Eric is serving a 30-year sentence for second-degree murder of an innocent bystander. While in prison, he read an article about the health hazards of drinking soda and decided to give up soda. It was the first time he had made a decision to deprive himself of something – and to stick to the decision.
This helped him realize that a major source of his life’s problems was a lack of self-discipline. His success in quitting soda convinced him that change was possible. He made other behavioral, self-disciplinary changes, like lifting weights. His new behaviors became habits, and those habits elevated his level of self-discipline and allowed him to tackle more significant changes, like quitting smoking and drugs. His continuing success led to many other positive developments, including earning an associate’s degree, working on a bachelor’s degree, obtaining paralegal certification, teaching a legal research class, and tutoring other college students.
“I can never make up for the past,” he says, “but I can try to offset it as much as possible by being the best person I can going forward. I’m getting better all the time, and I owe it all to quitting soda.”
Read the full story at https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/04/04/prison-self-discipline-quitting-soda-psychology