---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's just a matter of understanding…"
description: "\"It's just a matter of understanding what's necessary and discipline yourself to do it.\" — Arthur Lydiard"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png"
---

#  It's just a matter of understanding what's necessary and…

![“It's just a matter of understanding what's necessary and discipline yourself to do it.” quote by Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png)

> “It's just a matter of understanding what's necessary and discipline yourself to do it.”

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Understanding necessity and self‑discipline leads to effective action.

**In simple terms:** Know what's needed and discipline yourself.

Key Takeaway

Apply disciplined understanding.

Themes

discipline self‑knowledge action

Mood

pragmatic instructive

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- training programs
- academic pursuits
- career planning
- health routines

Key Concepts

goal setting habit formation self‑regulation

Questions to Reflect On

- What is truly necessary?
- How can you balance discipline and flexibility?

A Different Perspective

Over‑discipline may cause burnout.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/)

## Related quotes

> [“Accept hardship as a necessary discipline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/accept-hardship-as-a-necessary-discipline/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“This is a show about unruly bodies that must be disciplined by any means necessary, so that through that discipline, the obese might become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/this-is-a-show-about-unruly-bodies-that-must-be-disciplined-by-any/)

[Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/)

> [One can travel this world and see nothing. To achieve understanding it is necessary not to see many things, but to look hard at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-morandi/one-can-travel-this-world-and-see-nothing-to-achieve-understanding-it/)

[Giorgio Morandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-morandi/)

> [Any man who is intelligent must, on considering that health is of the utmost value to human beings, have the personal understanding necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/any-man-who-is-intelligent-must-on-considering-that-health-is-of-the/)

[Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/)

> [To have world peace, we all have to have a healthy understanding of what is necessary to bring World Peace. It's not something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/to-have-world-peace-we-all-have-to-have-a-healthy-understanding-of/)

[Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/)

> [While restoring a sense of fiscal discipline to Congress is a top priority, infrastructure spending is an important and necessary task of government. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-lummis/while-restoring-a-sense-of-fiscal-discipline-to-congress-is-a-top/)

Cynthia Lummis

> [EDUCATION, n. The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/education-n-the-bringing-up-as-of-a-child-instruction-formation-of/)

[Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/)

> [I mopped the floor with my hairThe reason I’m so interested in taking my body to those extreme places is that that’s a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-antoni/i-mopped-the-floor-with-my-hairthe-reason-i-m-so-interested-in-taking/)

Janine Antoni

> [Grace is the wonderful spirit that imbues every fiber of our being when we practice the fruits of the spirit: kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/grace-is-the-wonderful-spirit-that-imbues-every-fiber-of-our-being/)

[Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/)

> [The language may be different, but the understanding is always the sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwesi-darko/the-language-may-be-different-but-the-understanding-is-always-the-sam/)

Kwesi Darko

> [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/)

[Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/)

> [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

## More by Arthur Lydiard

> [There are champions everywhere. Every street's got them. All we need to do is train them properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/there-are-champions-everywhere-every-street-s-got-them-all-we-need-to/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [They're very tenacious. They're dedicated. Once a woman decides she's going to do something, she'll probably stick to it. The only problem with women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/they-re-very-tenacious-they-re-dedicated-once-a-woman-decides-she-s/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [When aerobic running becomes a daily habit, strength and confidence follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/when-aerobic-running-becomes-a-daily-habit-strength-and-confidence/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [Encourage kids to enjoy running and play in athletics. Don't force them to run too much competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/encourage-kids-to-enjoy-running-and-play-in-athletics-don-t-force/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [The idea that you can't lose contact with the leaders has cut more throats than it has saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/the-idea-that-you-can-t-lose-contact-with-the-leaders-has-cut-more/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [I get more gratification out of getting some obese person who had a heart attack running around and enjoying life within a year. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/i-get-more-gratification-out-of-getting-some-obese-person-who-had-a/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [My most frequent admonition to athletes and coaches is: train, do not strain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/my-most-frequent-admonition-to-athletes-and-coaches-is-train-do-not/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [I have a saying 'train, don't strain.' The Americans have the saying 'no pain, no gain' and that's why they have no distance running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/i-have-a-saying-train-don-t-strain-the-americans-have-the-saying-no/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [They have a word in Finnish called sisu, which basically means guts. It’s the strongest word in the Finnish language. You tell a Finn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/they-have-a-word-in-finnish-called-sisu-which-basically-means-guts-it/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [No one will burn out doing aerobic running. It is too much anaerobic running, which the American scholastic athletic system tends to put young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/no-one-will-burn-out-doing-aerobic-running-it-is-too-much-anaerobic/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [“Train, don't strain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/train-don-t-strain/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [If you want to be a successful runner, you have to consider everything. It's no good just thinking about endurance and not to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/if-you-want-to-be-a-successful-runner-you-have-to-consider-everything/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [Athletes need to enjoy their training. They don't enjoy going down to the track with a coach making them do repetitions until they're exhausted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/athletes-need-to-enjoy-their-training-they-don-t-enjoy-going-down-to/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [Well, no athlete respects a big, fat coach who's going to stand there and rest the watch on his stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/well-no-athlete-respects-a-big-fat-coach-who-s-going-to-stand-there/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

> [Champions are everywhere, you just have to train them properly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/champions-are-everywhere-you-just-have-to-train-them-properly/)

[Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

[Explore all 18 Arthur Lydiard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/)

## More Discipline quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/)

[Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/)

> [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/)

W.J. Turner

> [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/)

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

> [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/)

[Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/)

> [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others; not being told he is naughty.” “Discipline is, therefore, primarily a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-undisciplined-child-enters-into-discipline-by-working-in-the/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Even though I make no special attempt to observe the discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/proverbs-from-the-east-the-wind-howls-but-the-mountain-remains-still/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/)

[Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/)

> [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/)

[Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/)

> [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/)

[Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/)

> [Stay in your seat come times of trouble. Its only people who jump off the roller coaster who get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-harvey/stay-in-your-seat-come-times-of-trouble-its-only-people-who-jump-off/)

[Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harvey/)

[Browse all 5,597 Discipline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's just a matter of understanding what's necessary and discipline yourself to do it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arthur Lydiard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what-s-necessary-and-discipline/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Discipline"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what-s-necessary-and-discipline/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/arthur-lydiard-29344_discipline_it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what_1633215.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's just a matter of understanding what's necessary and discipline yourself to do it.” — Arthur Lydiard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Arthur Lydiard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's just a matter of understanding...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what-s-necessary-and-discipline/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/it-s-just-a-matter-of-understanding-what-s-necessary-and-discipline/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
