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Into The Arena

With Mike Schiff

Yesterday, I wrote a thread on X (still weird to call it X instead of Twitter) about building discipline to master your own life

Check it out here​

And while I do think the ultimate goal is to build discipline and become a disciplined man/woman

There's also a need for willpower

What the hell is the difference?

Willpower is your ability to resist short term temptations with your long term goals in mind.

Being disciplined means creating structure and routine to support those long term goals.

Willpower is avoiding the fried chicken on the menu and getting a steak.

Discipline is planning ahead and cooking most of your meals at home so you don't have to rely on willpower 24/7.

Willpower is a limited resource.

You can only white knuckle past the donuts on Susan's desk before you eventually give in (unless you're sufficiently disciplined)

Here's the thing tho

Every time you do use willpower to avoid the thing you know you shouldn't want to do but do

Your willpower grows

And your identity begins to shift

Willpower is what helps you become disciplined!

So here's how you can grow your willpower to let it become a super power for you:

1. Start small: Don't get crazy and tempt yourself with your favorite dessert right out the gates
2. Practice self-control: Challenge yourself, make a game of it, find some accountability partners to report back to
3. Implement Mindfulness Techniques: Meditation and awareness are key to catching yourself and staying focused on your goals
4. Pro tip: Make sure you're resting and not getting decision fatigue. It's so much harder to make the right decision after a long day. Who else has smashed a tub of ice cream after the kids went to bed because you just had no willpower left in the tank?

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I know this was a longer email than normal so thank you for taking the time to read.

I believe willpower is an essential piece of the puzzle to becoming the person you want to become.

The best you possible.

(Just make sure you're not completely reliant on it)

God bless,

-Mike

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P.S. If you haven't heard, Tyler Todt and myself are hosting a massive conference, Into The Arena 2025, this fall in Las Vegas with 4 epic keynote speakers, physical challenges, half a dozen or so breakout speakers, and lots more

If you're interested in learning more, reply to this email and I'll get you details (and hook you up with a discount code for being an email subscriber)

Hope to see you there!