---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Discipline is doing what you are supposed…"
description: "\"Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner at the time you are supposed to do it.\" — Mike Krzyzewski"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/mike-krzyzewski-2324_discipline_discipline-is-doing-what-you-are-suppose_430681.png"
---

#  Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the…

![“Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner at the time you are supposed to do it.” quote by Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/mike-krzyzewski-2324_discipline_discipline-is-doing-what-you-are-suppose_430681.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/mike-krzyzewski-2324_discipline_discipline-is-doing-what-you-are-suppose_430681.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/mike-krzyzewski-2324_discipline_discipline-is-doing-what-you-are-suppose_430681.png)

> “Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner at the time you are supposed to do it.”

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

## About This Quote

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

Discipline means performing required tasks excellently at the right time.

**In simple terms:** Discipline is doing required tasks well, on schedule.

Key Takeaway

Practice disciplined excellence.

Themes

discipline excellence timing

Mood

focused determined

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- sports
- business
- academic pursuits

Key Concepts

performance habit formation leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance perfection with flexibility?
- What habits support disciplined performance?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on timing can cause stress.

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## Related quotes

> [It’s simply doing what you’re supposed to do as well as you can when you’re supposed to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/it-s-simply-doing-what-you-re-supposed-to-do-as-well-as-you-can-when/)

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> [Training, a lot of the time, is just uncomfortable. But discipline is all about doing the thing that's uncomfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-shamrock/training-a-lot-of-the-time-is-just-uncomfortable-but-discipline-is/)

[Frank Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-shamrock/)

> [Discipline is doing within, while you do without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/discipline-is-doing-within-while-you-do-without/)

[Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/)

> [These are supposed to be the best years of your life. don't make them your worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/these-are-supposed-to-be-the-best-years-of-your-life-don-t-make-them/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you... &lt;/3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-am-i-supposed-to-do-when-the-best-part-of-me-was-always-you-3/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What I'm supposed to do when the best part of me was always you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-i-m-supposed-to-do-when-the-best-part-of-me-was-always-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Self-discipline is doing what you know you should do when you don't want to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-eldon-tanner/self-discipline-is-doing-what-you-know-you-should-do-when-you-don-t/)

[Nathan Eldon Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-eldon-tanner/)

> [“Exercising self-discipline is a big leadership quality. Self-discipline is about doing things that need to be done without being told. It’s about taking full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-raybans/exercising-self-discipline-is-a-big-leadership-quality-self/)

[Hannah Raybans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-raybans/)

> [“There are days when you don't feel like running. Those are the days you have to do it. Discipline is doing what you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/runner-s-world-magazine/there-are-days-when-you-don-t-feel-like-running-those-are-the-days/)

[Runner's World Magazine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/runner-s-world-magazine/)

> [“President N. Eldon Tanner has said, “Self-discipline is doing what you know you should do when you don’t want to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/president-n-eldon-tanner-has-said-self-discipline-is-doing-what-you/)

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

> [Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it every day. Diligence is doing it well every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/work-is-doing-it-discipline-is-doing-it-every-day-diligence-is-doing/)

[Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/)

> [Discipline is doing what you really don't want to do so you can do what you really want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fisher/discipline-is-doing-what-you-really-don-t-want-to-do-so-you-can-do/)

[Jeff Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fisher/)

> [“Discipline is doing what you don't want to do so you can do what you want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fisher/discipline-is-doing-what-you-don-t-want-to-do-so-you-can-do-what-you/)

[Jeff Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fisher/)

> [Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/discipline-is-doing-what-you-hate-to-do-but-nonetheless-doing-it-like/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [Discipline is doing what you don't wanna do so you can do what you really want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fisher/discipline-is-doing-what-you-don-t-wanna-do-so-you-can-do-what-you/)

[Jeff Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fisher/)

## More by Mike Krzyzewski

> [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [Good sound habits are more important than rules - use concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/good-sound-habits-are-more-important-than-rules-use-concepts/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [Always get back to your core principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/always-get-back-to-your-core-principles/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [Parents can really help, but they can also really hinder the development of their youngsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/parents-can-really-help-but-they-can-also-really-hinder-the/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [That's what I do now: I lead and I teach. If we win basketball games from doing that, then that's great, but I lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/that-s-what-i-do-now-i-lead-and-i-teach-if-we-win-basketball-games/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [I hated to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-hated-to-lose/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [We lost, and that's the main thing that went wrong,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/we-lost-and-that-s-the-main-thing-that-went-wrong/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [Leadership is simple: Add value to people everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/leadership-is-simple-add-value-to-people-everyday/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [As teachers and coaches, we must remember that when mere winning is our only goal, we are doomed to disappointment and failure. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/as-teachers-and-coaches-we-must-remember-that-when-mere-winning-is/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [I don't think we surprise people. We try to out-execute them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-think-we-surprise-people-we-try-to-out-execute-them/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [A common mistake among those who work in sport is spending a disproportional amount of time on "x's and o's" as compared to time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/a-common-mistake-among-those-who-work-in-sport-is-spending-a/)

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> [A leader's responsibility to his team is paramount. It overshadows even his own personal feelings at any given time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/a-leader-s-responsibility-to-his-team-is-paramount-it-overshadows/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [The only way you're going to grow is to be in difficult situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/the-only-way-you-re-going-to-grow-is-to-be-in-difficult-situations/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

[Explore all 171 Mike Krzyzewski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

## 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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [“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/)

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> [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/)

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> [“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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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