5 ways to cultivate discipline
STEP ONE: Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, one person’s weakness may be their inability to say no to alcohol, another persons may be their inability to have difficult conversations. Weaknesses don’t just come in the form of areas where we lack self-control either. We all have our strong suits and the stuff we’re just kinda bad at. I’m bad at planning, I always think that if i plan ahead the day will come and I might be in a different mood. I have to look at this from a different perspective and understand that having a plan means having purpose at the same time so it’s not always a bad thing. I have got better at accepting that plans aren’t always a bad thing (it’s taking me a hot sec). I used to actively avoid things I was bad at or that made me uncomfortable but over time realised that doesn’t change anything and I started running straight towards them instead, it tricks my brain into thinking doing scary things isn’t as scary, leading to increased discipline and decreased fears. Knowing your strengths can not only help you be more productive, it also means that you can start to understand why you do better in certain situations and put yourself in more of those situations.
STEP 2: Remove Temptations
Like the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” It may seem silly, but this phrase offers powerful advice. By simply removing the biggest temptations from your environment, you will greatly improve your self-discipline. I’ve removed myself from many environments that offered high amounts of themptations and out of sight out of mine really proved itself, I’ve found out what I can really achieve away from unhealthy lifestyles and toxic people. Sometimes it can be scary when leaving places and people behind but trust when I say if they are no good for you, life was never going to bless you while you were still there. Life removes to replace, and it replaces with a better place and better people, places and people with align with the higher version of you.
The fewer distractions you have, the more focused you will be on accomplishing your goals. Set yourself up for success by getting rid of bad influences.
STEP THREE: Set clear goals and have an execution plan.
If you hope to achieve greater degrees of self-discipline, you must have a clear vision of what you hope to accomplish, just like any goal. You must also have an understanding of what success means to you. Success means something different to each and every person, for one person is may be financial freedom, for another it may be having a loving family.
If you don’t know where you are going, it’s easy to lose your way or get sidetracked. Remember to prioritize.
A clear plan outlines each time-bound step you need to take to reach your goals. Create a thinking pattern or affirmations to keep yourself focused. Successful people use this technique to stay on track, emotionally connect to their mission, and establish a clear finish line.
STEP FOUR: Practice daily diligence.
We aren’t born with self-discipline; it’s something we learn, and we have to choose to learn. Just like any other skill you want to master, it requires daily practice and repetition. It must become a habit, the effort and focus that self-discipline requires can be draining. As time passes, it can become more and more difficult to keep your willpower in check. The bigger the temptation or decision, the more challenging it can feel to tackle other tasks that also require self-control.
So, work on building your self-discipline through daily diligence in a given area associated with a goal. Reinforcing discipline every single day makes it become more natural and easier over time, at one point you will almost have to drag yourself to the gym as though its a chore, when you have built up your discipline for working out you won’t even question it, you will just get up and go. With practice, anyone can push the boundaries of their comfort zone every day.
STEP FIVE: Change your perception about willpower.
If you believe you have a limited amount of willpower, you probably won’t surpass those limits. The elephant theory is the best example of this, a baby elephant is tied to a post and as it is so small it cannot pull away because it lacks the strength. It slowly stops trying to pull away but over time but it gets bigger, it gets stronger nonetheless it’s inner belief is now that it isn’t strong enough to get away, it lacks the will power, yet if it tried it would find out it can quite easily pull away. As I mentioned previously, studies show that willpower can deplete over time. But what about changing that perception? Why assume our will to win can only take us so far?
When we embrace the mindset of unlimited willpower, we continue to grow, achieve more, and develop mental toughness. It’s the same philosophy as setting “stretch” goals. In short, our internal conceptions about willpower and self-control can determine how disciplined we are. If you can remove these subconscious obstacles and truly believe you can do it, then you will give yourself an extra boost of motivation toward making those goals a reality.
Sending love,
K