I want to break some of the myths surrounding discipline with the help of research. At the end, you’ll find sources and interesting podcast recommendations.
Many imagine that disciplined people simply push harder and therefore achieve more. In reality, disciplined people build an environment and routines that reduce the need for willpower. It’s easy to choose actions aligned with your goals when your surroundings make the choice effortless.
Willpower is like a muscle that gets tired. That’s why routines, planning ahead, and clear boundaries make discipline light and easy. When the foundation is solid: adequate sleep, healthy and regular meals, and enough physical activity, it becomes easier to build everything else on top. Neuropsychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett talks about the body budget, which can be replenished with good habits, by challenging yourself, and by learning new things.
Today, our body budget easily slips into the negative when we cut sleep, skip meals, ignore breaks, and neglect our natural need to move. Over time, this becomes unsustainable. When movement and breaks at work gradually disappear, our window of tolerance begins to shrink. In practice, this means that smaller and smaller things become overwhelming, concentration falters, learning becomes harder, relationships feel burdensome, and making good decisions becomes more difficult.
This may be the most harmful myth. Discipline is a skill that can be learned. Anyone can become more disciplined by repeating small routines that eventually turn into habits. It’s usually best to start with small, easily repeatable actions.
If we want to renew ourselves and learn something new, we might start by placing an interesting book in the bedroom. Next, read 1–2 pages each night before falling asleep. Over time, this will grow naturally, and soon you’ll crave the routine. There will be times when routines shift, on holidays, for example. Still, hold on to this habit, because it helps you grow, learn, and sleep better. You can also read from a screen. According to Matthew Walker’s latest sleep research, the harmful effect of blue light on sleep is a myth. What matters is the content. Evening content should not stimulate the mind. Thrilling or overly inspiring material can harm sleep. Evenings are for winding down. This is how sleep physician Eeva Löfgren from the University of Oulu writes in her new book Naisen uni.
Adding learning-enhancing movement and physical activity to your life also happens in small steps. If you haven’t exercised before, start by walking 10 minutes twice a day. After a few weeks, it will happen automatically. Then add five more minutes, and within a few months you may even find yourself able to run.
In reality, discipline frees you. When important things happen automatically, the mind is lighter and there is more time for creativity and recovery. Discipline reduces chaos and uncertainty and increases freedom of choice. This allows us to focus on things that move us forward and bring us well-being. Few of us negotiate with ourselves about brushing our teeth. Automatic actions don’t drain energy or mental space. While brushing your teeth, you can think about tomorrow’s tasks.
According to neuropsychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett, making decisions is taxing for the human mind. Therefore, shaping your environment so that you don’t have to make as many decisions is the first step. Make transitions between tasks easier in various ways.
Motivation is the key not only to sustaining effort and overcoming challenges but also to setting meaningful goals. This aligns with Deci and Ryan’s classic (2000) self determination theory. The same researchers emphasize the importance of motivation strategies. It is crucial to know your values and build your goals around them. Your core values are those you cannot compromise without experiencing distress and stress.
Leadership researcher Brené Brown notes in her podcast that people are willing to fight for and give up things for their core values. If one of your values is personal growth, you may sometimes need to let go of comfort and pleasure, because learning happens through discomfort and mild anxiety. Striving for what matters to you makes life rich, nuanced, and rewarding.
Motivation can be increased by using goal setting techniques tailored to your current abilities. Short term, achievable goals help you progress and build confidence. Confidence, in turn, can be strengthened with positive feedback. That’s why it is important that people give each other constructive, positive feedback at work, at home, and in hobbies. We also shouldn’t underestimate the power of positive self talk. It’s worth paying attention to how you speak to yourself.
Self determination theory has been widely studied in school environments, from primary school to higher education, as well as in workplaces and across cultures. Research consistently shows that conditions supporting basic psychological needs increase motivation and well being. Because supporting these needs is essential, we must promote environments where people can thrive.
Even though we know a lot about engagement, motivation, and the factors that support genuine learning, we still lack widespread practices that support these basic needs. We have fixed curricula, controlling performance oriented demands, assessment practices, and high stakes tests and performance goals. There are still significant gaps between educational policy and the best practices identified by motivation research. If we want to equip students with the skills, habits, interests, and abilities needed for the challenges of the 21st century, we should work to close these gaps.
In the workplace, involving employees in task design and distribution would increase ownership of their work. This would improve autonomy. Offering a few role options, giving feedback in non controlling and non comparative language, and considering employees’ perspectives and the meaning of their tasks when setting goals all strengthen the sense of meaning and independence.
Ideal conditions that support basic psychological needs nurture the three core needs of both learners and workers: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In practice, these conditions appear as opportunities to choose tasks, meaningful rationales, constructive feedback, appropriate challenges, and warm interpersonal relationships, whether we work online, in hybrid settings, or in person. Increased motivation leads to higher employee engagement and better learning outcomes, which positively affect well being and productivity. This also increases happiness. And did you notice: discipline and strictness were never mentioned.
Author: Päivi Lohikoski, Ph.D., Education Manager, University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute
Sources:
The Diary of a CEO (2023). Matthew Walker – The world’s No. 1 sleep expert. Podcast episode in Spotify.
Feldman Barrett, L. (2023). Seitsemän ja puoli oppia aivoista. Tuuma-kustannus.
Grant, A. (2021). ReThinking with Adam Grant – Brené Brown ‑jakso. Spotify. (Key word: ReThinking Adam Grant Brené Brown
Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (2012). The self-determination theory. In P. A. M. Van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski & E. T. Higgins (toim.), Handbook of theories of social psychology (Vol. 1, chapter 20).
Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology.
Löfgren, E. (2023). Naisen uni. Otava.
Photo: Minna Kilpeläinen
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