19 August 2020
Have you ever felt like everyone has great self-discipline, but you?
You see them on the street, jogging even in inclement weather. You hear about them on the news, writing a best-seller at night after work while their loved ones are sleeping. They seem to be everywhere—people who have mastered the fine art of self-discipline while you can’t seem to get up early enough to add a quick workout to your morning routine.
How do they do it? Are they born self-disciplined? Thankfully, self-discipline is a skill that can be learned. Try following these quick tips to up your game:
What Do You Want to Do Differently?
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. To avoid this kind of failure, you’re going to have to do something different to find success. What is the easiest thing you can do to make a difference regarding your goal? Change that one thing and see what happens.
Remember You’re the Grown-up
Why are you waiting for permission to get started? It’s up to you to seize the day. If you want things to change, it’s up to you to do them. Remind yourself that you are in charge of your destiny. Set your own goals. Go after them. End of story. Self-discipline grows when you’re taking positive action daily to get to where you want to be.
Write a List
How can you use self-discipline to get things done when you have no idea where you’re going? Make a list of goals. Keep it short initially, with an emphasis on what you need to do today, to get to where you want to go. Follow your list and ignore what isn’t on it.
Plan Ahead
You know you’re likely to be tempted away from your goal at some point. Having a plan in place to deal with temptation makes it that much easier to fight. Decide in advance how you want to deal with the usual temptations. Implement those strategies as needed.
Use your Tech to Your Advantage
Don’t be afraid to use your Smartphone, tablet, or fitness device to keep on track. There are all kinds of apps out there to monitor your progress toward your goals. How can you use them to encourage you? Even using your timer to set out blocks of work time will make you more productive.
By keeping on track and acting with intentionality, you’ll soon be numbered among the lucky few who know the secret of self-discipline. Remember, the key to any of this is being consistent. Keep trying and don’t be discouraged if you have the occasional off day as you learn. The important thing to keep in mind is that you’re building a new habit, one you will take with you the rest of your life.