The Key To Self Discipline

The Key To Self Discipline

If you focus on nothing but these 5 keys of self-discipline, you are bound to increase your willpower and be a lot stronger in your ability to resist temptation. Some strategies that you can adopt to increase your self-discipline are, for instance, setting a daily routine, such as sleeping and getting up at the same time each day, having a concrete schedule of daily tasks, and removing distractions and temptations slowly but steadily. Self-discipline works best when you start small and make baby steps toward your goals. If you are looking to make some sort of changes in your life, self-discipline is what is going to either get you there (when you have plenty of it) or put you right back at square one (if you only have little).

Instead of trying to change everything at once, focus on doing one thing consistently, and practice self-discipline with that goal in mind. You can even practice self-discipline on really small goals, like focusing on one work project for an hour without checking your messages, or forgoing an unhealthy meal one day. The better you know yourself, the easier it is to stay disciplined. When your new behaviors are automatic--it takes an average of 66 days for new habits to take hold--you will not need the discipline of being disciplined to continue doing them.

Getting yourself into self-discipline and working toward building your new habit may seem intimidating at first, especially when focusing on the whole task at hand. You learn that a large part of what we do is driven by our habits, and how, with just a bit of self-disciplined mindfulness, you can master the art of turning bad habits into good ones. If you want to create self-discipline, look for one "back door" activity in every habit, and start there. If you are or were not getting enough regular exercise, or if your diet was shit, those are where you should first focus your discipline.

Read those books about self-discipline, use your resources, and take what you have learned and put it into action, then when they talk about the 8 percent of people that stick to their goals, it is going to be you. Try writing down your goals, or an identity that you would like to adopt, and post that, maybe on a post-it note near your desk, or next to your computer, so that every day, you see it, and you know, that is why I am building my self-discipline, and it is why all of the work that I am doing.

You really need the discipline to do what is best for you, and if you are doing what is best for you, that is building self-love. You do not need discipline to eat a pizza, you do not need discipline to get a nap, you do not need discipline to just sit on your couch and not do anything. The discipline is being able to push through the times you feel like you cannot.

Learning how to lead effectively, both ourselves and others, comes down to discipline. Going into it with a plan helps to provide the necessary mentality and self-control to navigate a situation.