Self Discipline Is Not Enough: How I Get My Butt Out of Bed at 4 AM

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If you follow me on Twitter or somewhere else in social media, you might have noticed my early morning posts, usually between 4 to 5 a.m. about going on a run or hitting the gym for a workout. There’s always a comment from someone saying “I don’t know how you do this. You must have a lot of self-discipline.” The truth is that I have some self-discipline, but what I have most is a built-in system of accountability and expectations.

Maurilio Amorim Tammy Gray John Frazinelli Karen McCuctheon

Running Friends: Tammy Gray, John Frassinelli, and Karen McCutcheon

Left on my own, I can justify staying in bed every morning and postponing my workouts until later in the day. But with my busy agenda at work, heavy travel schedule and family responsibilities, I know that if I don’t exercise early in the morning, I won’t do it at all. Most days getting out of bed at 4:30 for a run in the dark is 10% inspiration and 90% accountability.

Over the past few years I have developed strategic relationships to keep me accountable to 1. show up and 2. push myself beyond my comfort zone. Not only some of these people have become great friends, they have inspired and trained me into becoming a better long-distance runner, and a stronger, overall healthier person. All of it without spending a dime on personal training.

Maybe Hillary Clinton was right, and it does take a village to raise a child, and, I might add, keep us accountable.

What part of your life needs more accountability than self discipline?

What are you going to do about i?

  • I stopped by for the title alone. Love the "Show up, Push myself past my comfort zone" – that is what accountability is all about! I don't run at 4am, but see this is absolutely true in other areas of my life!

    Thanks!

    • Glad the title got to you. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

  • Maurilio you’ve touched upon a great and all too often neglected area to our continual improvement and growth — Accountability.
    Great reminder that regardless of how solo a task or goal, we are always better because of others.

  • Ken Sien

    I have been getting up at 4:15am most mornings to work out as well. I, much like yourself, also have the same responsibilities, so early mornings are my only opportunity for exercise. What has helped me stay committed is the benefits of exercise, knowing that it will pay off. Think about this question…Have you ever met anyone who worked out consistently and hated the results? Getting up early in the morning is also my time to spend with God and reading His word before my workout. Getting up at 4:15am allows me to strengthen my body and soul, therefore I have no intentions on stopping.

  • I'm not a morning person, but you're right, accountability gets me up early each morning. Great post!

  • I see you overcame your 'writer's block'…

  • Steve Shantz

    I've heard you say that "you live to eat". That along with the images of amazingly rich foods you post from time to time – does the need to burning calories have something to do with accountability?

  • I’m curious what time you go to sleep. If it’s after 10 pm, then sleepin an extra hour (or two) would do better for you then the workout your getting up to do. There are so many studies that show the Ill effects of lack of sleep. I know this firsthand. I keep a jammed packed schedule and only got 4 -5 hours a sleep for almost a year recently, and be effects were far reached.

    Again, prehaps you go to sleep at 8, but most people need to be encourged to get a bit more sleep, not push their bodies even harder. Only God doesn’t need sleep. We do. 🙂

  • cyndi

    Really great thoughts and motivation…thanks for the reminder! No entrepreneur is successfull w/out accountability…and…as much as I do not agree w/Hillary Clinton politics…I do understand that being human is all about community. Good blog. Thanks!

  • Great advice about motivation and accountability. Trouble for me is I can't find someone to workout with at 3:30am. 🙂

  • Rick Smith

    I’m curious what time you go to sleep. If it’s after 10 pm, then sleepin an extra hour (or two) would do better for you then the workout your getting up to do. There are so many studies that show the Ill effects of lack of sleep. I know this firsthand. I keep a jammed packed schedule and only got 4 -5 hours a sleep for almost a year recently, and be effects were far reached.

    Again, prehaps you go to sleep at 8, but most people need to be encourged to get a bit more sleep, not push their bodies even harder. Only God doesn’t need sleep. We do. 🙂

    • Good point Rick. Maybe we can create sleep accountability partners too. 🙂 For me, I need accountability to balance the two… to be more discipline with exercise and with giving myself enough margin that I get enough sleep as well. The lack of margin is the issue more of us face than anything.

    • Suzanne Franks

      I had the same questions. What time does Maurilio go to bed? An occasional lack of sleep is okay, but chronic sleep deprivation can't be healthy, so at least a 9pm bed time to swing a 4:30 wake-up time is my guess. Am I right?

  • Peer pressure aka accountability is indeed powerful. Is it learned or natural? A natural substrate is necessary in order to learn self-discipline. Others help.

  • Shawn

    Maurilio you've touched upon a great and all too often neglected area to our continual improvement and growth — Accountability.
    Great reminder that regardless of how solo a task or goal, we are always better because of others.

  • I never equated fitness discipline with accountability. But in thinking about your post, I realized that most – if not all – of my other extra curricular commitments have an accountability structure to them (e.g., my weekly small group meeting; my son's soccer practice; etc.). It would do me good to establish an accountability foundation for my burgeoning fitness regime.

    Thanks for a great post!

  • Accountability is a powerful thing. No stronger motivator than letting others down (if you ask me).

  • John Ansardi

    Wow I’m so convicted. Retired x2yrs from the Navy. In good shape when I retired. Kept up with my workout regimine pretty consistently the 1st year then slowy began digressing. Recently married and truly need to get back into it. My wife is on my case primarily for my health and she loves me dearly. Looks like earlier mornings are going to have to be my sacrifice.

  • i haven't read the comments, but i use a similar regimen… i play squash (a racket sport played by two players (or four players for doubles) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball – not the veggie) and i play in a league team… this forces me to be there…

    you are right… we do go further with others "spurring us on"! but we have to take responsibility to get in those circles of accountability… nice one daniel!

  • Rob H

    You can call it what you like but it is still self discipline… accountability is just another form of it but it’s still SELF DISCIPLINE.

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