The Growth Formula

“Discipline = Freedom” – Jocko Willink

I’m constantly working on building my ‘discipline muscle’. Waking up early. Eating clean. Early-morning long runs. Sticking to a budget. I’m still a work in progress with a few of these 🙂

But here’s the truth: Discipline alone is insufficient.
You can power through a few days or weeks, but if your environment is working against you, you’re fighting uphill.

As I thought through how I’ve grown in different areas of my life, I found discipline and consistency were a big parts of it, but my environment also really helped me. As Craig says, “Make sure the wind is at your back.”

So here’s what I’ve landed on for The Growth Formula:

Growth = Internal Mastery + Environmental Optimization

Internal Mastery

This is the day-to-day grind:

• Willpower

• Self-control

• Mental toughness

• Consistency
• Habits

• Grit and grind, even when it sucks

Examples:

• Avoiding sugar, even when it’s sitting in your pantry or at the office

• Hitting the gym 5 days a week, no matter how you feel

✅ Works in any situation
❌ But it’s exhausting if this is all you rely on

Environmental Optimization

This is about setting yourself up to win, making the right choice the easy one.

Examples:

• Signing a 12-month lease with cheaper rent so your budget’s locked in

• Removing sugar from your house and office

• Joining a workout group or gym that’s close and convenient

✅ Reduces your need for willpower
✅ Way more sustainable over time
❌ But if your environment shifts, it can all fall apart

For true, sustainable growth, you need both. 

• Discipline to build the habit

• Environment to support it every day

Example: Want to get in shape?
✅ Build the discipline to train consistently
✅ But also join a gym that’s 5 minutes away and set out your clothes the night before

Why This Works

• Your discipline builds resilience

• Your environment builds momentum

• Together? Sustainable growth

You don’t need to be a robot. You just need a thoughtful and realistic plan.
The formula is simple:

Internal Mastery + Environmental Optimization = Growth

Use discipline to build the habit. Use your environment to make it stick.

Click here to download my PDF on The Growth Formula!

Charlie Coppola

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