Coach Traub: What is Discipline?

"It's hustle and sweat and fighting through pain. It's eliminating excuses. It's attention to details. It's consistency. It's hard work without having to be asked. It's more... I am afraid that too many teenagers lack a clear concept of what discipline really is. I was well past my teen years when I discovered Dr. M. Scott Peck's book, The Road Less Traveled. In it, Dr. Peck suggests that discipline is scheduling painful things now to enhance pleasure later. It is accepting responsibility for the results I am getting, and dedicating myself to reality so that I can figure out what's working and what isn't. This requires stringent self-examination, a willingness to be challenged, and relentless honesty. Then, choosing one course of action over another requires flexibility, good judgment, and courage. With discipline, I will work hard and smart. 'Life is difficult' claims Dr. Peck, but with discipline, he believes we can 'transcend the difficulty of life.'