How to Build Discipline, According to F1’s Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is a Formula 1 racer who has driven more laps in first place than any other driver in history. Lewis was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, in 1985. By age six, he was showing a preternatural gift for racing remote-control cars, so his father bought him a go-kart.

After participating in and winning karting championships, Lewis joined the McLaren Young Driver Programme, securing his place in the Formula 1 pipeline. He ascended the proverbial ladder of open-wheel racing in Europe. In 2007, McLaren promoted him to the Formula 1 team. Since then, he’s won seven Formula 1 World Championship trophies.

Self-discipline is the ability to push through weaknesses, bad habits, obstacles, or negative feelings to complete short- or long-term goals. Being disciplined can help you build healthy habits, such as getting better at time management. Meanwhile, a lack of self-discipline is failing to remove temptations that make it difficult to reach your goals.

Lewis grew up taking karate lessons, where he learned more about discipline, something he struggled with as a child.

“In karate, it was very much about discipline, standing in a line, respecting your elders,” he says. “I was a kid that always wanted to play. I was agitated. I wanted to get outta the line. That was a process for me. Discipline is staying on course… It’s setting yourself goals and targets, and not being weak and giving up on it.”

Building self-discipline can be a challenge. Use Lewis’s tips to remain focused on your specific goals:

• Give yourself positive reinforcement. As you try to practice self-discipline, you may find that you have moments of weakness. To help with that, Lewis suggests rewarding yourself. “Giving yourself some sort of reward at the end of the journey, it really helps to know at the end there’s something positive from the outcome, from the pain of whatever you’re gonna endure,” he says. “It could be like, ‘I’m gonna have sweets when I win my first race.’ Or, ‘I’m going to get a new laptop or buy a new game or treat myself.’ ”
• Keep your composure. As you prepare for a task, you may start to feel worried. Lewis acknowledges that it’s not easy to remain composed, but it’s important to try. “When I’m racing at those high speeds … I’ve got a mix of emotions. It’s really easy to let my thoughts run away and down a negative route,” he says. “But it’s about taking it on the chin.”
• Control your emotions. Lewis considers himself “quite an emotional person” who has sometimes lost his temper. “Self-control and having control of your emotions is naturally a challenge for all of us,” he says. “I think what’s really important is to find a release. So I go boxing, and I punch into a punching bag. That gets a lot of energy out, and it feels so great afterwards. You’re exhausted, but whatever you had compressed before, gets out.”
• Take a break. It’s hard to remain disciplined at all times, and that’s okay. “I slip up every now and then,” Lewis says. “You don’t have to be perfect … It’s about being on the journey and learning from the lessons.”

Winning takes more than skill—just ask Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Learn how Lewis remains motivated and overcomes challenges when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.