If you can resist these 8 common urges, you have more discipline than 95% of people

by Lachlan Brown | May 13, 2026, 10:55 am

We live in a world that’s constantly testing our willpower. Every notification, every tempting shortcut, every moment of discomfort pushes us to take the easy way out.

But here’s what I’ve learned after years of studying mindfulness and human behavior: discipline isn’t about being perfect. It’s about consistently choosing the harder path when it matters most.

The difference between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t often comes down to resisting a handful of common urges that derail most people. Master these, and you’ll have more self-control than the vast majority of people out there.

1. The urge to check your phone first thing in the morning

Your alarm goes off, and what’s the first thing you reach for? If you’re like most people, it’s your phone. Those notifications are practically screaming for attention.

I used to be the same way. Before my feet even hit the floor, I was already scrolling through emails, news, and social media. Starting the day reactive instead of proactive.

Now? My phone stays on airplane mode until after I’ve meditated and had my morning coffee. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of meditation, that time sets the tone for my entire day. Some mornings I sit for 30 minutes, others just 5, but consistency matters more than duration.

The urge to immediately plug into the digital world is powerful. But resisting it gives you something invaluable: ownership of your morning and, by extension, your day.

2. The urge to quit when things get uncomfortable

Discomfort is where growth happens, but our brains are wired to avoid it at all costs.

Remember the last time you started something new? Maybe it was a workout routine, learning a skill, or tackling a challenging project. That voice in your head probably started whispering pretty quickly: “This is too hard. You’re not cut out for this. Just stop.”

Back in my mid-20s, I found myself working in a warehouse, feeling completely lost despite having done everything “right” by conventional standards.

During those long shifts, I could have easily given in to the discomfort and bitterness. Instead, I spent my breaks reading about Buddhism and mindfulness on my phone, treating each challenge as an opportunity to practice presence.

The urge to quit when things get tough is universal, but those who resist it are the ones who actually get somewhere.

3. The urge to multitask

We’ve been sold the myth that multitasking makes us more productive. In reality, it just makes us mediocre at multiple things simultaneously.

The urge to juggle tasks feels productive. You’re responding to emails while on a call, eating lunch while working, watching TV while scrolling your phone. But research consistently shows that task-switching reduces our effectiveness by up to 40%.

When I’m writing, I close everything else. No tabs, no notifications, no “quick checks” of anything. One task, full attention. It’s harder than it sounds because the urge to switch is constant.

Try this: Pick one task tomorrow and give it your complete, undivided attention for just 30 minutes. No phone, no distractions. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you resist the multitasking urge.

4. The urge to say yes to everything

“No” might be the most powerful word in your vocabulary, but it’s also the hardest to say.

We say yes to social obligations we don’t want, projects that drain us, and commitments that don’t align with our goals.

Why? Because saying no feels uncomfortable. We don’t want to disappoint people or miss out on opportunities.

But every yes to one thing is a no to something else. When you say yes to that networking event you’re dreading, you’re saying no to an evening of rest or working on your passion project.

The most disciplined people I know have mastered the art of strategic no’s. They understand that protecting their time and energy isn’t selfish; it’s essential.

5. The urge to compare yourself to others

Social media has turned comparison into a full-time job. We’re constantly measuring our behind-the-scenes against everyone else’s highlight reel.

The urge to compare is ancient, but technology has weaponized it. You see someone’s success and immediately feel behind. Someone’s vacation photos make your life feel boring. Someone’s relationship makes yours feel inadequate.

Here’s what I’ve learned: comparison is a creativity killer and a happiness thief. The only person worth comparing yourself to is who you were yesterday.

When that comparison urge hits, I remind myself that everyone’s fighting battles I know nothing about. That “perfect” life on Instagram? There’s always more to the story.

6. The urge to avoid difficult conversations

Whether it’s asking for a raise, setting boundaries with family, or addressing issues in a relationship, we all have conversations we’d rather avoid. The short-term discomfort feels unbearable, so we choose the long-term pain of unresolved issues instead.

The most disciplined people understand that avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t make problems disappear. It makes them grow. They feel the fear and have the conversation anyway.

7. The urge to seek instant gratification

We live in a world of same-day delivery, instant streaming, and immediate responses. Waiting has become almost unbearable.

Want to learn guitar? There’s an app that promises you’ll play songs in days.
Want to get fit? Here’s a workout that promises abs in two weeks.
Want success? Here’s a course that guarantees overnight results.

The urge for instant results is stronger than ever, but the reality hasn’t changed: anything worth having takes time.

The discipline to delay gratification, to work on something without immediate rewards, separates those who achieve lasting success from those who jump from one quick fix to another.

When I started meditating, I wanted immediate peace and clarity. Instead, I got restlessness and frustration. But I kept showing up, day after day, because I understood that real change happens slowly, then suddenly.

8. The urge to stay in your comfort zone

Your comfort zone is comfortable for a reason. It’s safe, predictable, and requires zero courage. It’s also where dreams go to die.

The urge to stay where things are familiar is powerful. But growth happens at the edges of our comfort zone, in that space where excitement meets anxiety.

Every time you resist the urge to play it safe, you expand what’s possible for yourself. That doesn’t mean being reckless. It means consistently choosing growth over comfort, even in small ways.

Maybe it’s finally starting that side project, having that difficult conversation, or simply trying a new route to work. Small acts of courage compound over time.

Final words

Discipline isn’t about white-knuckling your way through life or becoming some productivity robot. It’s about consciously choosing your responses rather than being ruled by your impulses.

These eight urges aren’t going anywhere. They’re part of being human. But your response to them is entirely within your control.

Start with just one. Pick the urge that resonates most and practice resisting it this week. Not perfectly, just consistently. Because in the end, discipline isn’t about never falling off the wagon. It’s about how quickly you get back on.

Lachlan Brown

Lachlan Brown is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Brown Brothers Media, a digital publishing network reaching tens of millions of readers monthly. He holds a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies from Deakin University, though his real education came afterward: a warehouse job shifting TVs, a stretch of anxiety in his mid-twenties, and the slow discovery that studying the mind is not the same as learning how to live well. He started experimenting with Buddhist principles during breaks at the warehouse and eventually began writing about what he was learning. That writing became Hack Spirit, a widely read personal development site, and his book Hidden Secrets of Buddhism became a bestseller. His work breaks down complex ideas into frameworks people can apply immediately, whether they are navigating a career change, a difficult relationship, or the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Lachlan splits his time between Singapore and Saigon. He writes about high-performance routines, decision-making under pressure, digital innovation, and the intersection of Eastern philosophy with modern life. His perspective comes from having built things from scratch, failed at some of them, and learned that clarity comes from practice, not theory.