We recently connected with Caleb Knight and have shared our conversation below.
Caleb, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
I feel like if you would have asked me this a year ago, I would have had no idea what to say. And that’s because I didn’t feel very disciplined until I started having a routine. Now before I jump into this, I don’t mean some super strict military style schedule. I basically just do certain things during certain times of the day, if that makes sense. For example, I always workout first thing in the morning then I run errands, eat, and then paint.
The reason I find this really valuable is because discipline is much different than motivation. We all know motivation comes and goes, but discipline is a muscle that can get stronger over time. I think a big reason I wanted to be more disciplined was i kept having creative block and I almost felt lost with what to do day to day. So, I created this routine that forces me to be consistently be creative, even on days I’m having creative block. It’s amazing because simply the repetition, of being creative at the same time everyday, helps me not have creative block because my brain knows it’s time to be creative.
I guess all I’m really trying to say is, don’t let the lack of creative ideas or motivation ever stop you from putting in at least a little effort every day. You would be surprised how far small consistent steps in the right direction can take you.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I have a small clothing brand called, CAMPAIGN. And to be honest, I feel like most people don’t really know why it’s called CAMPAIGN. And that’s definitely my fault. I feel like the picture is clear in my head but I’m not always the best at explaining my ideas. But here it goes, I named it CAMPAIGN simply because It’s my way of having a voice. I guess it’s quite literally a “campaign” of who I am and my journey. CAMPAIGN has helped me express myself in ways I’m not normally able to do. It has helped me be a more confident version of myself. It has connected me with so many amazing people. CAMPAIGN is already so much more than I ever thought it could be. At the end of the day, I really just want other people to feel inspired to be themselves. Thats why everything I make is custom. I want everyone to feel good being themselves. When you put on one of my pieces it should be a campaign of who you are and your journey.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If I had to pick 3 qualities they would be, being disciplined, resilient, and have a good heart.
Now, I’m going to attempt to paint you a bigger picture, and then I’ll explain a little more. They call life a journey for a reason. It’s because it’s over a long period of time. And the 3 qualities I listed are all qualities that will have a huge impact when you are doing something over a long period of time. Let me explain a little more.
As I mentioned earlier in the interview motivation comes and goes. And a lot of people rely on motivation to get anything done, but how often are you really motivated? Discipline and having a routine will get you in habit of making progress even on days you don’t feel motivated to do so. To give you a little perspective I’ve been making clothes for about 6 years and for the first 5 and a half years it made just enough money to keep itself afloat. So I always ask people, before you start something, are you willing to do it for 5 years and make no money? Now I’m not saying my journey is the same as everyone’s. I believe we all have our own timeline and you shouldn’t compare you progress to others. But more often than not, things are not an overnight success like we like to perceive them as.
Resilience I don’t feel the need to really explain. I’ll just give a little pep talk instead. You are going to fuck up a lot. People on the internet, friends, and even family are going to put doubt in your head about what you are trying to accomplish. IT’S ALL JUST NOISE! You should never let outside influence affect your dreams. No one knows you better than you do. Get all of that shit out of your head and trust yourself. And if you make a mistake, good! Mistakes are just an opportunity to learn and to do better next time. You only fail when you give up.
Having a good heart. Now just because this is the last one does not mean it’s the least important. I would honestly argue it’s the most important. And that’s because I believe a big driving force behind the quality of work you can put out is deeply dependent on how you actually feel about the work you do. During the early stages it can be really tempting to cut corners, or do things that don’t align with who you are just to jump start your success. And yeah it might get you a quick sale or a nice promotion, but in the long run you aren’t going to feel good about it, so it’s just not sustainable. Regardless of where you are in your journey, stay true to yourself. The world is full of people that try to be something they are not. What really stands out is people that are truly themselves. Those are the types of people I admire.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
At the time I didn’t realize how impactful it was, but I would say “How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” by Jack Canfield greatly effected who I am today.
If you read the entire book and only take one thing away from it then it should be this, it all starts with believing it’s possible. The reason this is so important is because 99% of people don’t even get past that. Fear and self-doubt are the main driving force in most people’s lives. You have got to get over that hump. And I know belief on its own isn’t going to accomplish anything. Action has to follow the belief, but the belief is what starts it all.
Now humor me for a second, if anything was possible, I want you to imagine what your perfect life would look like. And get a real clear image in your head.
What type of person would you be? What would your day consist of? Where would you live? What have you accomplished? Think of as much detail as possible.
Now that you have this image in our head, let’s support it with a strong foundation in the belief that it is possible to achieve. Now what does this do? In the short term? Nothing. However, what you have really done is you have given your brain a destination to work towards. I honestly don’t know how to explain it but all I’m going to say is, what you think and what you believe in has a drastic effect on the life you live. If you think you wont be successful then I can guarantee you wont be successful. But, the powerful thing is that if you believe in yourself then things will workout for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.campaigncincinnati.com
- Instagram: @campaigncincinnati
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Photographer for all photos: Lindsay Tatman
