Many of the most impressive entrepreneurs and creatives in our community exhibit a high degree of self-discipline and so we asked some of them to share their backstories of how they developed their self-discipline.
Monica Merriweather
My self-discipline comes from my spiritual upbringing and faith. I believe that my body is a temple, and I strive to honor God by taking care of it. I’ve developed self-discipline through my spiritual practices, such as prayer, meditation, and reading scripture. These habits help me stay focused and motivated. Through my spiritual journey, l’ve discovered that self-discipline is not just about achieving goals, but about honoring God and living a life that reflects His character. Read more>>
Dr. Ihab Judeh
My self-discipline comes from a combination of personal values, clear goals, and the commitment to continuous growth. I believe in setting high standards for myself, staying focused on what I want to achieve, and holding myself accountable. Much of it is rooted in understanding the importance of consistency and perseverance, whether it’s in my professional endeavors or personal development. I also draw inspiration from past experiences where discipline has led to success, which reinforces my drive to stay committed, even when challenges arise. Read more>>
Or Tokaev
My self discipline come from ,long hours of training ,I wanted to be a good gymnastics and show good results and be first place,I mad my self being serious and not to give up and keep training even when I lost I push my self back to the top ,my coach and people around me believe in me and didn’t give up on me it teached me how become self discipline ,experiences of success and failure during childhood teach you value of effort and commitment.Having goal to get to Olympic fuels self discipline.When you’re deeply connected to a purpose it becomes easier to become self discipline .Overcoming challenges mental resilience,each time you push through difficulties ,you build a mental framework that enables you to take control of your actions and emotions. Read more>>
Samantha Nava Torres
Self-discipline is hard to develop and even harder to maintain, especially nowadays, with so many distractions around us. I believe my self-discipline stems from my drive and hunger to achieve my dreams and grow both personally and professionally.
To be honest, I had a Montessori education for most of my life, which taught me independence, time management, and task prioritization, it helped me to understand how to solve problems by myself and how capable we are as humans. However, as we grow up, there aren’t many guides to help you get where you want to go. To be honest, everything clicked a few years ago when I realized that no one was coming to save me. No one was going to push me or remind me of my goals. It was all in my hands from that moment forward. Read more>>
Jaspar Schirmer
My self-discipline has been shaped by years of trial and error, lessons from my parents, and a deep understanding of how my habits influence my day. When I was younger, mornings were often chaotic and frustrating. I’d rush through them, feeling unprepared and scattered. Over time, I realized that the key to a productive day started with how I set the tone in the morning. Read more>>
Gabriel Freeman
I would have to say my discipline came from several entities. I grew up in a single parent household of women in Astoria Queens, NY. Seeking a male role model that exuded discipline was challenging. I mean my mom showed some discipline and the strength of making ends meet, not giving up with a discipline focus to provide for me and my sister. Read more>>
Tobi Brun
When I was a child, I had a vivid example of self-discipline and established work ethic from my father- who is a entrepreneur and self-made businessman of many talents. A handful of memories stick out to me from my early years that helped grow this standard of perseverance and dedication in me. When I was 6, I got stuck too high on the jungle gym in our backyard, and my dad came to my rescue. He reminded me gently to “-not get yourself into anything you can’t get yourself out of”. A good reminder to not bite off more that you can chew, even when you are pursuing heights beyond what you believe capable. The second memory is listening to my dad lay out all of the things he had to do for work before he would be able to go to bed for the night as we were driving down the highway one cold winter when I was 11. Read more>>
Carole Johnson
Being an immigrant myself, and being born into an immigrant family, a lot of our values and principles carried over to my way of life in the States. As a child I watched my parents work 2+ jobs at times to make sure they were able to provide what our family needed. With this example, I made it my mission to work so hard that I never have to worry about not having. Not only this, but I wanted to make sure I could provide the same example for my future family. Read more>>
Michelle Garforth-venter
Disciple is about getting up when you are knocked down, and ensuring a fast, back-on-track process. I’ve realized that dancing from age 5 has brought my innate backbone of discipline. The ability to push yourself further, and harder, to stay in the pain and enjoy that space. That thinking is what makes brings physical flexibility, and skeletal muscle strength. Life paths and work paths are generally fraught with problem-solving. I’ve learned that unfortunately, there is no reaching a mountain top and now relaxing. The path of living consists of many mountains to climb and requires discipline to overcome obstacles and find moments of success. Dancing is mentally and physically about never being good enough and always reaching for a better form, The dancer’s brain and mindset are unique, and I highly recommend starting dance for all kids, as the skills learned hold you in good stead for Life’s path. Read more>>
Shaymah Ansari
My self-discipline comes from a combination of my personal values, my background in operations management, and my deep commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for my clients. Growing up, I learned the importance of hard work and dedication from my family and mentors, which instilled a strong sense of responsibility in me. In my professional journey, whether working in operations management or event planning, I realized the importance of maintaining structure, especially when managing complex projects with multiple moving parts. This drive for discipline is fueled by my desire to ensure that every wedding I coordinate is flawless, on time, and exceeds expectations. At Shaymah Ansari Weddings (SAW), discipline is not just about keeping track of tasks, but also about creating a space where clients can trust me to deliver their vision with precision and care. Read more>>
Lola Olivero
My self-discipline comes from a combination of clear goals, consistent habits, and the understanding that small daily actions lead to long-term success. This is why our business is named Daily Habits, life is really all about your daily habits and the small things you do to make out of every day something better. It’s about showing up, even when motivation fades, and trusting the process. For me, it’s not about perfection—it’s about persistence. Self-discipline comes from understanding that. Read more>>
Kimia Fariborz
Self-discipline isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build, brick by brick, challenge by challenge. For me, it’s rooted in a mindset: suffering is inevitable, so you might as well suffer towards something. If you never exercise, you’ll suffer later with a body that’s immobile and aging faster than it should. You might live with a physique that doesn’t bring you pride. But if you do exercise, you still suffer—it’s physically difficult, it eats up your time, and it’s not always fun. The difference is that with the latter, you get something in return. You get strength, a clearer mind, and a body you’re proud of now and in the future. One path is inevitable suffering; the other is purposeful suffering that brings rewards. Read more>>
Rohan Palla
I learned a lot about self-discipline in trying to get my first client. My first client/job out of college with a commercial/podcast company based in Brooklyn. I applied as a video editor. But I think what I am about to say can apply for a lot of jobs: I created a reel, but not any reel. I saw a lot of reels that showed “emotion” and “story” meaning they went slow, were very self-indulgent, and hoped that the client would understand their skillset. But after a lot of rejections, I realized I needed to get to the point. So my video editing reel was a 90 second fast-paced pure showcase of. Read more>>
Gayle M. Irwin
I am an only child, and my parents emulated hard work, perseverance, integrity and responsbility. After my first two years of college, they moved to a different state, and I learned ‘adulting’ quickly. After a two-year break from education, I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree, and though I moved closer to my parents, I remained a six-hour drive away, and therefore, continued ‘adulting’ while finishing my degree and working part-time. My writing career began as the first full-time reporter for a small Montana newspaper and a few years later, I became editor and reporter for a different newspaper in a different town. In both situations, I was given major responsibilities and deadlines that needed to be met. I believe the self-discipline I developed as a child and teenager grew stronger with the decision to pursue a degree in communications and took deeper root during those first career moves afterward. Now, as an author and freelance writer, I continue leaning into that skill, writing several books each year and crafting articles for various online and print publications. Read more>>
