Back in the 1940s and 50s, most homes didn’t even have a hot water heater. If you wanted a warm bath, you boiled water on the stove and poured it in by hand. Now we’ve got people filling cold tubs on purpose and calling it discipline. There’s nothing wrong with cold plunges, but it’s funny how what used to be normal is now considered a challenge. Somewhere along the way, comfort became the default, and effort became optional.
Why Discipline Still Matters for Dads Today
We’ve built a world that runs on convenience. You can order dinner, groceries, or coffee with a few taps. You can pay someone to mow your lawn, shovel your driveway, or even walk your dog. If you don’t know something, you can ask a computer and get an instant answer. Life has never been easier, yet we’ve never been softer. We think waking up before seven is hard. We think going on a walk without headphones is strange. Reading a book instead of scrolling on your phone feels old-fashioned. Sitting in silence without stimulation feels almost impossible. We’ve set the bar so low that doing the bare minimum looks like discipline.
What Real Discipline Looks Like
We talk a lot about mental toughness, but it’s not just about ice baths and early alarms. Real discipline shows up in the moments no one sees. When you put the phone down and play with your kids even though you’re tired. When you go for a walk after dinner instead of sinking into the couch. When you choose to prep your meals for the week instead of grabbing takeout again. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what builds real strength, the kind that lasts.
The Cost of Comfort
Everything around us is designed to make life smoother. And while there’s nothing wrong with progress, there’s a cost. We’ve traded effort for efficiency. We’ve become so used to everything being done for us that we’ve forgotten how to do hard things ourselves. No wonder working out feels impossible some days. No wonder change feels like climbing a mountain. We’ve trained ourselves to avoid friction at every turn. But growth only happens through friction. You can’t become resilient without resistance. You can’t build confidence without challenge. You can’t become the man your family looks up to if you always choose what’s easy.
Do the Work Anyway
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to stop lowering the bar. You have to stop letting comfort call the shots. You have to start choosing the kind of work that builds you into someone your kids are proud to follow. The hard things are worth it, not because they’re easy, but because they make you capable. The world doesn’t need more convenience. It needs more men who do the work anyway.