Short motivational YouTube video by George Kao presenting a simple three-word mantra to overcome procrastination: "Discipline, Discomfort, Discovery." Kao explains that initiating action (discipline) produces initial discomfort, and by moving through it one reaches discovery (new willpower, empowerment). He also applies the mantra to resisting unwanted behaviors and invites viewers to try it and comment.
Hi, this is George Kao. An insight came to me recently that's been helping me to overcome procrastination. And the insight I'd like to share with you today is very simply three Discipline, discomfort, and discovery. The next time you find yourself procrastinating, maybe you're feeling lazy, lethargic, but you want to get some work done. Bring this mantra to mind and try it out. Discipline, discomfort, discovery. What that means is discipline means you do get moving knowing that there is going to be some discomfort attached to the initial movement. Because the natural way of being when you're procrastinating or lazy is just to sit back and do nothing and to keep the status quo. But remember, discipline, discomfort, discovery. So start moving so that you are activating your discipline knowing that there's some discomfort that arises right away. But if you move through that discomfort just a little bit, you come to the next stage, which is discovery. You discover a new level of willpower and oftentimes you keep going. Sometimes you need to bring to mind again, discipline, discomfort, discovery. You keep going and soon enough you will be in a flow of doing the thing that you wanted to do. Because typically the hardest part of getting going is the first step. The first step or two, right? Discipline, discomfort, discovery. So I invite you to bring that to mind next time you're procrastinating, wanting to get going, know that there's some discomfort just based on the inertia. But then you'll soon reach a new level of discovery of your willpower. And really what's going on is you're reaching a new level of self empowerment because the discovery is, oh, wow, I can move through some discomfort, some inertia, and I'm okay, I'm going to keep going. And what's interesting is I've also been applying this to stemming some bad behavior that I don't want to engage with. So let's say I'm tempted to do something I don't want to do. I say, ah, discipline, discomfort, discovery. If I don't do it, that's a decision to not do it. It's self discipline, a choice of self discipline. And then there's some discomfort because I'm used to doing that thing that I don't want to do. But if I, if I sit with it, move through that discomfort just a little bit, I reach a new stage of discovery that, hey, I'm actually going to be okay, I'm going to be okay. So I invite you to try that next time and if you find some success with it, feel free to comment below. I always love hearing from you when you apply these ideas, and I'd love to hear how it goes for you. So until next video, I wish you well, and I wish you discipline, discomfort, and discovery. And I'll show you my little sweet dog buddy. If you can see him, he's right there. Come and go over here. All right, be well.
