Developing Self Discipline for Success
Developing Self Discipline for Success
We all need self discipline to be successful. We all respect people who have high self discipline. This article explains 12 ways you can develop it.
I use tricks to develop self discipline. Here are some of them.
1 – I avoid temptation. I simply do not put myself in a situation where I am tempted. Often bad habits are associated with a situation, location or circumstance. For example, go to a pub and you are likely to drink beer. Go to a tea house and you are likely to drink tea.
2 – Plan. A small amount of planning keeps me on track. This can be as simple as planning what things I want to accomplish that day to planning what health snacks I want to have on hand. I set out my workout clothes every night and have my work clothes packed in my gym bag so I head straight to the gym.
3 – Set goals. The act of setting goals starts them in motion. The more you revisit them, the more you keep on track.
4 – Track what you do. It seems odd but the simple act of logging what you do or do not do is a great way to keep you on track. This works well for diets, workouts and just about anything. What gets measured and tracked, gets done.
5 – Ask yourself “what would I like to accomplished by the time I go to bed”. This simple question can keep you on task.
6 – Get a mentor. A coach or mentor that you have to check in with can be a great motivator. You will not want to have a call or meeting and say that “All I did was sit on the couch all week”. Knowing you will have the check in helps keep you on track.
7 – Punish yourself. Tying a punishment with not doing something or reward with doing it can make you “get to it”. So add to the pain – that will get you moving.
8 – Like the past point, add rewards to getting things done. What I have found is often the rewards are long term (like getting a university degree) but you need instant motivation so reward yourself for doing that paper or reading that textbook now.
9 – I use the mantra “successful people do tough things” I am a successful person so that drives me to do the tough things.
10 – Tell other people your goals. If your goal is to stop something (like smoking), your friends and enemies alike will enjoy pointing out when you are failing. If your goal is a positive like reading a book per week, tell your positive, supportive friends – they will help prod you and support you.
11 – Be habitual. Good habits create results. So do bad habits. Decide which ones you want and which ones you don’t.
12 – It is all about systems. Build systems to help you accomplish your goals. Systems might include your support, your organization, your methods of doing things efficiently.
Self discipline is a choice. You read the article because you are interested in it. Excellent first step. Now get to some action planning.
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