How to gain true self-discipline? Here are 5 tips to get you there!
Self discipline is one of those things that can improve almost any aspect of our lives. Whether it is our health, career or relationships.
It is one of those traits that can help us focus on our goals and ultimately turn us into happy and successful people.
We all know that people who practice self-discipline are more comfortable with making decisions than those who don’t. And it seems like they are capable of taking more control over their lives.
Self-disciplined people follow their plans conscientiously and can hardly be distracted by outside factors. They make informed rational decisions even when put under pressure and would spend less time worrying about what others might think of them.
So how can we achieve self-discipline and harvest all those benefits?
Well, the good news is that just like every other skill, all we need is technique and practice.
Let us look into 5 of the best ways to start practicing true self-discipline in your own life.
1. Control your environment
The first step in practicing self-discipline is to take control over your environment.
It might not be an easy thing depending on your living situation, however, it is still doable!
Yes, it might be tempting to go extremely hard from the beginning and hide all the temptations… for example; you would furiously go on to remove the “distractions” of social media, turn off your phone, set crazy time limits and extreme deadlines, and so on!
Don’t get me wrong, this could work well for a while, however, it is only for a while and it won’t be effective in the long term.
The challenge here is not to change your environment, but to change your perspective towards your environment, and that is how you take control.
You have to accept the things around and not hide from them. Be in control of your reactions towards the environment because self-discipline, like the words states, starts with the “self”.
2. Eat well. You are what you eat after all!
Good nutrition is important because it really helps our brains function better.
When we are well fed, we can evaluate situations better and ultimately make better decisions.
Studies have shown us that low blood sugar levels can drastically affect our mental state and weaken our judgment.
But it’s not only about eating when we are hungry, it’s more about how well we digest what we eat. This means that the type of food we eat is what ultimately makes the difference.
Digesting our food well is key here.
In my case, I personally take some digestive supplements from time to time to avoid bloating and discomforts in my stomach.
3. It is all about building the right habits.
Now let’s be frank, self-discipline is mainly about forming habits that bring us satisfaction and achievements in our lives.
However, the part of the brain that processes habits is different from the part that influences decisions.
This means that in order for your brain to accept new and regular changes, it has to start see these changes as habits rather than regular decisions to be made.
Forming habits take time and that is where the challenge comes in, and self-discipline can just be another form of habit formation. Your brain must accept this new norm rather than try regularly to decide on it.
Your self-discipline should be natural, it should be exhausting!
4. Don’t go so hard on yourself
Self-discipline is not about forcing yourself, neither it is about restraining yourself from the pleasures of life. It is definitely not meant to drain your psychic energy or cause you pain and fatigue.
Self-discipline is about understanding and accepting what you are going through and what you need to do in order to get where you want!
You can definitely go on by harshly forbidding yourself from social media, but if you are not convinced about the essence of the problem, then your work will not be effective in the long term! You will easily lose your balance and fall back into it whenever you see a meme, or a random post somewhere.
The core of your self-discipline is understanding the what, why and how.
It is about being aware of the situation rather than running away from it or hiding the problem temporarily.
5. Forgive yourself, even if you fail!
Failing is an inevitable part of the process.
After all, we are not perfect creatures, no matter how much we like to think otherwise!
It is ok if you slip or fail, there is no need to punish yourself or feel guilty about it.
In fact, you should just look at as another chance to bounce back up!
As long as you are aware of your failures and you see them as a learning opportunity, you can easily gain the self-discipline to continue and do more.
Perhaps in your second try, you will learn more about yourself than you did in the first, because you are already getting familiar with the process.
That is how progress happens!
Self-discipline does not mean that you should be harsh on yourself and that you should restrain yourself from life.
It is definitely not about scolding yourself when you make a mistake.
Self-discipline is about being aware of your actions and being in control of how you perceive them, it is about understanding and being aware.
You can’t change the situations around you, but you can definitely change how you react towards them.
Because it is only with understanding and accepting ourselves is where we can achieve self-discipline.
The original article is available on my blog: https://www.in69days.com/post/5-tips-to-gain-self-discipline
