When I was a young boy growing up in New York City, I always struggled with disciplining myself. It was difficult for me to make the decision to sit down and get some work done. I had a severe habit of procrastinating, and I often found myself at my desk at 5 in the morning on the day a big project or essay was due. Each time I was in this position, I would say that this is the last time. I became frustrated with myself and I felt like my homework and other obligations were keeping me trapped in an awful cycle.
Things did not change for me until early April of last year during the Covid-19 quarantine period in New York City. I was lazily scrolling through YouTube one Sunday while my unfinished work hung out in other tabs on my internet browser and I came upon a video by Casey Neistat, one of my favorite YouTubers, titled, “Navy Seal Commander explains why wake up at 4 am.” The short video by Casey included an informal interview with navy veteran, Jocko Wilink. In the video, Jocko talks about the disciplined daily routine he learned from the military of waking up early and exercising and why he still sticks to it in his retired life. He repeatedly stresses the phrase, “discipline is freedom.” The phrase essentially means that if you challenge yourself to stick to a routine in regards to waking up, exercising, eating healthy, and completing tasks, you are able to live a more liberating life. Wilink explains in the video that if you have already woken up early, exercised, and arrived at work before your colleagues, you are less likely to be lazy and not get the work done that is presented to you. In other words, disciplining oneself is a habit that builds over time and simultaneously starts to affect all parts of one’s life. For Jocko, it has given him more freedom in his life because he is not trapped by the bad habit of procrastination.
After watching the video, I was a little bit skeptical of the concept, but I also knew that this approach clearly worked for my older sister. For years, she has been an early riser and she always schedules out her day on paper and strictly sticks to that schedule. I noticed that she often enjoyed being consumed by her work and usually ended each day feeling accomplished. I decided to give it a try and I started by focusing on five aspects of my daily life: exercise, nutrition, relationships, intellectual development, and sleep. I started by deciding on a bedtime and wake-up time that I knew I could stick to. I then created a weekly exercise schedule as well as a weekly schedule for when I would reach out to friends to see how they were handling the isolation. I also carved out a small time each day where I would try to read for pleasure and I began cooking more meals at home. These small steps towards living a more disciplined life had a huge impact on my productivity. I felt more motivated to complete my work and I began to appreciate the process of learning rather than the end result. I also did not feel burnt out after completing a lot of work. I felt energized and happier overall.
To anyone who struggles with a habit of procrastination or is feeling trapped by their work, I challenge you to focus on these five aspects of daily life for just 7 days. I am confident you will see results. For me, the key was making the decision to write down my tasks on paper. It was important for me to not overwhelm myself in the beginning and to keep things simple. In retrospect, all I had to do was take that first step towards addressing my well-being and the rest was history.
When we live a more regimented and disciplined life, we become more immersed in our passions, and with it comes a feeling of accomplishment and liberation. To achieve that feeling, one must start by looking at the five pillars of wellness I have described. It has made me a more organized and efficient worker, but it has also made me a happier and more thoughtful human being as a whole.
By Ian Henderson
Ian is a diiVe Intern from New York, the US who joined us in Cape Town for the first half of the year and an Incoming Freshman at the University of Chicago
