What 100 Days of Discipline Taught Me

I didn’t wake up one day magically craving discipline. In fact, for most of my adult life, I kinda avoided it. The word alone made me cringe. It sounded cold, rigid — like something you'd force yourself to do if you hated fun and lived off spreadsheets and black coffee.

But here’s the thing: I hit a wall.

Not the kind you brush off with a deep breath and a Spotify playlist. I mean a real wall — where you start questioning if this is all there is. I was stuck in a weird limbo. Not failing. Not thriving. Just… floating. Existing. Barely.

So one evening — in that foggy headspace where you're half-inspired, half-exhausted — I told myself, “Screw it. 100 days. Just try.”

I didn’t plan it perfectly. I just wanted to see what would happen if I kept a few small promises to myself for once.

Starting Was a Mess (Honestly, Embarrassing)

Let me paint you a picture: Day 1, I wrote a big list of “disciplined habits” in my Notes app. Felt proud. Then I woke up late, scrolled for 45 minutes, skipped breakfast, forgot to journal, and ended the day eating ice cream straight from the tub while watching Netflix with the lights off.

Stellar start, right?

But weirdly enough… I didn’t quit. I felt a little ashamed, sure — but I also felt this tiny flicker of something. Like, maybe there was still time to turn this ship around.

So I woke up the next day and tried again. I simplified the whole thing down to just a few things:

Wake up when I said I would.

Move (even if it was just a walk).

Journal 10 minutes.

No phone before those things.

No fancy apps. No 5am club nonsense. Just raw, simple effort.

The First Two Weeks Were Ugly

The beginning is brutal. There’s no nice way to say it. It felt like dragging my soul through wet cement some mornings. There were days I felt on top of the world… followed by nights where I seriously wondered what the point even was.

I’d stare at my ceiling like, “Why am I doing this again? Who do I think I’m becoming?”

No one was clapping. No one saw the effort. And that — surprisingly — was the most valuable part.

Because when no one’s watching, and you still show up? That’s where the magic starts.

Discipline Isn’t Sexy — It’s Soul Work

You know how they sell it online? Morning routines with candles and smoothies and immaculate time-blocked calendars?

Yeah, real discipline isn’t like that. Not at first, anyway.

It’s dragging yourself out of bed when you’d rather hide under the covers. It’s saying “no” to that quick dopamine hit. It’s sticking to a habit even when you're bloated, tired, unmotivated, and kind of hate the world.

But here’s what shocked me: the more I did it, the more I started to like myself again.

Not because I was suddenly some superhuman. I still had bad days. But because I started to trust myself.

Small Promises = Big Identity Shifts

There’s this wild thing that happens when you consistently follow through — even on tiny things. You start to rewrite your own identity.

Like, “Oh… maybe I am someone who finishes what they start.”

Crazy thought, right?

My self-worth started to grow quietly in the background. I wasn’t shouting about my progress online. I wasn’t chasing some massive transformation. I was just showing up. Imperfectly. Consistently.

And that’s what made it stick.

Motivation Left Me on Read — Discipline Didn’t

Let’s be real — motivation is flaky. It’s great on Day 1. Maybe even Day 3. But after that? Poof. Gone. It disappears faster than your favorite socks in the laundry.

Discipline, though? That’s the loyal one. The one that shows up even when you don’t feel like it. The one that doesn’t care about your excuses or your mood or your inbox overflowing.

There were mornings I hated everything. I still did the thing.

Not because I wanted to. But because I said I would.

Did I Become a New Person? Not Exactly… But Also, Kind Of

I didn’t come out of this 100-day stretch with a six-pack or a 10-figure business. I still leave dishes in the sink. I still overthink stupid stuff. I’m still figuring things out.

But here's what did happen:

I sleep better.

My mind is clearer.

I procrastinate way less.

I don’t hate myself on Sundays anymore.

Most importantly? I stopped abandoning myself.

That alone? Worth every bit of effort.

So… Should You Try It?

Look, I’m not here to convince you to go monk mode or live like a robot.

But if you’ve ever felt stuck — like really stuck — then maybe, just maybe, discipline is the missing piece.

Not to punish yourself. Not to “grind” your way to perfection.

But to build trust with the one person you’ll spend the rest of your life with: you.

Start with something small. One habit. One promise. One day.

Then do it again.

Final Thought (And a Nudge for You)

If this hit something in you — a memory, a gut feeling, a “damn, I needed this” moment — do me a favor:

Like it. Share it. Send it to that one friend who’s been feeling lost lately. And if you’re starting your own 100-day challenge… drop a comment or message. I’d love to cheer you on.

We’re all just trying to figure it out. Might as well do it together.

Let’s grow — one messy, disciplined day at a time.

Stay honest. Stay wild. Stay showing up.