve SELF-DISCIPLINE.

When you see you the progress, you begin to develop an identity shift.

When opportunities, prompted by thought, pop into your head that you’re willing to act on…

…think about the opportunity cost of saying yes to that action.

Do you have the SELF-DISCIPLINE to choose the right option?

Eat junk food or go to the gym?

A classic dilemma…

…an analogy for so many decisions we make every day.

The inner conflict we have between temptation and conscience.

The angel and the devil on your shoulder metaphor.

With SELF-DISCIPLINE, there’s always a clear winner.

It’s just up to you to choose which one to act on.

💡 AN OPPORTUNITY LIST 💡

a short list of ideas, learnings, recommendations, or happenings for the week

  1. Early Bird Tickets 🎟️ for the 👉 Jump Workshop EventEXTENDED through July 31st!!! An exclusive eye-opening experience unlike any other that you don’t want to miss.

  2. 👉 3 Things You Need to Outperform 99% Of Entrepreneurs

  3. Ever thought about starting your own email newsletter? 👇

These stories are presented thanks to beehiiv, an all-in-one newsletter suite built by the early Morning Brew team.

Fully equipped with built-in growth and monetization tools, no code website and newsletter builder, and best-in-class analytics that actually move the needle.

The top newsletters in the world are built on beehiiv, and yours can be too. It's the most affordable option in the market, and you can try it for free — no credit card required.

Opportunity is Everywhere.

Cheers, Steven

Watch Episode #60 from the SuccessFlow Podcast