We can also look at this quote on an introspective level. When we face hard times, we must bring out the strongest aspects of our character. I played sports when I was young. I remember my swim coach, for example, would always tell us to “finish hard.” It was the last few strokes into the wall when we had to muster up our final reserve of energy. My coach would also say that practice did not start until we got tired. When we get tired our form starts to fall apart, we get lazy, and we start to make excuses for our performance. However, if at this point we really try to keep our strokes even, our kicking strong, and our breathing regular it will have a lasting improvement on our swimming ability. This is as true for swimming as it is for all sports, and it is as true for life in general as it is for sports.

When we start to get tired or lazy our habits start to take over for us. Take school for example. As a teacher I am very aware of the feeling that students get towards the end of the year when the weather gets nice and performing well in school takes a back seat to having fun. This is especially true for seniors. However, there are some students who continue to do well in their classes. This is because they have formed study habits that have become second nature. Sure, it may not be easy for these students to stay inside and do their homework, study for a test, or finish a project, but they (often with the help of their parents) have trained themselves to work hard despite the distractions that surround them. Students who do not have strong study habits will stop working when distractions arise.

Building our discipline, in any area of our life, takes effort. If we want to become for self-disciplined people, then we should always try to put in that extra bit of effort when we face difficult times. If we try to do this in our day to day life, then when the going really gets tough, we will be one of those people who have the strength to get going.