Learn how to develop self-discipline and regain control of your life! Certainly the road to self-discipline has different obstacles, but it is the hidden key for success and freedom. Self-discipline will help you move forward and evolve regardless the current state of your life. Maybe you are unemployed and looking for a job or you want to make the next big step in your career, you need self-discipline to push yourself to the next stage.
Self-discipline is about avoiding temporary feelings that lead to weak decisions and the ability to focus on your goals for a long period. Without self-discipline you cannot increase your self-confidence nor have a high self-esteem, it is the core of the self-improvement foundation.
But how can you act according to what you should and not according to how you feel at that moment?
Set a realistic goal
To develop self-discipline, you have to go through a process of self-discovery! It is very important to identify your goals and needs and then move forward. Set realistic goals so you can achieve them and avoid the sometimes endless loop of going one step forward and two steps backwards. You must decide what behaviour best reflects your goals and values and to follow that behaviour over the emotions of the moment.
Move away from bad habits
Bad habits, from simple to the most addictive, are able to destroy your efforts. For example, if you want to lose weight, you should keep away from the fridge and cookies every night! To eliminate the temptation, you can set some small, achievable goals, such as not to eat cookies for the next two nights. Then, the two nights will be three and four….
The whole point is to identify your bad habits and try to gradually move away by taking small but effective steps rather than trying to change too many things at the same time.
Learn how to beat procrastination
You must leave behind your favourite phrase “… from Monday.” You should not procrastinate, but to do things that you would normally postpone for tomorrow, today. A very simple example of everyday life is washing the dishes or clothes. It is much better to immediately wash the dishes and do not give yourself time to think of something different.
This may sound very simple but this is what self-discipline is all about i.e. not to let your temporary feelings take control of your actions. If you give yourself time to think there is a chance that the temporary feeling of ‘not wanting to wash the dishes’ will win the logical action.
Keep a daily agenda
You must follow a daily program (or routine) that leads to a better quality life. Even 10 minutes of daily exercise, healthy eating, sleeping and spending time with your family can give you the motivation to acquire self-discipline.
Write down five things you want to achieve throughout the day and monitor your progress. Remember you need to stay focus on what is really important for you and not get carried away from short-term feelings or distractions.
Of course, if you have to deal with a 2 week project, apparently you have to “break” your ultimate goal in small, daily targets and work consistently until the final target is met.
Relax your brain with fun activities
If you make a list of fun activities you can more easily troubleshoot the temptations of everyday life. A walk with a friend, listening to music or a cup of coffee can protect you from breaking your self-discipline.
Unfortunately, you cannot force your brain to move away from a concern … but surely you can think of something else! Give yourself an excuse to stop thinking undisciplined. Learn how to relax and refresh your brain during the day.
Remove distractions
Remove from your life anything that distracts you. This is the easiest way to encourage yourself to make the right decisions. For example if you spend a lot of valuable time on computer games or social media instead of working or studying, you can simply equip yourself with strength and delete them. Such a move is not an alternative but a different way of life and a huge step in developing self-discipline.
Commit yourself to self-discipline
You must make a commitment to yourself about self-discipline. This is different than setting goals; it is a promise by YOU to YOU, a promise that you have to meet if you respect yourself. Otherwise, when your alarm rings you press the button for “5 more minutes …”! Remember that when the excitement fades, the task of self-discipline becomes more difficult.
Remind the promise you have given yourself every day and put yourself in the right track when your temporary feelings lead to uncontrollable acts.
