To build discipline that lasts, Army veteran and life coach Derick Johnson starts by removing what holds you back before adding anything new. He explains his eliminate sheet, a morning routine that begins with movement, how he fits habits into a busy schedule, and the comeback story mindset that helped him turn a painful childhood into a mission to help others.
ᛉKey takeaways
- Derick starts clients with an eliminate sheet: pen and paper, no devices, and one question about what they could get rid of to make progress.
- He recommends waking at the same time every day and moving the body for at least 20 minutes before any mental practice.
- To make habits fit, Derick has clients walk him through a normal day and then plugs new habits into the gaps, because he says there is no wrong time to work out.
- His comeback story mindset is to tell yourself, “This is part of my comeback story,” when pain arrives, and to look for the gift in it.
- Derick says every person wants to feel heard and understood, and he offers four questions for finding your purpose.
ᛃ Moments in this one
ᚠHow to build discipline with an eliminate sheet
Derick Johnson, a U.S. Army veteran and life coach, says the first step to build discipline is not adding more. He starts clients with an eliminate sheet: they take a pen and paper, put every device away, and ask what they could get rid of, or replace, to make more progress.
He works in layers. First comes what they physically consume, such as food, sugar and alcohol. Then comes what they consume mentally, like mindless scrolling, endless group chats or the first thing they see on a phone each morning. He says people then open up about something bigger, such as intrusive thoughts, self-doubt or procrastination.
His advice is to be transparent with yourself but stay neutral, with no anger or sadness, just “it is what it is.” He says this process of elimination should come before changing the routine or the schedule, so that nobody feels overwhelmed.
ᚢWhy attention spans are shrinking, and what self-discipline needs
Derick says the biggest struggle he sees is attention span, because everything is quick: notifications, delivery apps, work, and family who all seem to need you. People put themselves last, he says, and so need three things: patience with themselves, grace, and the discipline to stick with what moves them forward.
On food, he shares his opinion that gut health and brain health are tied together. He describes a two-day celebration followed by a mental slump on day three, and traces many eating habits to upbringing. These are his views from coaching, not medical advice.
ᚦA morning routine that starts with movement
For a simple morning routine, Derick recommends three things. Wake up at the same time every day to train your internal clock, move your body first, and then do whatever you normally do for your mind, such as journaling, prayer or meditation.
He says 20 minutes is the minimum, and any exercise counts: a brisk walk with the dog, yoga or weights. In his view, movement first makes the mental and spiritual work more effective, and the rest of the day easier. His line is to put on your own mask first, like on an airplane, before helping everyone else.
Jeremy agrees from his own experience, noting that a bike ride or rowing session changes his outlook and focus. If you want help building habits like these around real life, Jeremy offers individual coaching, including ADHD coaching for high achievers.
ᚨHow to build habits that stick when you have no time
When people say they cannot fit habits around kids and demanding jobs, Derick asks them to walk him through a normal Monday: when they wake, eat, work and move. He takes notes, then plugs habits into the time of day they already feel best.
Some clients love morning workouts. Others prefer a midday break, or lifting after the kids are in bed. Derick says there is no wrong time to work out, only the time that fits you, and that an unsustainable plan like a 5 a.m. gym session is not the goal.
The point, he says, is to be consistent rather than to revamp your whole lifestyle.
ᚱThe comeback story: turning pain into purpose
Derick grew up between Germany and Florida in a disciplined, structured home, and he says a painful family life and bullying shaped his teens. He describes making a pact with himself that nobody would have power over him again. Fitness became his gateway to personal development, and the calm after a hard workout is where his faith began to grow.
What helped him most, he says, was learning other people's comeback stories. He found that people who had overcome much worse shared two things, trauma and faith, and he began telling himself, “This is part of my comeback story,” whenever pain arrived. He became a certified personal trainer at 15.
He believes there is a gift in the pain, and that it is our job to find it. His own, he says, was discernment: people opened up to him and he learned to listen.
ᚲFeeling heard, community and connection
Derick says every human wants two things: to feel heard and to feel understood. He suggests giving strangers genuine compliments, such as asking where someone got a tie, because you never know what a person is going through.
Jeremy adds that many people lack a natural community, and need to be seen and heard. For people who want that kind of connection, Thriving Spirits, the Mindful Mutiny community, offers real conversation, live Fireside Chats and a course library.
ᚷArmy life, veterans after service and what helps
Derick served 10 years in the Army, five active and five in the Army National Guard, as a satellite communications specialist and a master fitness trainer. His fitness work was getting soldiers mission ready, mentally and physically, after deployment, a divorce or an injury.
He says veterans often struggle after service because they lose the camaraderie and a sense of identity, and feel misunderstood by civilians. His suggestion for companies and communities is simple: ask a veteran for their experience and advice. In his words, that helps them feel heard and significant, and the whole team can learn.
He and some veteran friends are also planning three-day retreats built around a mountain hike and natural trauma release, with no drugs or psychedelics, followed by an online community.
ᚹFour questions to find your purpose
For someone unsure of the next step, Derick suggests writing down four questions. What am I naturally good at? What do people naturally come to me for? How can I help people and what problems can I solve? How can I connect the first three?
He says the answer could be a business, a nonprofit or a role in an existing company. If those questions raise a bigger one about your direction, Jeremy offers a private 30-minute conversation to talk it through.
Derick's views on food, gut health and mood are his opinions and not medical advice. This episode briefly discusses military suicide and painful childhood experiences. If you are struggling, please call or text 988 in the US or reach out to a licensed mental health professional.
ᚨ Questions people ask
What is an eliminate sheet?
Derick describes it as a pen-and-paper list, made with devices away, of what you could get rid of or replace to make more progress. He starts with what you eat and drink, then what you consume digitally, then bigger issues like procrastination or intrusive thoughts.
How do you build a morning routine that sticks?
Derick recommends waking at the same time daily, moving your body for at least 20 minutes, and then doing your mental or spiritual practice. He keeps it simple so it can be sustained.
What is the best time of day to work out?
Derick says there is no wrong time. Some people do better in the morning, others at midday or at night, and he says the best time is the one you can stick to.
How are gut health and mental health connected?
Derick says his experience with clients is that gut health and brain health influence each other, and he notes that big swings in food and drink can leave people feeling mentally slumped. This is his opinion, not medical advice.
How do you find your purpose?
Derick suggests asking what you are naturally good at, what people come to you for, what problems you could solve, and how to connect those answers. He says that clarity can point to a career or mission that fulfills you.