How To Be Disciplined

Jack Salmon
May 20, 2026

Become the best you

Welcome to this weeks newsletter - How To Be Disciplined

How To Be Disciplined

The most common thing I hear from men isn't "I don't know what to do." It's "I know what to do — I just can't stick to it."

They struggle to stay disciplined with drinking, sticking to training, their nutrition, getting up on time and committing to their word.

I can relate to all of these because I once was this person.

Over years of doing my own self work and working with hundreds of men — I haven't found one direct approach to discipline.

Meaning, just do X and you will be disciplined. But what I have found is that by putting certain things in place, both in my own life and my clients', we have all been able to remain disciplined.

And that's what I am going to show you today.

But before I do, I just want to give you what I define as discipline. I see it in two lights.

One — it's giving yourself a command and sticking to it. Example: I am going to get up at 5am tomorrow, and you do as you say. That's discipline.

Two — it's saying no to things that don't serve you. For example, you're on a diet and you feel tired and hungry. You randomly have a thought that you should have chocolate. But you decide to say no and commit to what you know is right, not easy.

Both, at the end of the day, are helping you become the person you want to be.

Let's dive in.

Keeping Your Word

As I just mentioned, discipline for me is giving yourself a command and keeping it.

If you say I am going to get up at 5am — get up at 5am.

Go to the gym at 6am — go to the gym.

Stay in at the weekend — stay in.

Stick to the nutrition plan — stick to the plan.

No negotiation at all. You do exactly what you say you will do.

By keeping your word not only will you build discipline but self-respect, self-belief, consistency and an undeniable confidence.

The issue is that many people make empty promises without actually thinking about it.

They have one bad day of eating and decide tomorrow they're on a diet. Go out on the weekend and promise not to do it the next. Miss their morning alarm and say they'll do it in the evening. Or they will make this Monday the Monday they change their life but it's all a lie.

These lies compound until they no longer trust themselves, and this powerful word means nothing to them.

Now I'm not sitting here saying I'm perfect with every promise I make but it's the most important thing you can do if you want to become disciplined.

With that said, keeping your word can be hard on its own. That is why you need to have these next three things in place.

A Clear Goal

When you make empty promises but have nothing to aim toward it can be hard.

Saying you will sort your nutrition out without a goal of losing weight or gaining muscle will be hard. Saying you will run tomorrow without prepping for a race will be hard. Saying you will stay in at the weekend without having anything to focus on will be hard.

That's why I believe many people struggle to keep their word and build discipline because they are simply aiming at nothing.

It just sounds like a good idea but it has had no real thought put behind it at all.

Without a goal, a vision or a dream, these promises become empty.

But when you have a goal, you have clarity, you have focus and direction. Which makes keeping your word all the more easier.

If you're someone who doesn't have goals right now, start thinking about the exact goals you want to stay disciplined for. I have my own goal system here if you'd like to break yours down: https://becomethebestyou.mykajabi.com/pl/2148583381

Once you have your goals in place, you then need a plan.

A Plan

Without a plan your goals remain a wish.

Which one of these do you think is going to be easier to be disciplined with

having no goal and no plan but saying you will get up at 5am and train at 6am?

Having a goal but no plan but saying you will get up at 5am and train at 6am?

Or having a goal and a plan, scheduling this into your calendar, knowing what time you will wake up at 5am, what time you will go to the gym at 6am and exactly what you will do when you get there?

Can you see how piecing this together makes keeping your word seem far more achievable?

As I said you can do a great job at just keeping your word but I like to give discipline a helping hand by putting things in place that make keeping my word that much easier.

Once you have set your goal I want you to break down the actions you need to take and start planning these into your calendar.

Once you build a system for your life and start showing up consistently, keeping your word becomes habitual.

Having a goal and a plan is key. But once you back it with this — keeping your word will become inevitable.

A Strong Why

Now let's look at these again.

Which one of these do you think is going to be easier to be disciplined with

Having no goal and no plan?

Having a goal but no plan?

Having a goal and a plan scheduled into your calendar?

Now add one more layer to that same scenario. Same goal, same plan, same calendar but this time you back it with a strong emotional reason why you have to achieve it.

Can you see how that changes everything?

Having a strong reason will not only hold you accountable to your word but it will give you a strong reason to show up, when you're tired, struggling and faced with those negative and challenging thoughts.

Earlier I mentioned that keeping your word is discipline but it's also being able to say no. When you have a strong why, saying NO will be something you want to do, because you know exactly what it is you're fighting for.

These goals don't just sound like a good idea, they become something of real importance to you.

I'll give you an example. I could ask any of you — stick to your word and be disciplined for the next 90 days. Get up at 5am, train every day and don't drink alcohol. And if you do it, I'll give you £100k.

I can guarantee every single one of you reading this would do it.

Not because you suddenly became disciplined overnight. Not because it got easier. But because you had a reason that meant something.

This can be the same for any of your goals. You just need to understand your own fuel and what will push you to succeed in anything you want to do.

Once you have your goal and you've broken it down, I want you to ask yourself why. Why must I accomplish this goal?

To Finish

Motivation and willpower are both short-lived.

But when you put a goal in place, build a plan of action, back it with a strong why and keep your word, you don't seek discipline, you become a disciplined person.

And once that shift happens in your identity, discipline becomes automatic. It doesn't feel like something you force or struggle with. It becomes part of who you are.

That's the difference between the person who tries to be disciplined and the person who simply is. One fights it every day. The other doesn't have to.

Become The Best You.