365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

—Gautama Buddha

 

36

When  you  set  firm  resolutions  to  improve  yourself,  you  might  be

tempted to push your limits well outside of what you’re capable of doing.

Ambitiousness  is  a  virtue,  but  there’s  danger  involved  in  going  from  one

extreme to another.

If you’re currently struggling to be productive, don’t force yourself to

work sixteen hours a day. If you’re struggling to control your appetite, don’t

impose a week-long fast. If you can’t find it in you to choose the stairs over

the elevator, don’t expect that you’ll maintain a workout plan that requires

you to work out every single day.

Find  the  middle  path,  stick  to  it  for  at  least  several  weeks,  and  then,

based  on  the  results  you  get,  decide  whether  you  can  further  stretch  your

limits or require more time before advancing.

As  much  as  I  believe  in  pushing  your  boundaries  and  exploring  the

extremes,  you  don’t  need  to  put  yourself  through  mortification  to  achieve

good results. Subjecting yourself to extreme hardships has some merits, but

over the long term it’s unsustainable, if not downright dangerous.

Remember  that  there  should  be  moderation  in  all  things,  including

moderation itself. Sometimes a more extreme approach is needed for a short

period  of  time,  and  sometimes  it’s  beneficial  to  set  your  goals  lower.  In

whatever you do, seek to not spend too much time loafing around, but also

make  sure  that  your  life  hasn’t  turned  into  the  life  of  a  self-flagellating

ascetic.

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