Inspired by the success of champion marathoner Eliud Kipchoge and tying it with his own experience in long-distance running, Founder-CEO Dr Kandeepan shares a three-step secret that can change your life forever.
It’s common to make resolutions on every New Year’s Day. “Exercise more”, “lose weight”, “get organised”, “learn a new skill or hobby”, “live life to the fullest”, “save more or spend less money”, “quit smoking”, “spend more time with family and friends” and so on. I am sure at least a few of them are familiar to you and may have been your New Year resolutions too.
But researchers suggest that only 9% that make resolutions complete them. In fact, research shows that 23% of people quit their resolutions by the end of the first week of January, and 43% quit by the end of the month. Why are so few of us able to see through what we ourselves have set out to do?
There might be multiple reasons, but allow me to introduce the chief culprit: a lack of self-discipline.
This epiphany occurred to me recently while watching an interview of one of my inspirations in long distance running, Eliud Kipchoge. Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner. Regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion and the world record holder with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. He has also run five of the seven fastest marathons in history.
According to him, Learning to say ‘no’, setting your priorities right and avoiding complaining are the three simple rules in life to become self-disciplined.
“Only the disciplined are free; the undisciplined are as good as in prison.”
– Eliud Kipchoge
But how true is this? Is it practically possible to follow such rules? Are there any alternatives to self-discipline, to achieve what we want to achieve? To get the answers, we first need to explore the three tips in a little more detail.
Tip 1: Learn to say ‘no’.
In his book titled The Art Of Saying NO, Damon Zahariades has beautifully explained how to say “no” without feeling guilty. It’s easy to relate what Zahariades says is necessary to avoid others taking us for granted, with Kipchoge’s endorsement of saying no as a means of instilling self-discipline. In Kipchoge’s perspective, the ‘no’ goes beyond merely a signalling device, and becomes a kiln in which our self-discipline is baked.
According to Kipchoge, being disciplined is crucial to being a successful athlete. And to be a consistent performer, you need to say ‘no’ to the habits, food, and lifestyle that do not align with your objectives.
Cricketer Virat Kohli once revealed how he transformed his fitness and performance from a poor 2012 IPL season, by saying ‘no’ to his bad food habits and lifestyle. I am not a professional athlete, but having completed 18 half marathons and two full marathons since my first half marathon finish in 2014, when I try to recollect what I did differently to achieve this feat, I can safely conclude that it is the simple ‘no’ I said knowingly or unknowingly to things which otherwise would have been a stumbling block to what I love to do.
A simple ‘no’ – note, simple but not easy – to smoking, alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle was the key. Of course there were a myriad of temptations and occasions to stray and say yes to these traps, but I never compromised and stayed steadfast with my ‘no’ to them. So I think my ‘no’ is the simple secret to my discipline. I know that’s easier said than done, but there is a secret to succeeding at saying ‘no’, which I reveal in tip 2.
Tip 2: Set your priorities.
We all have a very limited time in this universe, but so many things to do. No one knows how much time that is, but what we know are the things we want to do. We can’t control the past. The future is unpredictable. So what we have is the present, and what is really in our control is only our actions, which can determine our present and shape our future to some extent.
When we know our priorities, we also know what is in its interest and what isn’t. When an athlete knows that their priority is consistent performance, they know what’s needed and what should be avoided, in order to achieve consistent performance. Likewise, when a working professional knows their objectives, they know their priorities and that leads them to things they should say no to and keep away from. Therefore, setting our priorities right is the key to being able to say no, and thereby becoming self-disciplined.
When you know your priorities and set them right, saying ‘no’ comes naturally.
So it’s important to set the priorities of our present right, to shape our future. This is what automatically makes us disciplined. But how exactly do we do this? Here’s a very simple step-by-step method:
- Take a break from the routine, think about what is really important to you in your personal and professional life.
- List out the things you want to do. These are your priorities.
- Then, write down the things you do every day, and look for actions that are not in line with what you want to do. These are the things you need to say ‘no’ to.
Keep the priority list with you always and each time you do anything, make sure you validate it with this list. If your action is not in line with your list, it has to be avoided or altered.
Start practising this and it will become a habit. Over time, you will become more disciplined and start seeing results that are consonant with your objectives.
Tip 3: Avoid complaining.
As social creatures, we all have a fundamental need to belong. Complaining can be a way to express to others that we are experiencing a shared struggle. However, excessive complaining can also be a way of avoiding responsibility and failing to take action to address our problems.
To be self-disciplined, it is important to introspect before we start complaining.
Do you know some studies suggest that a continuous cycle of negative thoughts may even cause damage to the hippocampus, the part of the brain used for problem solving and cognitive functioning! Over time, complainers become negativity addicts, attracted to the drama that comes with a complaining attitude.
“Only the disciplined are free; the undisciplined are as good as in prison.”
– Eliud Kipchoge
But how do we do this? Here are some simple tips you can follow.
- Accept change: according to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “change is the only constant in life.” We will stop complaining when we recognise and accept this fact fully.
- Stop being judgemental: We need to understand that we are no one to judge. There are always two sides to a coin, Stop judging, and you will immediately notice that you have less to complain about.
- 3. Lead by example:
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
In short, as the great man himself said, be the change you want to see in the world.
We don’t need a miracle to become self-disciplined. When we know our priorities, say no to things which are not necessary and accept this universe as a place for us to play our role like every other living being that shares it, we become self-disciplined, much more successful (by our own definition of success), more acceptable and better human beings. And eventually, we can be in the 9% who complete their New Year resolutions. All the best!
