In 1974 a French man by the name of Philippe Petit walked on a wire across the Twi Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. While most people would have felt ill just looking off the top of the towers, he was able to walk on the wire with confidence and grace.
To some degree, this was because of his dare-devil nature. He was a rock climber, bullfighter, and loved slacklining (all of which can be dangerous pursuits). For the most part, Petit was confident in his walk across the wire because of his discipline. By pursuing his passion with vigor from a young age, he was able to better understand both the process and his own capabilities when it came to wire walking.
On that fateful day when people saw Petit confidently walking across the wire at the Twin Towers, they really were seeing a lifetime of practice manifesting in a single moment.
Turning Discipline into Confidence
At times we all face internal doubt and negative beliefs. Our biggest challenge is to face these problems head on rather than listen to the doubt as it talks us out of our biggest dreams. There are a few things to keep in mind when you are turning discipline into confidence.
1. Negative talk isn't bad - just because you have negative self-talk doesn't mean you have to consider it a bad thing. Instead, you can use this kind of self-talk in order to get an advantage. The self doubt is what keeps you awake at night. It is what makes you question whether you have done something in the right way. All of this doubt and anxiety might seem harmful, but you can utilize it to take action.
Using the self doubt to create disciplines will set you up for success. You may wake up early in the morning in order to do your best work or you may avoid alcohol so that your brain is always sharp. One motorcycle accident lawyer named Chris Stoy recounts "when I stopped drinking so often and started preparing for my legal work, we started winning large $10 million cases." That's where some negative self talk became a real asset.
2. Trust discipline, not motivation - even though motivation often feels good, it isn't useful for the purpose of solving your most important problems. Whether it is a professional or personal challenge, discipline is going to be your savior, not motivation. The feeling of motivation is often fleeting and discipline is far more reliable.
Famed Navy Seal Jocko Willink is known for his discourses on discipline and motivation, which might ring true for you. "Discipline equals freedom."
3. Prepare for failure - if you utilize discipline to prepare yourself as well as you possibly can, then you will have complete confidence with humility in your task. This is the best combination as you will be humble enough to take a closer look at where you could make mistakes. You will realize you aren't infallible.
At the same time, you will have prepared enough that it will be nearly inconceivable for you to have a problem you haven't already thought of. In preparing for failure with your disciplines, you can gain a whole new sense of confidence in both yourself and whatever project you are working on.