That's what I used to think, with all the arrogance of someone who believes that freedom consists of doing what you want, when you want. But as time went by, I discovered a truth I'd never considered: discipline isn't the enemy of freedom, it's the foundation of it.

At first, I resisted. Why should I follow a routine or impose strict rules on myself? Don't creativity, innovation and even success come from chaos and sudden inspiration? I imagined that by remaining open to all possibilities, I could achieve great things. But I soon realised that without a solid framework, these possibilities would remain just ideas in the air, never materialising.

Then, one day, someone said to me: ‘Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.’ I began to understand. It was no coincidence that the times when I felt most inspired coincided with the times when I had committed myself to a routine, to regular effort. I realised that discipline, far from stifling my creativity, actually nourished it.

As I immersed myself in this new way of thinking, I discovered that discipline was actually a form of freedom. A much deeper freedom than that of doing what I wanted on a whim. This freedom consisted of controlling my time, choosing my priorities and consciously moving towards my goals.

I remember those long hours of study and hard work. At first, I experienced them as a burden, a constraint that I imposed on myself to achieve a distant goal. But the more I progressed, the more I realised that every moment spent honing my skills was in fact a declaration of love to myself. It was a commitment to become the best version of myself, to give myself a future that lived up to my ambitions.

In the end, what I really wanted was not to be ‘free’ to do anything at any time. What I wanted was to achieve something significant, something lasting. And to do that, I had to choose between immediate pleasures and long-term results. I learnt that true discipline, the kind that remains when enthusiasm fades, is what turns dreams into reality.

Today, I no longer see discipline as a constraint, but as a gift that I give myself every day. It's what keeps me focused on what's important, so that I don't lose myself in a thousand pointless directions. And it's thanks to it that I can say, without irony this time, that I'm truly free. Free to create, to succeed, and to be myself, without the shackles of indecision or procrastination. So, yes, I am free, but I owe this freedom to the discipline I have chosen to embrace.