People often believe that self-discipline is restrictive – that it prevents you from
cutting loose and doing the things that you want to do. I disagree.
Self-discipline is all about pursuing what you think is right
despite temptations to abandon it. When done correctly, it frees you from yourself and lets
you achieve what you really want out of life instead of what is just easy or convenient.
You see, our default state is to be wildly distractible and impulsive. We like to do
things that make us feel good in the moment, and avoid things that make us feel bad.
Makes sense, right? But this is not an effective way to live one’s life.
Spending all day watching Netflix may feel good in the moment,
but it likely isn’t going to help you reach your long-term goals.
Now, this isn’t to say that you should never take time to relax and unwind,
but you do need to be intentional with your time.
If you’re going to relax, then relax without guilt, but make sure you are
still putting aside dedicated time to focus on your long-term goals.
This way, you maximize both the rewards from being productive and the enjoyment
and pleasure from relaxation. Mixing the two simply doesn’t work.