navigating self-discipline

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: navigating self-discipline 💪

i believe that values should be strongly held, but that merits a lot of discipline.

growing up, my dad often told me that i’m particularly self-disciplined for a kid. i would always follow some sort of a mental schedule and standard, even if i didn’t have notion to help me out at the time.

i personally find a lot of comfort in routine. that doesn’t mean i’m not a spontaneous or adventurous person — i most definitely am. but, some parts of my life must be consistent in order to live a sustainable lifestyle. ♻️

self-discipline starts with committing to something throughout the day for me.

i will go out for a run. i will finish x task. i won’t surpass 3 hours of screen time.

these small acts of self-discipline then extrapolate to values, goals and how you go about life. boundaries are important, and self-discipline allows you to act on and communicate them.

if one of my highly held values are change and diversity, why would i go for a 6 figure job doing the same task surrounded by the same people every day? it takes discipline to stick to personal values and stay true to them.

if money or status mean more, that’s totally fine, but that should be a strong value instead. 💸

values and self-discipline maintain an important relationship in my life, hence why i’m not a huge fan of throwing around a few random words that come to mind when someone asks me, “what are your top 3 values?”

that question is more like, “what are 3 values you strive for and won’t compromise on?”

if i make a promise to myself to complete something, i make it my priority to see it through. there were so many times when i contemplated copying over a university application essay for my newsletter post of the day, but i reminded myself that i made a commitment to write something new every day. 👩‍💻

every time i fulfill my own promise, i feel proud of myself. it’s rewarding to be self-disciplined — it’s proof that i’m in control of my life.

how do you practice self-discipline?

daily opportunity + resource drops 🔍️