The tenth principle in my willpower series states:
Develop discipline naturally!
I must confess that what you’re about to read is somewhat hypocritical. I drink green tea or coffee every day. Rarely do I have more than two or three cups, but sometimes my discipline relies heavily on caffeine, even just a little dose. When you absolutely don’t feel like doing something or when you feel fatigued because you’ve been fasting for over 30 hours, a strong black coffee can be your best friend.
That being said, relying on drugs, or any kind of “nutritional supplement,” is a shitty way for healthy people to develop discipline. Although drugs may help you boost your willpower in the short term, they keep you from training your willpower to actualize your greatest visions and live the life you truly want.
What drugs do you take to compensate for your lack of discipline?
You take a pre-workout booster before you hit the gym? You’re not strengthening your will.
You take appetite suppressants to stick to your diet? You’re not strengthening your will.
You take modafinil or adderall for studying? You’re not strengthening your will.
You take phenibut to hit on women during the day? You’re not strengthening your will.
You use xanax against public speaking anxiety? You’re not strengthening your will.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take drugs. Sometimes, when you have only one major goal in life, you may take all the drugs that help you achieve it. If dedication orders you to do whatever it takes, that’s perfectly fine. Just educate yourself about the potential health implications before you do what you want. But that’s not the point.
The point is about willpower and discipline! By definition, you need willpower to accomplish difficult goals. If you make it a habit to use drugs instead of discipline, you will have the willpower to achieve some of your goals, but you stop training your willpower, you stop developing true, solid discipline.
Drugs help you out in one area of your life (while usually fucking up all the others). Only real discipline equips you with a strong, universal will that enables you to accomplish multiple goals and succeed in all areas of your life.
Further Reading
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