No personal success, achievement, or goal, can
be realized without self-discipline. It is singularly the most important attribute needed to achieve
any type of personal excellence, athletic excellence, virtuosity in the arts,
or otherwise outstanding performance.
What is self-discipline?
It is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires and behavior. It is being able to turn down immediate pleasure and instant gratification in favor of gaining the long-term satisfaction and fulfillment from achieving higher and more meaningful goals.
To possess it is to be able to make the decisions,
take the actions, and execute your game plan regardless of the obstacles,
discomfort, or difficulties, that may come your way.
Certainly, being disciplined does not mean
living a limiting or a restrictive lifestyle. Nor, does not mean giving up
everything you enjoy, or, to relinquish fun and relaxation. It does mean
learning how to focus your mind and energies onyour
goals and persevere until they are
accomplished. It also means cultivating a mindset whereby you are ruled by your
deliberate choices rather than by your emotions, bad habits, or the sway of
others. Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time
frame and to live a more orderly and satisfying life.
How To Develop
Self-Discipline
Start with baby steps. No process takes
place overnight. Just as it takes time to build muscle, so does it take time to
develop self-discipline. The more you train and build it, the stronger you
become. In exercise, if you try to do too much at once, you could injure
yourself and have a setback. Likewise, take it one step at a time in building
self-discipline. So, begin by making the decision to go forward and learning
what it takes to get there.
Learn what motivates
you and what your bad triggers are. You can begin by
learning about yourself! Sometimes it is very difficult to fight off urges and
cravings, so know the areas where your resistance is low and how to avoid those
situations. If you know you can't resist cake, fries, or other temptations -
stay away from them. Do not have them around to lure you in moments of
weakness. If you also know that
putting pressure on yourself does not work for you, then set yourself up in an
environment that encourages the building of self-discipline rather than one
that sabotages it. Remove the temptations and surround yourself with soothing
and encouraging items such as motivating
slogans and pictures of what you want to achieve.
Learn also what
energizes and motivates you.
Your willpower can go up and down with your energy levels so play energetic
music to perk you up, move around, laugh. Train yourself to enjoy what you are
doing by being energized. This will make it easier to implement desirable and
appropriate behaviors into your routine - which is really what self-discipline
is all about.
Make certain behaviors
a routine. Once you have decided what's important
to you and which goals to strive for,
establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them. For example, if you
want to eat healthily or lose weight; resolve to eat several servings of fruits
and vegetables each day and exercise for at least half an hour. Make it part of
your daily routine and part of your self-discipline building. Likewise, get rid
of some of your bad, self-defeating habits, whatever they may be. They can put
you in a negative frame of mind and hinder your self-discipline. A poor
attitude can also be a bad habit.
Practice self-denial. Learn to say no to
some of your feelings, impulses and urges. Train yourself to do what you know
to be right, even if you don't feel like doing it. Skip dessert some evenings.
Limit your TV watching. Resist the urge to yell at someone who has irritated
you. Stop and think before you act. Think about consequences. When you practice
self-restraint it helps you develop the habit of keeping other things under control.
Engage in sports or
activities. Sports are an excellent way
to enhance self- discipline. They train you to set goals, focus your mental and emotional energies,
become physically fit, and to get along well with others. Participating
in sports provides a situation where you learn to work hard and strive to do
your best, which in turn, teaches you to integrate the same the thought
processes and disciplines into your everyday life.
Learning to play a musical instrument
can be another great way to practice self-discipline. The focus, repetition,
and application required in learning to play an instrument is invaluable.
Achieving self-discipline in any one area of your life reprograms your mind to
choose what is right, rather than what is easy.
Get inspiration from
those you admire. Michael Jordan has
always maintained that his greatness as a basketball player came as much
from his willingness to work hard at his craft, as it did his talent. It was
his desire through discipline and focus that made him one of the best
basketball players ever. If it worked for him, it could certainly work for the
rest of us.
Visualize the rewards. There is nothing more
gratifying than accomplishing your goals. Practice the technique that high
achievers and top athletes do. Project yourself in the future. Visualize your
desired outcome. Feel how rewarding it is and the countless benefits you will
enjoy. Remind yourself what it takes to get there.
The Benefits
·
You
are able to maintain a higher tolerance for frustration, obstacles and negative
emotions.
·
Allows
you to obtain better health, better finances and a good work ethic.
·
You
are able to reach your most difficult goals more efficiently.
·
The
more disciplined you become, the easier life gets.
If
we are to be masters of our own destiny, we must develop self-discipline and
self-control. By focusing on long-term benefits instead of short-term
discomfort, we can encourage ourselves to develop of self-discipline.
Ultimately our health and happiness depend on it.
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