If you are like most of us, you look at the title and you answer something like, “no.” Discipline is hard, and discipline is not fun. But I think that we all can agree that discipline is good for us, and that discipline works. Without discipline, you will not see the kind of results that you want to see from your workouts or your weight loss goals.

So, What is Discipline?

Discipline is doing what you know you should do even when you don’t want to do it.

Now, some of you are feeling pretty good about yourselves right about now. You are thinking something like, “I’m good. I come to La Habra CrossFit 5 times a week. I got discipline.” And maybe you do. However, coming to in every day does not necessarily mean that you are disciplined. You might just really like working out. Or you might want to see your friends every night. Or you might just want to get away from the kids for an hour. Whatever the reason, just coming into workout regularly does not make you disciplined. Nor will it get you the results that you want.

Now, don’t get wrong. It does take discipline to make it to the workout every day – even if you like coming. And you need this discipline if you are going to see any results. This is the foundation that everything else is built off of – but it is not enough to get you the results that you are looking for.

This is Where it Gets Tricky

Discipline is different for every person. Notice the part of the definition that says “even when you don’t want to do it.” Everybody has different things that they don’t want to do. Everybody has an exercise that they hate – that they struggle with. Most people want to take it easy on those exercises so that they can save enough energy to do the exercises that they like – the exercises that they are good at.

I think we can all agree that that isn’t discipline. And I think that we can all agree that that will kill your results. Discipline would be working hard on those areas of weakness and turning them into strengths. Imagine how much stronger you would be if you really worked on your biggest areas of weakness. Do you think you might get better results?

So, What Does Discipline Look Like For You?

That is the million dollar question. And it is a question that you can only answer for yourself. However, I do have a couple of tips for you along the way that I think will come in handy.

1. Work Your Way Up

Just like you need to work your way up strenth-wise, you need to work your way up discipline-wise. Choose one thing that you want to work on. One area that you are going to focus on to get better results. Is there an exercise that you need to work more on? An area of the body that you hate to work? Some part of your workout that you slack off? Try to do just a little bit more today than you did yesterday. And then repeat.

2. Be Disciplined Away From Your Workout Too

This is huge and doesn’t get enough mention. You need to eat right, sleep right, and rest right if you want to get real, lasting results. We can hook you up with a meal plan to follow – and it takes discipline to follow it. You need to sleep enough too. It takes discipline to turn off Netflix or put down your phone and go to sleep. But if you do it every day you will see amazing results.

Be Part of a Team

We all do better when we are part of a team. Find someone in your class that you trust and let them know what your goals are. Ask them to keep you accountable. You’d be surprised at how much easier it is to do something you don’t want to do if you know that someone is going to ask you about it later.