from mind to reality

Reaching your goals takes discipline.

It means choosing going to the gym, creating a podcast episode, working through that course, even when you’d rather sink into the couch with a bag of potato chips.

It means choosing the same thing over and over again above anything else.

But if you take this too far, it comes with a steep price — a loss of freedom, and therefore enjoyment of life.

You become a slave to your goal, and the achievement you gain from these forced actions feel empty or even resentful.

This is one big reason why people end up giving up on some goals — because it’s hard to strike a balance.

But I’m sure you want a life where you both hit your objectives, and also create an incredible, free experience for yourself on Earth.

So let’s look at some tips that’ll help you keep discipline without sacficing freedom or joy.

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1. Define a non-negotiable minimum

First of all, finding the right blend betwen discipline and freedom still requires a bit of both.

So there must be an element of discipline present. You can’t throw it totally out the window.

The key is minimizing your discipline action to something that becomes nearly painless and a no-brainer to do.

And make it a non-negotiable to do it, every day (or however often makes sense for your habit).

Here are some examples of a non-negotiable daily habit:

• Fitness goal: a 10-minute no-equipment at home workout daily.
• Growing your following: commenting on 10 accounts in your feed daily.
• Learning a language: doing 1 Duolingo lesson daily.

Let’s say worst case you have a super bad month, and you only manage to do this minimum non-negotiable and nothing more every day.

Will you get extremely far? Probably not.

But will you get somewhere? Heck yeah! You’d be surprised how small steps add up to leaps of progress — especially when a month flies by like nothing.

And is it much better than doing nothing? Definitely!

Especially since if you set the bar higher for faster progress, it would become too difficult to be a non-negotiable, and you’d end up making less progress in the end.

Consistency is king. Do what you can, even if it’s just the minimum — but do it no matter what.

2. Have a range of goals

Discipline requires you to do things that you sometimes don’t feel like doing.

Even the best podcast hosts don’t always feel like recording.

A fully committed coach doesn’t always feel like talking to clients.

A born chef doesn’t always feel like cooking.

Having a calling doesn’t mean you’re immune to days when you just don’t feel like it.

But if you have more than one goal, you can still give yourself freedom to choose what you feel like doing more.

I love this strategy because it also makes sure I have balance in my life.

To illustrate, let’s say I have these goals:

• Learn Hungarian
• Complete a copywriting course
• Discover better email marketing strategies

Though these goals are fundamentally different, they’re too common when it comes to the “feel like” factor. They’re all sedentary tasks that require the brain, and “learning” energy.

Therefore, if I don’t feel like doing one, chances are big that I won’t feel like doing the others either.

What if instead, I have goals that relate to different aspects of my life?

For example:

• Strengthen relationships with family
• Learn Hungarian
• Increase visibility as a copywriter
• Improve fitness level
• Get better at email marketing

Now, I have a much healthier range. Categorized, the goals look like this:

1. Socializing
2. Learning (working the brain – input)
3. Engaging on social media / LinkedIn
4. Working the body
5. Creating (working the brain – output)

If my brain is tired, and I don’t have energy for numbers 2 and 5, I could give my neurons a break and hit the gym.

Or call up a family member for a chat.

If on the other hand I don’t feel like seeing anyone and staying in, I have 3 tasks to choose from — based on how much creativity, focus, and energy I have in the moment.

There’s one more useful thing to notice about the new list.

It includes similar goals to the first one (Hungarian, copywriting, and email marketing), but they are adapted so they are not all about studying.

I can adapt these goals to learn by doing, by practicing, by teaching, by observing…

If you have goals that are similar, ask yourself: is there another way I can contribute to my ultimate vision that would add balance to my big picture?

3. Actively make it enjoyable

Lastly, but certainly not least, make it godd*mn enjoyable.

It might sound like discipline is sacrifice and grueling work, and yes there are days when it’s not a walk in the park.

But don’t make it any harder than it has to be.

You can choose to create a habit rooted in joy that you’ll look forward to doing.

To take some examples I’ve used already:

• Going to the gym: wear those oh-so-soft leggings you love. Get a shaker and make your favorite protein smoothie to enjoy after the workout. Make a playlist you love. Go during the day when there’s more sunlight. Find a gym with an awesome view. Watch your favorite show as you hop on the elliptical machine.
• Growing your following: find accounts to engage with you genuinely love, including some friends from real life. Make your favorite cup of tea to sip at the same time. Light a candle and put on some chill music. Wear your fuzzy bunny slippers. Hate writing comments? Send voice messages as DMs instead!
• Learning a language: find an app that suits your preferences – a podcast with 2 fun hosts, a gamification app like Duolingo, a colorful textbook, a live class with awesome people, a tandem buddy or penpal for a language exchange… Study from your favorite café, or get some desk plants to create a nicer study environment. Buy cute pens or highlighters or a pretty notebook to take notes in. Prepare your favorite snack to enjoy while studying.

That’s all for this post! As you integrate these tips into your daily habits, I’m sure you’ll find yourself making more progress and seeing your visions take a more tangible shape in your reality.

These tips have been instrumental in helping me reach 7 goals per month. If you’re curious to know more, you can follow along my progress on @frommindtoreality_ on Instagram.

Recap & action steps

• Set a non-negotiable minimum for a daily action you will do, no matter what. Make it easy enough that it’s a no-brainer.
• Create a range of goals of different types (socializing, quiet time, learning, creating, using the brain vs body, etc.) so you have a menu to choose from according to your mood and energy while still moving towards the life you want overall.
• Make your habits / daily actions enjoyable!

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I’d love to hear from you too — how have you made discipline easier or more enjoyable for yourself?

Tell me in the comments below!