Why discipline works for no good (and what you really need to do)

Today we’re going to talk about a word that most people have developed a slight aversion to: discipline. We hear it everywhere. “You need more discipline.” “Without discipline, you’ll get nowhere.” Let me set the record straight right away: discipline doesn’t work. And I’m going to tell you exactly why.

Do you ever feel this way? You wake up, you feel pretty good, you’re looking forward to the day, but something’s gnawing at you. You’re missing that “input”—that spark to really go for it. You look in the mirror and think, “Today I’m going to do things differently. Today I’m going to show that discipline everyone’s talking about.” And then? Then absolutely nothing happens. Or well, you manage to keep it up for half a day, and then you slip back into your old patterns.

The reason why discipline doesn't work is actually quite simple. There are two main causes, and the first is an immediate slap in the face: Discipline doesn't exist at all.

Watch the video:

The self-help industry's biggest lie

Yes, you read that right. Newsflash: discipline is a myth. It doesn’t exist. And if something doesn’t exist, then of course you can’t use it to change your life. It’s that simple.

Now you may be thinking, "But what about Edwin, my neighbor? That guy gets up at five every morning, runs a half marathon and only eats raw broccoli. Surely he has discipline?"

No. Wrong. Then where? Point it out to me. Where is this discipline located? Is it an organ? Can you buy it somewhere? Is it in a jar?

Look, I'm holding a pen here. This is a thing. A noun. If I want to let go of this pen, I just open my fingers and (klabam) the pen is gone. It's on the table. I can take it, I can put it away, I can write with it. It is a tangible object.

But "discipline? That's also a noun in our language, but it's not a thing. We believe in it en masse, as if it were some kind of magical power you must have in your toolbox. "Oh, I must have discipline!" First of all, you don't have to have anything at all. But the whole idea that you can "have" discipline is at the heart of the problem.

You don't have discipline. You do something.

The neighborhood 'pencil peddler'

Discipline is just a label that other people attach to your behavior. If you do something every day, others say, “Wow, he’s so disciplined.” But you don’t have anything. You’re simply performing an action. That action arises because you have a goal. That’s how habits are formed[1].

And here comes the joke: You already have this so-called discipline. Only you probably don't see it that way yourself.

Let's face it. You probably watch YouTube. Or you're on TikTok. Or you listen to podcasts (hopefully mine). Do you do that often? Do you do that daily? Well, congratulations: then you have the discipline to consume content.

You brush your teeth (hopefully) every day. You get dressed when you go out. Why do you do that? Because otherwise you'll be picked on or known as the local pothead. That daily dressing, that brushing of teeth.... that's basically what people call "discipline. You just call it "normal.

Everyone has some level of discipline. Everyone does things every day. The definition of discipline is simply: doing something, every day. So stop saying you don't have it. Look at what you do all day and realize, "I do have it, I just apply it to the wrong things."

The magic 66 (or my personal 90)

Okay, so now you know that “discipline” is a verb, not a noun. But how do you make sure you use that “discipline” (i.e., taking action) for the things you actually want to achieve? Like exercising, reading, or learning a new skill?

This is where the science comes in. On average, it takes 66 days for a new action to become an automatism[2]. A habit. And a habit isn't a thing either, it's just something you do daily without thinking about it. Just like brushing your teeth.

You have to train your brain. It takes effort at first, but over time your subconscious takes over. Personally, I always keep a rule of thumb of three months. Why 90 days? Because I know myself. I like to be slightly above average. If I do something every day for three months, it's baked into my system. Then I don't have to think about it anymore. Then it just "is" there.

People often say to me, "Edwin, what discipline you have. You record videos, you write books, you exercise, you read an awful lot..."

You know what I think? I actually think I’m incredibly lazy. Seriously. I’m the king of laziness. But once in my life, I invested the time and energy to “train” myself to adopt certain habits. I stuck with it for those 90 days, and now those things happen automatically. It doesn’t take any effort anymore. It’s not discipline; it’s my new normal.

The Brain Hack: Hypnosis

Now I hear you thinking, "Three months of waiver? Edwin, there must be an easier way, right?"

And of course I have an answer to that. I have a little secret, a "brain hack" that has changed my life (and the lives of thousands of my students). Namely, I can hypnosis.

Look, if I had to do something on my own (purely through willpower—which people often confuse with discipline), then I’d indeed have to complete those 90 days. That’s the long road. The path of greatest resistance.

But with hypnosis, you can accelerate that process[3]. You can hypnotize yourself to accept a new habit faster into your subconscious mind. You program your brain, so to speak, to like that new action, or to remove resistance to it.

Thanks to hypnosis, I have taught myself to whistling videos, creating mountains of content and learning every day. Without feeling like I have to force myself. That's the power of working with your brain instead of fighting it.

If you’re still trying to change your life without harnessing the power of your subconscious mind... well, then you’re actually wasting your own time a bit. It’s your choice, of course, but it’s not the smartest move. You can take the stairs to the tenth floor (willpower), or you can take the express elevator (hypnosis). The choice is yours.

The Peace of "Doing.

The beauty is: once you understand that discipline is an illusion and that it's all about what you do, it gives you tremendous peace of mind.

You no longer need to search for that one “magic ingredient” you’re “missing.” You already have everything you need. You’re already a master of discipline—you just need to change course. Take a look at what you do every day. Are you disciplined when it comes to procrastinating? Are you a pro at scrolling through social media? Acknowledge it, laugh about it, and then decide: “What am I going to do differently starting today for 66 to 90 days?”

And believe me, one day these new actions will become so common that people will say to you, "Wow, what discipline you have!" And then you can smile and think, "I don't have it, I just do it."

The peace of mind of "just doing it.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope this has planted a small seed in your brain. Discipline is a lie, action is the truth. You already have it, you already do it, and you can start using it consciously from now on for what you really care about.

Did you find this a valuable lesson? If so, please let me know! Leave a comment. Why? Because we need to spread this information. There are too many people walking around dragging themselves down because they think they have "no discipline. Let's help them see that they can, as long as they stop looking for a thing that doesn't exist.

Treat yourself to that peace of mind. Treat yourself to that new habit. And who knows. maybe it's time to give that hypnosis hack a try, too.

Make hypnosis your new "discipline"

Do you want to help yourself and others change their habits? Hypnosis is incredibly helpful. Come to a free masterclass to get started.

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