How our choices affect our boundaries and ranges of behavior

Whenever we try to discipline ourselves in some area, we generally operate within a range of behaviors. This range extends from the upper extreme of what we are capable of when we are at our best to the lower extreme of what is acceptable for us when we are at our lowest.

For example, if we aim to discipline our eating habits:

At our best, we might be capable of eating only healthy foods at specified meal times, avoiding untimely snacks and unhealthy foods.

However, such behavior may not be sustainable for us on a regular basis, so we might function at a lower standard where we occasionally indulge in some unhealthy or untimely foods.

At our lowest, when our willpower is weakest or the temptation strongest, we might binge eat or indulge in unhealthy and untimely foods.

Recognizing and articulating behavioral ranges

Suppose we are vegetarians. Even at our lowest moments, we won’t fall below the threshold of eating non-vegetarian food. This demonstrates how a clear threshold helps maintain discipline.

Noticing and articulating the range of behavior that characterizes us allows us to view discipline less in digital (binary) terms and more in analog (incremental) terms. Rather than judging our success or failure in discipline based on strict standards, we can:

Avoid self-congratulation when we succeed and self-condemnation when we fail.

Recognize discipline as an incremental journey of self-improvement.

Strategies for gradual improvement

The Bhagavad Gita (6.35) recommends two broad principles for self-improvement: persistence and abstinence. These principles help:

Gradually raise our capacity for discipline at our best.

Elevate the threshold below which we won’t fall, even at our worst.

For example:

Persistence: By sticking to healthy foods and regular meal times, we may eventually develop the capacity for more disciplined practices like intermittent fasting.

Abstinence: By abstaining from succumbing to urges, we can raise the minimum acceptable standard, ensuring we don’t fall below it even in weak moments.

A sustainable approach to self-discipline

Instead of seeing self-discipline as adhering to one rigid ideal, we can view it as working within a range. Persistence in moving upward within that range and abstinence from slipping downward can become powerful strategies for sustainable self-improvement. Over time, this approach can lead to positive, delightful transformation.

Summary:

  • Viewing discipline as binary leads to emotional extremes: pride when succeeding and condemnation when failing. Instead, identifying a range of behavior—from our best to our worst—helps us approach discipline more constructively.
  • Persistence helps raise the upper limit of our capabilities, while abstinence elevates the lower threshold of what is acceptable.
  • Discipline becomes sustainable and transformative when viewed as a gradual upward movement within this range.

Think it over:

  • Reflect on a time when you pursued self-discipline with a binary view of success and failure. How did it lead to emotional extremes and set you up for failure?
  • Consider three areas where you want to discipline yourself. What is the range for each area—from your best to your worst behavior?
  • How can you apply persistence and abstinence to at least one of these areas to make sustainable progress in self-discipline?

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06.35 Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.