On discipline, commitment, and innovation

I've been training martial arts for over thirty years. For the past 18 years most of my training has been on the same three days, at the same time, week after week. I don't need to think about it, I don't need to schedule it, I don't need to decide if I will or won't go because something.

My default is that I will go. My keiko gi, belt, extra shirt, extra socks, and a notebook are always packed. I just pick them up and go. The only time I have to pause, think, and make a decision is if something unexpected happens that conflicts with training time.

In essence, I switched from deciding if I will attend the training—a decision that must be made for each class—to deciding if I will not attend the training—a decision that must be made only in special circumstances. The former would necessitate time and effort almost every day of the week. The latter only in those extenuating circumstances.

This discipline has allowed me to put in the work needed to develop expertise.

And I've successfully applied the same mindset to innovation. We make time for working with ideas. We show up and do the work. That is the default—we don't need to make special arrangements to innovate. We need to make special arrangement not to innovate instead.