2068: [Part 1] 4 Steps to Creating Discipline (A Complete Guide) by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog on Building Discipline

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. 4 Steps to Creating Discipline. A Complete Guide. Part 1 by Kalen Bruce of MoneyMiniBlog.com Strengthening your discipline muscle really can be compared to any other muscle. You've got to work it out. And the first step is to find an area of your life that needs it the most.

[00:01:20] Step 1. Find a Discipline Catalyst. This is your discipline focus area. You need to find something you can use to strengthen that muscle, and it's not a bad idea to use an area you're weak in. Many people use the gym, running, or some other form of physical exercise as their discipline catalyst. I choose finances. When my wife and I got married, she had a pretty good idea of how to handle money. She'd been through several finance classes and a few workbooks.

[00:01:49] I had not. I was too busy learning how to spend as much money as possible on one credit card without paying it off. I knew the way that I handled money was stressing her out, so I decided to use this as my first area to build discipline in. Fast forward a few years down the road, and we were completely debt-free. I say we, but all of the debt was really mine. I don't want to make it sound easy. It was a long, painful journey. But it was worth it. You've got to go through the steps, though, which leads me to the next step.

[00:02:19] Step 2. Begin the Building Process. It is not a quick process. As Dave Ramsey would say, quote, We're in the business of crockpots, not microwaves. End quote. That doesn't mean that it's going to take a decade, but you must be willing to give it enough time. When I chose finances as my discipline catalyst, that meant a few things for me. First, I had to stop spending money on whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. That good old American instant gratification.

[00:02:48] Then I had to stop eating out for every meal. I feel like there could be something here related to my being American as well. I also made the decision to cut up my credit cards and use cash for every purchase. And the final decision? I worked multiple jobs to pay off every bit of debt we owed, with the exception of our mortgage. We did, however, turn that into rental property. This was also the start of my financial journey. I read over 200 books on personal finance within a few years,

[00:03:14] and that led to even more opportunities beyond simply paying off my own debt. I was able to help others do the same, and ultimately, that's what led to the start of my writing career. It was like a snowball turning into an avalanche, and it all started with the decision to become more disciplined in my finances. However, it ultimately started with my decision to change and my dedication to the process. I want to point out one thing here. I chose finances for two reasons. First, because I knew I needed to change my spending habits,

[00:03:43] or we were going to be living in a van down by the river, trying to spear fish like Tom Hanks did in the movie Castaway for dinner. I love Castaway, but let's be honest, I would starve to death before I was able to spear a fish. Second, because I did have a really good work ethic when it came to my job. I didn't do anything around the house, but I had a sense of pride in my job at the time, and I was good at making extra money because I was so good at working. Think about that. You may want to choose an area that really needs to be addressed out of necessity,

[00:04:13] but you also may want to look at an area that you already have some discipline in. Often, one area can have both of those qualities. Step 3. Stay dedicated to the process. We all know that discipline requires dedication, and that's really where the difficulty begins. Whether you read the studies that show habits to take 21 days to form, or the studies that show habits to take 3 months to form, you know it takes a while. Generally, the first 10 days are really tough, and you have to push through.

[00:04:43] The next 10 days are easier, but you know that habit isn't solid yet. The 10 days after that are the easiest of the first 30 days, and that lets you know you could really do this. So there you have it. Wait at least 30 days before you can see the habits start to stick. Honestly, even though it may seem hard, it's not that tough to get out of bed and go for a morning run. Once. It's building up your running habits and turning it into a regular thing that's difficult. You must stay dedicated to the process.

[00:05:12] This lesson really sunk in while I was in basic training. We were up well before 5am every day. Not 5 days a week, not every day except Sunday, but every single day. There was no going back to bed or taking naps. There was no doing your own thing or having personal time. You're on their time all the time for the entire time, which is over 2 months. Looking back on it, I don't think basic training was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was tough, and it was tedious.

[00:05:40] I also don't feel like I came out of basic training as a discipline machine, but it did strengthen my discipline in many areas. To be continued. You just listened to part 1 of the post titled, 4 Steps to Creating Discipline, A Complete Guide, by Kalen Bruce of moneyminiblog.com. When you need to build up your team to handle the growing chaos at work, use Indeed Sponsored Jobs.

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[00:07:05] Kalen Bruce, the creator of Money Mini Blog, and his wife had $24,000 of debt, and they wanted to get out from under that. So he became a student of finances, and they're now debt-free and building wealth. And Kalen shares what he's learned over the years with you on moneyminiblog.com. He also talks about things like productivity, personal finance, and a lot more. And you can find a ton of great resources right there on his site. So come by moneyminiblog.com to check it all out. And again, a big thanks to Kalen

[00:07:34] for letting us share his work. All right, that's gonna do it for today. Hope you enjoyed part one, and I'll be back here tomorrow where we're gonna finish up this post, and where your optimal life awaits.