If you are clicking on this post it means one of two things. Either you are one of my family members reading my blog or, you are someone who feels like they are not in the place they want to be right now. And you know that there is something you have to change in order to get to where you want to be.  It is likely that if you are in this position the one thing that is lacking is self-discipline.

It is great you recognize this, and I would love to help motivate you to get on the right track.

Let’s first start with a definition of self-discipline.

I define self-discipline as: any act that works to overcome some form of barrier, whether it be mentally, emotionally, or physically stopping.

So to break that down a bit.  

Self-discipline is that quality every successful entreprenuer, student, or person has.

Look at Gary Vaynerchuk, Simon Sinek, Tony Robbins, Mel Robbins, Amanda Bucci.  They all started from the bottom and worked their way up.  Not every day  was perfect, they had failed projects, they struggled their way through to make it to the top, but they never quit.  What they all have is self-discipline.

 

If you want to learn how to improve your self-discipline then keep reading!

 

How to improve self-discipline

Recognize your short comings

Short comings; a nice way of saying the things you kinda suck at.

We all have those few behaviours we are not necessarily proud of; and recognizing what these are for you will propel you in the right direction.  Do you eat one too many pieces of cake for dessert each night?  Are you known for procrastinating?  Do you give up far too easily?

(If it makes you feel any better, I can be guilty of all the above)

Here is the point, the minute you identify what your short comings are you can develop a plan to improve these behaviours. After identifying what you need to change you will be conscious of when you are engaging in these behaviours and will be able to tackle them head on.

Here are ideas to help you improve in this area.

• Be aware of when you are engaging in this behaviour
• Act on it as soon as you realize
• Emerse yourself in books, video, audio to help speed up improvement

Keep your goals in mind

If you are looking for self-discipline strategies it is because you have a goal you want to achieve.

Keeping this goal in mind will push you to keep going.  Try writing down your goals before you go to bed at night and when you wake up in the morning.  This way, your goals will be your last thought when you go to bed each night, and they will also be your first thought in the morning.  You can break your goals up into short term or long term goals or, both if you want.  I find writing down both is beneficial, but I focus more on my short term goals simply because they can be reacher faster than long term goals, and therefore seem more attainable.

Know why you are doing what you are doing

Of course you want to have self-discipline to achieve your goals but it is also important to know why you want to have self-discipline specifically.  Basically, with self-discipline you can achieve anything you want to, therefore having this quality is beneficial to life, even aside from your goals.

Learn to like being uncomfortable

This is the state at which the most personal growth happens.

If you want to become more disciplined you have to learn to like doing things you do not necessarily always want to do.  After all, that is what discipline is, am’i right?

This step takes a whole lots of practice and CONSISTENCY. But, with time, you will get it!

Make it a habit

Habits are formed by repeatedly doing something.  So repeatedly work on all the elements that comprise your self-discipline. If you lack discipline in an area make that area your priority.  Being completely aware of what you want to change will help speed up this process. A good guideline to use is to do it for 21 days consistently.

Schedule, Schedule, and Schedule some more then, Stick to it

I personally love scheduling my day and I know a lot of you do as well. What you might not love is actually sticking to that schedule.

Schedule in exactly when you are going to do everything, and I truly mean everything.  Schedule in when you work, when you need free time, when you go to the gym, heck, even schedule in when you are going to eat your meals. Having a day planner of some sort is extremely helpful for this! If you do not have a planner, try using google calendar as it is easily accessible and super user friendly!

As mentioned above, the difficult part is actually sticking to your schedule.  Being mindful of why you need to stick to your schedule is an effective way to reinforce that schedule of yours.  Constantly reminding yourself of your goals is a way to do this.

Stop overthinking it

Far too often we get in our own heads and overthink every little thing we are doing. Rather than analyzing the situation just do whatever tasks you need to do in the day.  Stop worrying about the little stuff.

For example, if you are trying to make it to the gym more often but have no clue what body part you want to work out or should work out just head to the gym anyways.  Once you are there you are there and you can figure out a plan.

The important part is taking that first step towards whatever it is you want to achieve.

Reward yourself

With hard work comes feeling tired and wanting to give up at times.  Do not give in to this.  Instead, reward yourself for your determination, this help you stay motivated to keep going.

If you are wanting to become more disciplines at school such as having better study habits set yourself small goals to achieve, then reward yourself after.  For example, study hard for 30 minutes and when your timer goes off you can go get a coffee, or check your phone.

Rewards are a great way to keep pushing toward your goals.

Hold yourself accountable 

There is no better way to get something done than by being held accountable for your actions.  If you hold yourself accountable or better yet, have someone else hold you accountable, you will be more likely to remain disciplined. If you do not have a friend or family member to hold you accountable try using social media as a tool.  I do this with my blog, I tell my Instagram followers when I will be posting and that way I have to get a blog post done by that day or I know I am going to be letting people down.

Work on your health

Your health is the most important factor in staying disciplined. This includes both physical and mental health.

Be sure you are exercising regularly even if it is not for an extended period of time. Try incorporating H.I.T.T workouts into your routine for intense workouts that are short.  Even vow to go for a walk every day, any form of physical activity is better than no physical activity.

Remaining positive is a component of your mental health that is crucial to self-discipline.  Practice morning affirmations or journaling to keep a positive mindset. Telling yourself you can do something and truly believing in yourself are the two vital components to achieving anything you want!

Do you have any tips for stay discipline? I’d love to hear about them, be sure to connect with me in the comment section or on social media!