How To Stay Disciplined – 8 Habits of Self Discipline
Self discipline can be a challenge sometimes. Most of us have procrastinated or gotten lazy at some point in life. But research has shown that self-discipline correlates with higher IQ.
But where does self-discipline come from? How do we become more disciplined?
What is self-discipline?
According to Oxford Languages, self-discipline is defined as the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome weaknesses. You stay in control of your determination to get something down and you overcome the weakness of laziness.
We need to understand what helps us stay in control. Knowing what keeps us from succumbing to the weakness of laziness can be the key to our staying disciplined. University of the People notes the following benefits of being disciplined:
- Being in control
- Higher rates of goal achievement
- Feeling more motivated
Having more discipline can potentially make your life better than ever. Here are some tips to be more disciplined.
1. Make your goals visible to you
One study found that writing down your goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them. Perhaps it’s the fact that it increases our focus on our goal.
Begin by defining clear, achievable goals. These should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Having a clear understanding of what you want to achieve helps maintain focus and motivation.
Maybe when we have an increased focus that leads us to be more disciplined in achieving it. Get a journal or planner and starting writing down what you want to achieve each day. See how much it makes you more disciplined in getting your tasks down.
2. Create a structured plan
Break down your goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Plan these tasks in a daily or weekly schedule. This helps in creating a routine and makes big goals seem less daunting.
3. Keep distractions away
If distractions from your phone or TV leads to distraction remove it. Keep all temptations that can take away from your focus out of your space when you’re in work mode.
You can put your phone away in a drawer and then allow yourself to look at it again after working for a certain amount of time. Some distractions may be out of your control, but the less you have, the better.
4. Make sure you’re energized
If you have less energy, you’ll probably be less motivated. Think about what keeps our bodies energized in life.
- Adequate sleep
- Balanced diet
- Positive relationships
There are many other things that help us to stay upbeat and positive. Make sure you’re giving your mind and body what it needs to reach it’s peak energy levels.
5. Keep your why in mind
Knowing why you’re doing something may help you focus more on actually doing it. Remember the benefits that you know you’ll gain in being disciplined in the work you’re doing.
Maybe you’re trying to practice something daily to get better. Create a mental image in your mind of how successful you’ll be if you maintain consistent practice.
Having a deeper purpose and meaning behind our actions can help us to persist in doing them. Figure out what that deeper meaning is for you.
6. Use time management techniques
Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique (working in focused intervals with short breaks) can enhance productivity and maintain focus.
7. Believe you can be disciplined
If you don’t believe you can be disciplined, you likely won’t be. Our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves can play a large role in what we end up doing in life.
You need to have a belief in your mind that you will stay focused on completing your tasks. It might be difficult for some due to a phenomenon known as learned helplessness.
It’s the belief from previous failures that no matter what you do, you won’t be able to succeed. One of the ways to get out of that mindset and restore belief in yourself is to set small achievable goals for yourself.
The idea is that showing yourself that you can take some control over your environment helps to increase your belief in yourself. It’s important not to set goals that are too ambitious so you don’t reinforce the belief that you can’t succeed. Give yourself a small task, do it, and start believing more that you can be disciplined.
8. Learn to deal with discomfort
Often, the path to achieving a goal involves stepping out of your comfort zone. Learning to tolerate discomfort and not immediately resorting to distractions can build mental toughness and discipline.
Final thoughts on discipline
It takes practice and effort to increase your discipline. Try scheduling a time everyday where you’re just focused on accomplishing one task.
After you complete the task, think about what helped and what didn’t help. As you learn more what helps you personally be more disciplined, you’ll be able to master this trait in no time.
Hi,Eric thanks for sharing your view I am just a 18 year old trying focusing on being self discipline, I actually do this 1-2 days and get back to normal comfort zone how many ever times I try due to this I loose trust from my people …..
But this time I wanna do it ,can be help me in dealing with it just it I get comfortable with self discipline…?