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Studies Show Discipline Does More Harm Than Good In Business ‒ Here Are The 3 Reasons Why

Sep 2, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Feb 19, 2024

Written by: Elizabeth Otis, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

While being disciplined in business is commonly praised as a high value to have as an entrepreneur, studies show that using “force” on yourself actually does more harm than good. However, without discipline, how are you supposed to stay on top of your a-game, make those breakthroughs, or show up even when you “don’t feel like it,” right? After all, having a successful business does require you to stretch into new levels of yourself & the unknown often.

A group of three businessman having a discussion in office meeting room.

In this following article, find out the 3 reasons why discipline has been proven to do more harm than good for your business & what the more, effective, easier thing to do is instead.


1. Limits Access To The Resourceful, Creative, “Prime Problem Solving” Parts of The Brain


Many business owners use discipline on themselves at times because they feel it's necessary in order to “stay focused” & operate “on top of their a-game.”


However, if they were to wear a heart & mind monitor on them in those moments of “push through” or force, they would see that their beta brain wave frequency would be dominant in their brain & heart rate variability would be out of coherence. (see citations below)


When our beta brain waves are dominant & heart rate variability isn’t coherent, we actually are disconnecting ourselves from the most resourceful, prime problem solving, & creative parts of ourselves. (Not to mention, we normally second guess our intuition because we aren’t grounded into a heart-centered state.)


This is the OPPOSITE state of being entrepreneurs want to be in & OPPOSITE purpose as to why most business owners choose to discipline themselves in the first place.


Right or right?


2. It Kicks On The Nervous System’s Stress Response (plus, long-term breaks down the body’s physical organs)


Studies have also proven that when we are using force on ourselves, increasing our level of discomfort, the higher our stress response in the nervous system becomes.


The more we kick on our nervous systems' stress response, not only are we relating to point 1, but we also are making more decisions from fear in order to keep us “safe” vs. what feels expansive. I'm sure you’ve heard of the “flight/flight/freeze” before, right? (see citations below)


This is because when we have a high stress response in our nervous system, its 1 job is to bring you back to regulation. Therefore it's going to resort to the immediate knowns. Expansion = unknown. This is another reason why many entrepreneurs experience what feels like “sabotage.”


Sometimes sabotage has nothing to do with “limiting beliefs.” Many times entrepreneurs experience this because they are working from dysregulation without even realizing it ‒ pushing through to “make shit happen.” ‒ sound familiar?


Again, many entrepreneurs use discipline on themselves in order to expand & up lvl themselves or their business. Yet, here with reason 2, you can see it actually has the reverse effect as to why they are using it in the first place.


It actually causes one contract. Even if one “breaksthrough” using discipline, the nervous system always finds a way to regulate itself. This is also why many entrepreneurs experience similar results, regardless of what they new strategy they try.


On top of it, when our nervous system has a high stress response for too long, our internal organs and adrenals begin to break down and operate in dysfunction. Causing things like premature aging, physical and mental health issues. (see citations below)


3. You Operate From Fragment Energy vs. “Oneness”


This last reason is the solution in itself. The only reason why one feels like they have to use discipline in order to succeed in their life or business is because, very simply, 1 part of them wants to do 1 thing while another part of them wants to do something else, right? That's fundamental in every reason why one feels like they have to discipline themselves in order to do something.


This is why when one is operating from a sense of “oneness”, or like “all parts of them are on board”, then there is absolutely no need to use discipline in the first place. In fact, when you are operating from “oneness: you are actually drawn towards doing the thing vs. using force because all parts of you are drawn towards it. Also, you become coherent & tap back into the more resourceful, creative, & “prime problem solving” parts of your brain.


Creating a magnetic pull both within & externally.


So What’s Next?


Very simply, when we split our energy, we create “the need” for discipline in itself.


When we return to oneness and have all parts of us on board, we then naturally experience our actions and resulting in a beautiful state of flow.


When in oneness, we become coherent & are able to tap into the resourceful, creative, or “prime problem solving” parts of our brain and fully trust where our intuition is guiding us.


If you are an entrepreneur who wants to eliminate the need for discipline in the first place & naturally go through the actions in your life/business on top of your a-game & experience your goals unfold in a harmonic sense of “flow”...


… then click the following link to receive a 1 on 1 consult as to how, Elizabeth Otis, flow-state expert, can help you make this your new life experience in as little as 6 weeks or less. >>> https://bit.ly/3PVDyoI


Follow me on Facebook and visit my FB Group for more info!


Elizabeth Otis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Elizabeth Otis is the founder of "The BLIVE Movement" and self-mastery coach. The movement is set out on a worldwide mission to help 7 billion + people live from a place of purpose & internal harmony. To BLIVE is to live FULLY in the now. To further serve this mission, Elizabeth helps leaders tap into & maintain their "flow state" so that they can naturally operate on top of their a-game. Allowing them to uplevel their careers w/ ease & thrive in their impact. The BLIVE movement is also continuously holding events around entrepreneurism & humanitarian matters to help contribute to the overall mission BLIVE holds.

Citations:

  • Stress, Anxiousness, and the Brain Wave Connection, n.d.)

  • Heart Rate Variability (HRV): What It Is and How You Can Track It, n.d.) Lanese & published, 2022

 
 

This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights.

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