Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Mindful Self-Discipline summary
Giovanni Dienstmann
Living with Purpose and Achieving Your Goals in a World of Distractions
18 mins
Table of Contents
Mindful Self-Discipline
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
Live the life you truly desire
Let’s talk about self-discipline. It’s an old idea that people often get wrong. Self-discipline isn’t about feeling bad about yourself, or denying yourself everything, or living by strict rules. It’s not some mean force making you do things you don’t want to do. No, self-discipline is about living your life in a way that matches your big dreams and goals. It’s about being able to handle all sorts of challenges and obstacles, and being committed to what really matters to you.
The cool thing about self-discipline is that it makes you feel stronger. The Greek word for self-discipline is enkrateia, and the "-krat" part actually means “power.” So every time you practice self-discipline, you’re building up your personal power. It gives you this great feeling of knowing you’re doing your best, which helps you live without regrets or those nagging thoughts of “What if?” or “I should have.”
When you forget about your goals and let yourself be distracted, or give in to the desire for immediate pleasure, it’s like letting a bit of your power slip away.
Now, here’s the thing. We all have self-discipline. It’s not some mysterious concept that only a few people can understand or possess. We show it in the simple things we do every day – like brushing our teeth after we eat, showing up to work on weekdays, or taking care of a child when we’re exhausted. These actions, though they might seem trivial, are actually super important. Without them, well, we’d end up with no teeth, no job, and no kids.
What self-discipline really does is free us from being controlled by our base instincts and immediate desires. It lets us follow our higher goals. It’s about being your own boss, designing your own life, deciding what you’ll do and won’t do.
Think about it like using a TV remote. When you hit the power button, the TV turns on, right? If it didn’t, we’d say the remote is broken. The point is, it’s up to you whether you want to turn on the TV or not. But once you’ve made up your mind to hit that button, the TV should come on. That’s like self-discipline. It helps you follow through on the promises you make to yourself. This isn’t about being rigid – it’s about having control over your life.
Getting better at self-discipline doesn’t just change you. It changes how you see and interact with the world. It’s not about cutting out all the fun or freedom from your life. It’s about giving you the control to choose what’s best for you. It’s not about being trapped, but freeing yourself from urges and short-term pleasures that could obscure your real goals.
Want to see all full key ideas from Mindful Self-Discipline?
Key ideas in Mindful Self-Discipline
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Mindful Self-Discipline about?
Mindful Self-Discipline (2022) presents a new perspective on self-discipline as a tool for personal empowerment, rather than a set of rigid constraints. It guides us through a transformational journey of harnessing self-discipline, underlining the significance of integrating self-discipline into daily routines to control base instincts, chase higher goals, and design a life that mirrors one’s deepest values and dreams.
Who should read Mindful Self-Discipline?
- Mindfulness practitioners who want to enhance discipline
- Those interested in practical self-improvement strategies
- Individuals seeking personal growth and improved self-control
Categories with Mindful Self-Discipline
Books like Mindful Self-Discipline
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked
Start growing with Blinkist now
28 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers