Episode 4: Habits, Discipline, and the Long Game of Growth

This episode sits in a very real place for me.2025 was a disorienting year. Finding my footing felt harder than usual, and there were days when habits that once felt grounding started to feel like wasted energy. Discipline is much easier to sustain when you can clearly see what it is leading toward. It becomes far more challenging when the outcome is unclear.And yet, I knew I did not want to lose momentum. I did not want to abandon the practices that had shaped me simply because the season had changed.What I learned is that habits and discipline cannot always be tied to performance, productivity, or a role. In seasons of transition, they have to be rooted in identity. They have to be for you. For who you are becoming. Not for who you are trying to prove yourself to be.This episode explores what it looks like to keep growing when life feels disoriented. How discipline can shift from something that drains us to something that renews us. And how rest, when paired with structure, can actually support momentum rather than stall it.A major theme I return to in this episode is the idea that disorientation is not the end of the story. It is often the beginning of transformation. Growth does not stop just because clarity slows down. In many cases, it deepens.If you are navigating a season of transition, uncertainty, or reorientation, my hope is that this episode gives you permission. Permission to keep learning. Permission to rest without guilt. Permission to take the next best step, even if that step feels small.Leadership is learned in motion, not just in moments of certainty. That is at the heart of Learning Leadership.Books Referenced in This EpisodeHere are the books that shaped this reflection and informed the episode:* Life Is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler* Atomic Habits by James Clear* Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday* Grit by Angela Duckworth* The 5 AM Club by Robin SharmaYou can listen to Episode 4 of Learning Leadership In Practice here on Substack, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts if you prefer listening there.Thanks for continuing to learn alongside me.I would love to connect with anyone and discuss what you are learning in leadership. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.For those interested in learning more of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, please visit: https://www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidreyes.substack.com