In today’s fast-paced world filled with instant gratification and distractions like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, finding people who live a truly disciplined lifestyle is increasingly difficult. 

     Living a disciplined lifestyle can look very different from one person to the next. For example, someone may be extremely academically disciplined by turning all assignments in on time, studying for each and every test and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Another example is athletic discipline. This could come in the form of consistent time in the gym and maintaining a strict diet.

     Professional athletes provide some of the greatest examples of discipline. Take, for example, Serena Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Throughout her career, she was known for spending each day training, following a strict diet and taking care of her body to ensure peak performance. She likes to start her day with a workout, which includes cardio, strength training and stretching. She also follows a strict diet by avoiding processed foods and focusing on nutrient-dense options like fruits, vegetables and lean protein.

     But it’s not just athletes who lead disciplined lifestyles. Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful investors, is known for his frugal lifestyle. According to CNBC reporter Cheyenne DeVon, Buffett still lives in the same house he bought for $31,500 in 1958. He also follows a strict schedule, waking up at 6:45 a.m. every day and spending several hours reading newspapers and financial reports. 

     People in our communities live remarkable lives too, proving you do not need to be a celebrity to possess discipline. Senior Ethan Yost is one such example.

     Yost has had a lot on his plate throughout his high school career. He balances elite-level gymnastics with various school commitments, youth coaching and the management of a social media platform with over 170 thousand followers.

     “Living a disciplined lifestyle has affected me in a positive way. By being disciplined, I have let myself become involved in so many different activities and groups, like marching band, gymnastics, National Honor Society, coaching, content creation, Mr. Kaneland and more,” Yost said. “Getting to know people and making connections with a variety of people has been huge for me to be able to learn more about myself as well as others. Without discipline, I don’t believe that I would be granted so many amazing opportunities.”

     While living a life like this can have many benefits, there are still some sacrifices that must be made. Living a disciplined life is hard to do without devoting a lot of time and effort to the cause.

     “In order to live a disciplined lifestyle, I feel as if I’ve had to sacrifice a bit of my social life and downtime,” Yost said. “My schedule tends to stay pretty busy all year long, so with that comes some missed opportunities to relax or hang out with family and friends when I want to.”

     Disciplined lifestyles can also apply to academics. Senior Lindsey Andrae is one of the top students in the class of 2023 while also participating in varsity cross country and track.

     “I am pretty disciplined with finishing schoolwork and training for cross country or track,” Andrae said. “During the school week, I am not able to hang out with my friends as much. But I think that because I focus on working hard during the week, I am able to enjoy my weekends and see my friends, so I don’t think it is too difficult if you manage your time appropriately.”

     Like Yost, Andrae has had to make several sacrifices in order to live the life she wants.

     “I think that I have not necessarily had to sacrifice anything completely, but I have certainly had to turn down plans because I had schoolwork or practice,” Andrae said. “I also have had to commit myself to schoolwork to make sure I achieve my academic goals, which has meant that I still have a heavy workload during my senior year, so I have sort of sacrificed the typical relaxed senior year.”