Self discipline is the one character trait that all successful people share in common.
Being able to stay on track with your goals is essential to your long-term success in life. Have you ever made a promise to yourself that you didn't keep? A lot of people struggle with self discipline.
Changing old habits takes time, commitment and consistency. The good news is that self discipline is a learned behavior that can be developed.
Are you ready to learn how you can master this trait and start getting more done?
Watch the video below where I talk about the secret to lasting consistency:
(Click here to watch on YouTube)
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Do you struggle with self discipline?
If so, you aren't alone. For a lot of people, self discipline can feel like a chore, something that they know they should do, but don't want to do. At the end of the day, it comes down to making a commitment to put off your immediate desires in favor of long-term rewards.
Why is self discipline so difficult to achieve? In his book, The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Program to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness, Dr. Steve Peters gives us an explanation. He explains that our emotional mind simply stops us from behaving in a way that will allow us to achieve our ideal state. Self discipline gives you the ability to overcome your emotional mind by moving forward with action.
There are two kinds of people in this world – the master vs. the dabbler. The master is somebody that commits to everything and follows through, whereas the dabbler starts things but never finishes them. Which are you? A lot of people aren't willing to do what it takes in order to make their dreams come true.
Just like any other skill that you want to master, self discipline requires daily effort, willpower, practice, and repetition. Some days you will feel super motivated and committed, while other days you won't want to do anything. All that matters is that you make progress.
Whatever you want to create in life will require that you possess an insane amount of self-control. There is no room for laziness or procrastination on the climb to the top. In the words of Theodore Rooselvelt, “With self discipline, almost anything is possible.”
Here are 8 powerful ways to master self discipline.
1. Set Clear Goals
When it comes to achieving goals, a lot of people talk a good game but don't know how to follow through. As a result, they aren't able to move forward in life. If you want to achieve self discipline, you've got to have a clear direction of where you are going.
Without a map, it's easy to get lost. Define what your goals mean to you and how you will go about achieving them. If you set vague goals, you will produce vague outcomes. This is why I encourage people to follow the SMART philosophy, which are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
Setting goals that are aligned with this acronym will help you structure your goals in ways that ensure you will achieve them. With any goal that you set, you need to be able to see tangible progress with them, or else your self discipline will wane.
2. Remove Distractions
Sustained concentration is key to getting anything done. Studies show that when we check something our mind requires about 23 minutes of refocusing time to get back on task. If you want to become more self disciplined, I encourage you to remove all distractions.
Make a plan for how you are going to make the things that you crave less available to you. Doing so will reduce the number of times that you feel tempted to cheat on yourself. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, buy healthy food and make it at home. Similarly, if you want to improve your productivity, turn off all technology so that you can get into a flow state.
3. Create Healthy Habits
We've all got bad habits. However, when these bad habits prevent you from achieving success in life, you know that it's time to make a change. I’m a big believer that your habits are a powerful tool for shaping your behavior. Your life is the sum of what you do every single day.
Tom Bilyeu said it best, Taking action is what creates excellence: doing what must be done every single day. No amount of meditation, contemplation, or dreaming will take the place of doing.”
Are you waking up every day with the intention of setting yourself up to win? A lot of people wake up and immediately starting engaging in reactive behaviors, like rushing out the door, eating quickly, etc. In this state of mind, it's easy to fall into conditioned patterns of behavior and lose your discipline and motivation.
A disciplined mind is one that acknowledges the reasons for waking up early. If you want to be super productive, you've got to start your day off right. For me, this means creating an empowering morning ritual where I take care of my mind, body, and soul. Through engaging in success habits, I condition my mindset for success and develop the mental strength that I need to withstand challenges and adversity.
4. Choose Your Environment Wisely
If you want to change yourself, you've first got to change your environment. Your surroundings have a huge impact on the type of person that you become. If you surround yourself with negative people who are lazy and constantly complaining, that energy will rub off on you. You will find yourself struggling to develop the self discipline that you need in order to achieve your goals.
