Inject Yourself with Vitamin N
Master the Art of Self-Discipline
On October 8, 2023, 23-year-old Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya ran the Chicago marathon in 2:00:35— a new world record. He ran the 22nd mile in 4 minutes 18 seconds!
10 months before winning Chicago, Kelvin had never even run a marathon!
The Art of Self-Discipline, according to the champ…
“Rule number 1 is to get Vitamin N. You need to inject yourself with Vitamin N. N is to learn to say, ‘NO.’ That’s a vitamin. That’s how to get self-discipline.
Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once wrote a blog post where he said, “If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about something, say no. When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” — then say no. Use this rule if you’re often over-committed or too scattered.”
Saying no to the trivial bullshit frees you up to say HELL FUCK YEAH to the stuff that matters. And, as a recovering people pleaser, I now find joy in saying no.
“The key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; it’s giving a fuck about less, giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important.” — Mark Manson
When you’re clear on what you want, it’s easy to know when to say yes or no.
What are you saying “Yes” or “Ok” or “Fine” to that you really want to say “No” to? How can you simplify your life by saying, “No, but thank you for asking.”
How to Improve Self-Discipline
“When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling. Instead, ‘disciplined’ people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control.” — James Clear
5 Tips from James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits)
1. Environment Design
1. structure your environment (example: don’t bring junk food into your home and you won’t/can’t mindlessly snack on it)
2. Make it Easy
1. scale your habits down to something that’s very easy to do (example: “floss one tooth” and you’ll most likely floss them all)
2. There’s a guy who lost over 100 lbs. For the first 6 weeks he got in his car, drove to the gym, stayed 5 minutes, and drove home. That’s it. BUT… he built the habit of going to the gym, became the type of person who went to the gym consistently, and mastered the art of showing up. A habit must be established before it can be improved. This guy improved his healthy habits over time and eventually lost 100+ lbs.
3. Master the Entry Points
1. Twlya Tharp is a famous dance choreographer and instructor. At 82 years old, she still trains 2 hours a day. But she doesn’t focus on the training as the habit. The habit she focuses on building is putting on her workout clothes and hailing the cab. “If I’ve done that I’ve completed the habit.” Habits are the entry point, not the end point.
4. Join a Community
1. Our habits are socially reinforced. Join a group where your desired behavior is the normal behavior. Want to break Kelvin Kiptum’s marathon record? Train with a group of Kenyans.
5. Use Variable Rewards
1. Bad habits stick because the reward is favorable and immediate (example: eating a donut is fucking delicious right now). The rewards for good habits are favorable but usually delayed— sometimes years! Reward yourself immediately for completing a good habit (have a friend tell you you’re awesome, pat yourself on the back, put a green check mark on your calendar… whatever works for you.)
“The undisciplined ones are not free. They’re in prison. The disciplined ones are free in life.”
— Kelvin Kiptum
Feel Great
“Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet.” — Marcus Aurelius
You’re not a slave to your feelings, thoughts, or emotions. You’re not a puppet to be jerked around by external things or your impulses.
Master self-discipline, master your health, and master yourself. You are the puppet master of your life.
Rock a Nice Little Bod
“Discipline is not punishment. Discipline is training. If you change your mindset and really focus on what discipline really is, you start to welcome discipline into your life.”
— Terry Crews
Can you build the self-discipline to say no to…
- the slice of birthday cake at work? (you’re not 6 years old)
- being angry when someone cuts you off? (who needs the extra stress)
- that 5th straight episode of Stranger Things?
No, thank you. I’m going to get 8 hours of quality sleep and we’ll rescue Hopper tomorrow.
Enjoy Life
“Excitement is a better motivator than discipline. The people who appear to have an exceptional work ethic or remarkable discipline are often those with a genuine curiosity or interest in that area. The person who smiles is more likely to keep working than the person gritting their teeth.”
— James Clear
Do workouts you’re excited about (or at least not dreading).
Create healthy meals that you’re excited to eat (the Before/During/After test).
Spend time with people you’re genuinely excited to see.
Nice Little Body of the Week
Doug Heffernan A.K.A. The King of Queens
Eargasms of the Week
Thank you for reading.
feel great. rock a nice little bod. enjoy life.
steve