Master Self-Discipline In Your Daily Life | Craig Groeschel

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0:49A simple definition of discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want now. And there's some things I want a lot. There's some things I want now. And sometimes they're not the right thing. all the way down to my diet, which is really, really strict. It's not because I don't like donuts. It's not because I don't like chocolate ice cream. I like it. I just don't have access to it. Do you want to have energy? You want to live a long time? No. So, I mean, my meals are pre-planned, and I've got the healthy snacks around all the time because if I don't, I'll be vulnerable to it. And so there's just choices that we make to put the right people in our lives, the right environments, the right systems, the right accountability, the right structure.

1:27People say, Craig, you're incredibly disciplined, and they'll say, I'm not disciplined. I'll say, you actually are disciplined. You may be disciplined to eat Doritos and play video games all day, sleep in, but that's what you've chosen to do, and you do that consistently. I'm not naturally disciplined toward the right disciplines. I have to choose them. Once you choose them often enough, you create pathways, and then you see the benefits from it, then it's who you are. I'd rather be wrong believing in someone than being skeptical. Because of my nature, I'm skeptical. So that goes against my nature.

2:00And I feel like to really be good in leadership, you have to believe in people. You have to believe in people. If I want them to, as we always say, that trust is given, mistrust is earned, that's opposite of culture. And I want to trust you until you prove I can't versus in culture today, it's the other way around. So to have a team that's really healthy, that really wants to be there, that I want to be a you-oriented leader. I want to believe in them. and that's counterintuitive to the way I was raised. So I have to force that to the front and renew my mind in that way. How do you put your marriage or the relationship first when you're creating so much with your mission?

2:40I would say there's a couple things that people wouldn't understand. One is that the amazing people that I have around me that do so much. So you would be shocked at what I don't know. I don't know so much about what they do. I trust them. So there's great people. There's that. And the other thing is, is that my life is just stupid boring. You know, you get up, work out. It's the same thing over and over and over again. You eat the food. Yes. And I mean, I'm done at the same time. And so like it's one of the big things I try to teach. I call them artificial deadlines. So like my message, I have to preach it on Sunday.

3:11Right. But it's due on Wednesday noon. Who created the deadline? I did. So also I leave at 345 every day, which is really early. I probably started a little earlier than most. But if I create an artificial deadline, what that does, it makes me delegate more. It makes me not do some things that I probably shouldn't be doing anyway. And it makes me make decisions faster. So think about that. If I have an open-ended day, I'm probably going to be not as productive because I'm not going to delegate. I'm going to do some things I shouldn't be doing. I'm going to be slower to make decisions. So creating an artificial deadline makes me more productive.

3:42To have time with Amy, we block it out. And it's just a priority. And so really productive people don't have more time. They just do more with their time. and they do more through other people. And then you have to prioritize what really, really matters. You just have to prioritize it. Typically, if you want someone who will actually get something done, you go and get someone who's doing a lot of things because they're not a manager of time. A lot of times we just talk about time management, energy management is a whole different category and a whole different way of thinking about when do you have the most kind of creative energy or when do you have the best decision-making energy.

4:16It's boring, it's structure, but there's freedom in that. There is. There's freedom in it. What happens on the other side? If someone's like, well, no, I don't want to have that much structure. I don't want to be that diligent with my time. I want to be able to do things when I want. Well, I would say that it would be wrong for a lot of people that are not wired this way to try to do this. It would be cruel to ask someone that's not wired like this to perform like this. But what I would say is, let's say you're way more artistic or let's say I'm an ESTJ. Let's say you're an INFP. You're much less structured, more relational, more floaty-floaty.

4:50I'd say you probably want to have some kind of like artistic structure. That might mean on Tuesdays, I go away and I look at the clouds and I paint, but you do it on Tuesdays. And that's the day you might do it. Or instead, you might say during this week, I don't take any kind of appointments because of whatever. So you have to create the pockets of time to do what makes you great. And structure and systems and goals and agendas and accountability, that makes me do better than some. For other people, it might be creative, it might be flexibility, it might be relational time, it might be reflective time.

5:24But you have to define what are those things that drive you, that renew you, that give you energy. And then you have to ask, when do you do them best? Meaning like I create content in the mornings, not in the afternoons. I'm fresh in the mornings. And so you direct your energy, your gifts in a way that's consistent with how you're wired. And you find freedom and predictivity in that. I don't want to ask anybody to be like me. that'd be dumb because I'm not wired like me. But what we want to do is find out how are you wired? What brings you joy? Where are you great? When are you great? How are you great?

5:57What are the environments around you that are great? And then go recreate that.

6:10Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of The Daily Motivation. and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to click the link in the description that will take you to the full episode of our main podcast on the School of Greatness. And if you are loving the daily motivation, please follow us over on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave us a review over on Apple Podcasts right now. And if you want more exclusive content and ad-free listening experience, make sure to subscribe to our Greatness Plus channel on Apple Podcast right now. And if you want to get even more inspiration from our world-class guests and learn how to improve your life and take it to the next level, then make sure to sign up for the Greatness newsletter and get it delivered right to your inbox over at greatness.com slash newsletter.

7:00Again, have an amazing day and I'll see you tomorrow with another episode of the Daily Motivation Show.

7:13Thank you.