We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kwaejo Manu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kwaejo , appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?
Not coming from the most privileged situation as a child allowed me to view the lives of others and at times wish I could have traded spots with them. As life continued and I aged I realized at a young age no one was coming to hand over to me a better life or the life I truly desired on a silver platter. Even if they could, why would they? I knew it would have to be me solely that demanded my reality or play the cards I was dealt. I wasn’t a fan of the cards I was dealt!
My pops who I didn’t live with but, would see on the weekends gave me some money weekly and would make me put half of it into a piggy bank which I couldn’t access. I think that’s were I was initially introduced to Discipline. As a young kid who initially wasn’t positioned in the best financial situation having to put away half of a little money and not be able to access it was a true introduction to the practice of discipline for me. In addition, I think it taught me to save half of what you make. As it’s known, you don’t become rich from how much you make, you become rich from how much you save.
My discipline stems from a continuous thought in my head of, if you don’t do this it’s over, lights out, get a regular job and be a regular nigga! I can NOT do that because that goes against everything I stand for. Whether you would like to be or not life will make you regular so if you have the power to be anything above that why not at least attempt to with every muscle fiber in your bones? That’s how I live my life! If someone is capable of achieving, having it, so I’m I!
Fitness has also been an extreme factor in my discipline over the years. I got into fitness really young, as a hobby and as something to do to keep occupied. I keep my discipline sharp through my fitness. If i say I’m going to run 20 minutes on the treadmill I consider myself a failure if I quit at 15 minutes. Unless for whatever reason my heart is about to explode or something of that nature.
I do what I say I’m gonna do! And that’s important to me, time and time again, no matter what it is!
If you say you’ll do numerous and various things and are okay with not executing or completion what initiates urgency in you for any specific thing at all? You’ve built a history of saying you’ll do this and that but, only complete them when it’s convenient, if you complete them at all that is!
Self-discipline for me first starts with doing what you say you’ll do, period!
People I hear say multiple things and hardly complete them I actually try to stay away from. Those type of people can’t be trusted. You literally lie to yourself repeatedly, how do you expect me to trust you?
I see everything in life as repetitive to a certain degree. Mastering the ability to have discipline in self now, is the foundation for self discipline in self years later when you run into new-familiar situations that will occur.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m an Online Accountability Fitness Coach!
I hold clients accountable daily to the goals we collaboratively set.
The most exciting part for me is to be able to aid others in achieving a desire that they’ve envisioned for themselves and just needed guidance to make it a reality. It’s very satisfying for me to help people get into the best shape of their lives!
When it comes to achieving success and knowing exactly what it is that allowed you to reach that success you need to track your progress! Freestlying and trial and error on a wim is not progressive and forward moving towards specific goals, it’s rolling the dice in the dark and hoping to land on a specific outcome!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Confidence Resilience
Great Work Ethic
You have to see and believe you can do what you’re setting out to accomplish, if you can’t you’ve already lost the battle!
Life is gonna come and knock you down repeatedly and success isn’t’ a straight narrow arrow. Therefore, you need to establish and build resilience for when life kicks your ass or you’ll fall to the ground and stay there.
Action leads to motivation. You have to love working at whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. If you find it difficult to work at it, and take action, you’ll be defeated when you don’t feel motivated, which will surely happen at times!
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Paradigm Shift. Realizing who I am is not what’s stopping me from who I wish to be but, who I think I am not that is.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @bodybykwae
- Youtube: bodybykwae
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kwae-jo?id=72889742