Take a close look at your friends and determine whether or not these people are lifting you up or bringing you down. Jim Rohn once said that “You become the 5 people that you surround yourself with.” If those 5 people lack drive and ambition, they will only drag you down.
I encourage you to create an environment that supports your goals and dreams. When you do, it will be easier for you to practice healthy habits that serve your highest self. As someone once said, “If you make sure that your environment supports your dreams, achieving your dreams becomes radically easier. Whatever you are surrounded by all day – influences you more than you think.”
5. Take Responsibility For Your Life
People who make excuses and who don't take ownership of their choices in life are usually the ones who struggle with self discipline. You are responsible for everything that has happened in your life, both good and bad. A lot of people wait for someone to come along and make difficult decisions for them.
Only you can save you. If you find yourself falling into the blame game and playing the victim, you will never be able to achieve great things in life. You are your own limit. I guarantee that there are no successful people in this world that play the blame game. Instead, they only focus on what is in their control. Instead of complaining about what is going wrong, take action and find a solution.
In his book, No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline, Brian Tracy says, “Your ability to think, plan, and work hard in the short term and to discipline yourself to do what is right and necessary before you do what is fun and easy is the key to creating a wonderful future for yourself.”
If you are struggling to stay motivated, this is one of the best self discipline books to read. It will inspire you to hold yourself responsible for a higher standard of living.
6. Reward Yourself
It's hard to stay disciplined if you never get rewarded for it. When you accomplish a goal, celebrate yourself. Doing so will increase the likelihood that you will stay motivated and work harder.
When you take the time to acknowledge the small milestones that you took towards your goals, you strengthen those actions even more. This is how positive habits stick. Conversely, if you fail to reward yourself, it's your way of telling your mind that there is zero pleasure from engaging in this act.
Rewarding yourself comes down to recognizing your efforts. This is intrinsic motivation at its finest. Focus on being your biggest fan instead of your worst critic. When you show up and achieve something that is deserving of a pat on the back, give yourself one!
7. Be Consistent
Have you ever wondered how some people are able to achieve success, while others don't? In my eyes, the secret is consistency. Everybody has dreams and goals, but if you don't have a consistent plan, you won't go anywhere.
Success isn't an accident. It doesn't happen by luck. Rather, it requires that you wake up every single day and execute. When something doesn't work, you've got to adjust and keep going. If you commit to doing the work over an extended period of time, you will be successful. However, if you only make excuses, you will never be able to achieve self discipline or become a master of your life.
Trust me when I say that there is power in being consistent. When you do something over and over again, you get better at it. It starts to become a part of who you are. If you want to go from good to great in life you can't give up. Instead, you've got to challenge yourself to become the best version of yourself until you reach the top. Discipline always defeats excuses. Don't forget that.
8. Find An Accountability Partner
An accountability partner will hold you accountable for things that you need to get done on a daily basis. As humans, we are social by nature, meaning that we feel a sense of responsibility to one another. It's easy to let yourself down. However, when you let someone else it doesn't feel good.
Think of an accountability partner as your personal cheerleader, someone who is in your corner inspiring you to keep going. In my experience, there is no better way to get things done faster and achieve your goals. Seek out a person whom you trust and that shares the same values as you.
Share with your accountability partner 1-2 things that you want to accomplish in one or more areas of your life. Make a commitment that you will see those things through. You will amaze yourself what a difference this partnership will make to your overall motivation, willpower and self discipline.
I believe that discipline is one of the most important traits that you can develop.
Without the ability to get things done on a continual basis, you will never make progress towards your goals. The difference between the people who achieve greatness versus those that don't is self discipline. Discipline has given me the freedom to live life on my terms and create massive success in every area of my life.
If you make it a priority to flex your discipline muscle every single day, you will become unstoppable. In the words of John C. Maxwell, “Motivation keeps you going, but discipline keeps you growing.”
Discipline is your secret weapon for success. Are you ready to start using it to your advantage?
Do you want to learn how you can create an empowering morning ritual? CLICK HERE to join my Morning Ritual Mastery program!
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