Finding Happiness In A Disciplined Life.

A trait I’ve discovered over the years is those people who live a structured, disciplined life are the happiest in society. There’s something in the human condition that a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction leads to a state of happiness.

If you’ve ever been on a quest to lose weight for a specific purpose — a wedding, a holiday, or some other event — when you begin the diet and exercise programme, getting through the first few days leaves you feeling accomplished. You feel proud of your efforts, and after a week, when you can feel the weight coming off and you are getting fitter, there’s almost joy.

And that joy and accomplishment motivates you to continue, and again, you see the results, and suddenly, you are in a cycle of success.

Now, let’s flip that, and you start your diet and exercise programme, but on the first day, you only manage to get to lunchtime before “forgetting” to eat healthier and doing your planned after-lunch walk. How do you feel at the end of the day?

You feel deflated, often frustrated with yourself, and certainly not happy. Repeat that too many days, and you will search for excuses about how you can’t do this and that you always fail at achieving your goals. In this state, how do you feel?