Self-discipline is defined as the ability to do what you have to do, regardless of your mental or physical condition, and regardless of whether you want to do that thing or do not want to do it.
It is the skill that drives you forward and to take appropriate actions toward your goals regardless of how you feel.
It also helps you overcome distractions and obstacles that may drag you away from your goal.
It is one of the skills that can be learned and developed in practical steps, but like any skill, it is not acquired overnight. Rather, it requires practice and patience, and there are some steps that may help in gaining self-discipline, which we explain in the following paragraphs.
Tips to help with self-discipline
1- Having motivation
If you think about the things you like to do, you probably don’t need a reason to stick with them. For example, compare attempts to do a job you don’t like with attempts to do a hobby you do like. You will find that you do not need effort with a hobby, while you need a lot of effort with work.
Therefore, one of the most important habits of self-discipline is to ensure that you have a real motivation that encourages you to do things, as the mere presence of this motivation gives you a reason to commit to them. Always ask yourself (Why am I doing this thing?) When you know the reason and motivation, you will have a greater ability to stick to it.
2- Getting rid of temptations
In a study conducted at Cornell University, it was found that women who kept soft drinks on the counter weighed 24 to 26 pounds more than those who did not. In the same vein, women who kept fruit on the counter weighed an average of 13 pounds less than those who did not.
This is because temptations negatively affect you and hinder self-discipline. Therefore, it is important to keep these temptations out of your sight, so that you are not affected by their presence, and to ensure that the environment surrounding you helps you achieve your desire. For example:
If you like to eat, put foods that affect your weight, such as fast foods, out of sight, or stop buying them at all.
If you have a specific task, make sure you are in an environment free of distractions, and use social media blockers.
If you are distracted from working in bed and feel sleepy, it is best to move to another place that will help you carry out what is required of you with focus.
3- Set goals with specific deadlines
One of the most important problems with self-discipline is the lack of specific deadlines. If you have a goal that you are seeking to achieve, you tell yourself that there is still a month to achieve it, and you discover that you have not done anything until the end of the month comes.
Therefore, one of the most important ways to learn self-discipline is to learn how to link goals with specific deadlines, and work to adhere to these deadlines. If you can add a challenge to the tasks, for example, agreeing with your friends to complete the tasks together, so you will be motivated together to carry out the required tasks.
4- Divide big goals into small steps
Nothing happens all at once. Rather, the right thing to do is gradually implement anything. So, if you are seeking to achieve self-discipline, do not try to do it in one step, as it will contain many details, and thus it may turn into a feeling of inability to produce.
So, commit to breaking down big goals into small steps, and then you can stick to them, until you gradually reach the ability to commit directly to the final goal.
5- Learn to practice priorities
One of the most important things that enhances self-discipline is to have the ability to practice priorities in your life, by knowing the important things that you need to start accomplishing, and then moving on to other things. When you do this, you will have a feeling that there are things worth focusing on, and then learn how to complete tasks efficiently.
6- Create good habits
Nothing builds self-discipline more than your constant willingness to create and practice good, positive habits. These habits will encourage you to commit your life towards achievement, and you will also feel better in your personal and professional life. Examples of habits include: exercising, waking up early, and eating healthy food.
It is not enough for you to just create these habits, but you must strive to make them a part of your daily life, by establishing a routine for your life that contains these habits as an essential part of it. For example, allocate a specific time to exercise from home, and also commit to sleeping at a fixed time for a specific number of hours, and other habits that are beneficial to you.
7- Obtaining support from others with self-esteem
Learning self-discipline takes a lot of effort, so it will help to get support from others in this regard. For example, support from family, close friends or work colleagues. All types of support will positively impact your commitment to self-discipline.
It is also important to learn good self-esteem, and accept potential obstacles and failures on the way to implementation, as this is normal in new experiences in particular. Do not let these things negatively affect you, so you give up on what you want to achieve. Rather, see them as a challenge that you seek to deal with successfully.
In conclusion, acquiring and developing self-discipline is a necessity in our lives these days, but its impact is completely positive, and is worth the effort. So, make sure to apply these tips, and make them a part of your daily life. You will find yourself able to self-discipline in all the details of your daily life.
