To master the art of self-discipline is difficult. Becoming an apprentice of self-discipline is hard too. Knowing about self-discipline is an age-old study. Delving into people’s mental state, their upbringing, and current circumstances is something that psychologists have been doing to learn more about why they struggle so much with it. Although it may seem as though you do not have any control over some aspects of your life, it is not really the case. You do. You just are not aware of it yet. Ongoing practice and nurturing is something that is extremely important to acquiring self-discipline. To master and improve anything in life takes time, patience, and practice. It is in this way you too can improve your self-discipline.
But what is self-discipline?
Essentially, self-discipline is the ability to control your feelings, actions, and emotions as per your will. Say, for instance, your ability to stick to your plans of paying off your debt, saving, and investing money when it comes to your finances. You are more likely to achieve success and stay motivated when you have a strong hold on your self-discipline. It requires a great hold on your willpower, which at the end of that day is what motivates your impulses and actions. The ability to stay focused is considered willpower, whereas taking consistent action over a long time to improve your willpower is called self-discipline. Self-discipline and willpower always go hand in hand.Benefits of self-discipline
Improving your self-discipline has many benefits including:Helping with anxiety
The feeling of anxiety occurs when you feel that you don’t have a grip on whichever situation you are in. Self-discipline helps you to be in control of how you act, this way you are less likely to be anxious.Achieving your long-term goals
One of the benefits of practicing self-discipline is that it helps in decreasing distractions and self-imposed setbacks. With this, it takes you one step closer to achieving your goals. Lest you give in to the distractions, it will mean getting to those goals faster than you imagined.Being more content
Progress will always be seen when you are determined to reach your end goal, and it is always followed by the feeling of happiness when you notice your milestones. Self-discipline contributes majorly to this process.Resilience
Temptation is a major setback when you want to achieve your goals, i.e. the temptation to get distracted or to take breaks that hold you back from progress. But if you commit to disciplining yourself, the ability to resist temptations increases which in turn makes you more resilient in navigating unknown and unexpected circumstances.7 Simple ways to improve your self-discipline
Building self-discipline skills allow you to cease bad habits and accomplish long-term and short-term goals and turn your life around completely. Consider it an investment in yourself. Over here we have outlined seven steps to help you build your self-discipline and work to better yourself and life as you deserve. Well... if you work for it.1. Countdown, then take action
Motivation does not always come easily and on days when you’re particularly unmotivated, count down from ten and force yourself to continue whatever it is you were doing. The countdown can help you shift your mindset to the right mental state in helping to stay motivated. Oftentimes a push is needed in order to resume from your setback, which should always come from within yourself. No one helps you stay on track better than yourself. And that is how self-discipline begins.2. Put your goals where you notice them
Writing down your goals always makes your will to achieve them even more real. Hang that sheet somewhere you work often as well as in a place you are in all the time (for example - your bedroom or car). Try to incorporate jotting down your goals in multiple places as well, like your kitchen, and your yearly planner. Make it a point to set actual calendar reminders on your phone which can go off once or twice a week. Be kind to yourself. Never make it a point to scare or shame yourself into achieving your goals, always be in a positive and encouraging mindset. In the longer run, you should feel happy about how far you have come, and not feel like you have wasted your time. The work you do and the effort you put in should make you feel happy and not dreadful. Motivate yourself more by following the words and quotes said by people whom you admire. If you aren’t sure if you have set the right goals, start spending time going over your goals and making sure they align with the things you want for yourself.3. Remind yourself why you started
Always think about the end goal without allowing yourself to forget where and how you started. Keep reminding yourself, no matter how difficult things get, why and how you set and started working towards this goal, and think about your award or the reward when you will have achieved your goal finally. Start visualizing the scenario of having accomplished whichever goal you have starred with and having taken complete control over your life. Keep reminders on your phone to acknowledge each goal you have completed and be proud of yourself. Affirmations go a long way in keeping the right mindset and maintaining focus towards the end goal.4. Set small goals first
Don’t overwhelm yourself suddenly by setting high goals which you probably won’t be able to achieve in one go. Build your mindset and confidence by setting smaller goals and as you keep on achieving them consistently move on to higher ones. For instance, if you want to run a 10 miles marathon, start building up your stamina by one mile a day, and then when you have achieved that, raise the distance. Patience is the key to not losing hope in yourself and the process. These minor feats can help boost confidence in yourself and keep you motivated to continue and not stop or give up.5. Practice prioritizing
Decide which tasks are worth dedicating the most effort to, then organize your day to totally crush them. If you set a study plan, you're less likely to procrastinate on the less-than-savory tasks. Prioritize tasks that you don’t like to particularly do and you’ll be relieved at the end of the day with accomplishing them sooner than dreading to do them later on.6. Know your weaknesses
Don’t neglect your weakness and proactively work on them. Always pay attention to tasks where you might slip and work on how you may prevent that. If you know that you finish your essay in an hour, don’t use your phone and don’t take “short” breaks until it is done. This kind of determination and a strong will to fight your temptation will help you in the longer run. When you know that you need to get back to work earlier but you want to stay up late and watch that series you love, invest in some Melatonin. You have the tools to fight back against your own temptations. You just need to be determined.7. Get friends to hold you accountable
It is probable that if someone whom you like and admire is tracking you and your progress, you are less likely to cheat on your goals. Have someone like your best friend or partner set their goals with you too and you can motivate and push each other towards your end goals. And when the situations get especially tough, you can be there to give each other the required motivation and that extra push.Here are some self-discipline quotes to keep you motivated
Everyone needs a "pick me up" every so often to work on their self-discipline and achieve their goals. And so here are some great self-discipline quotes to help you stay motivated.- "Just because you're struggling with self-discipline doesn't mean you have to raise the white flag and declare your self-improvement efforts a complete failure. Instead, work to increase the chances that you'll stick to your healthier habits - even when you don't feel like it." - Amy Morin
- “The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term so as to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable prerequisite for success.” - Brian Tracy
- “Beautiful gems can emerge from the dirt. Struggle can teach you self-discipline and resilience.” - Dipa Sanatani
- “The pain of self-discipline will never be as great as the pain of regret.” - Anonymous
- “Self-discipline is the magical power that makes you virtually unstoppable.” - Anonymous
- “Without any self-sacrifice, how can there be a success?” - Lailah Gifty Akita
- "All successes begin with self-discipline. It starts with you.” - Dwayne Johnson
- “Self-discipline is the only power which can keep you energized even in the toughest of the circumstances.” - Sukant Ratnakar
- “Success doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional about it, and that takes discipline.” – John C. Maxwell
- “We do today what they won’t, so tomorrow we can accomplish what they can’t.” - Dwayne Johnson
- “Don’t ever stop believing in your own personal transformation. It is still happening even on the days you may not realize it or feel like it.” - Lalah Delia
- “Self-discipline is nothing but self-consciousness.” - Pearl Zhu
- “Success begins with self-discipline.” - Sunday Adelaja
The best self-discipline book to read: No Excuses
No Excuses!: The Power Of Self Discipline by Brian Tracy is hands down, the best book on self-discipline. It explains how you can achieve success in your life, including your personal and financial goals. Each chapter has exercises to help you apply the "no excuses" approach to your own life through which you'll learn how to be more disciplined. I recommend this book every chance I get and I find myself incorporating its lessons into my lifestyle very often.In closing
It's all about committing to improve and picking yourself back up when you slip while becoming a master of self-discipline. Determine the areas of your life that you would want to improve on and lay out an action plan to help you with improving your discipline. With equal time, effort, and consistency, you'll be making great progress with your self-discipline.