A friend linked to a blog post on Facebook and though I couldn’t relate to the feelings she has towards running — I’ve dabbled in running but never really with purpose or anything — I loved, loved, loved the quote at the bottom.

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is the discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” – Jim Rohn

This applies to fitness, for sure, but also to life in general. My one motto, since my high school days, has been “no regrets.” I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I’ve learned from every single one of them. And I can honestly say I’ve never achieved anything great without stepping outside my comfort zone. This isn’t to say we always should stray from that safe haven … but we need to do it in order to really grow and realize our own potential.

Discipline may mean being more financially savvy, eating better, thinking before speaking … you name it. Discipline has a variety of forms and there is no right/wrong because what seems natural to me (working out regularly, for example) might be an area where you need discipline whereas I suck at budgeting/finances (and fortunately Luis is someone who does NOT suck at that! Phew!).

I like to say I’m “thoughtfully impulsive” by nature, if that makes sense … meaning I do things that might seem impulsive but are actually thought-out, if not quite verbalized well. Because the truth is, I never want to look back on my life and think, “I could have/should have/would have.” Because life will throw curve balls … and how we handle it — ducking for cover or reaching up to catch it, even if we’re wobbly — defines who we are … and who we will be.

Right now, I’m working on all of the disciplines I shared above … they don’t come easily to me. But I know a little discipline: putting more into savings each month (instead of splurging on my lululemon addiction ;)), bringing lunch as well as breakfast to work, having more inner dialogues so my words don’t harm or hurt can really make a difference, and so those are all things I want to focus on in 2013. It’s part of being the best mom, wife, daughter, sister, employee, and friend I can be and, in its own way, dovetails nicely with my non-resolution resolution to be more present.

How about you? Which do you think is harder to stomach: discipline or regret?