Self-discipline isn’t something you’re born with or without; it’s something you develop through repetition and action. But even if you’ve already developed a strong sense of self-discipline, there are always ways to improve it further.
When it comes to self-discipline, everyone can use some help from time to time — even the most disciplined among us! If you find yourself struggling with procrastination, distraction, or any other challenge to your self-discipline, check out these ten ways to instantly improve your self-discipline in your work and life today!
1. Make a decision
Self-discipline isn’t something that most people think they need, but it’s so much more important than you may realize. Being able to make decisions and stick with them is what lets you get things done in both your personal and professional life.
It will also give you a sense of confidence that helps keep stress and anxiety at bay. To improve your self-discipline right now, start by picking just one thing that’s been on your mind or on your To-Do list for a while, but has fallen by the wayside due to a lack of decision-making. Then decide: Is it a task or project? Is it something you can complete in one sitting? Could you do it now?
What’s more, you don’t have to be a perfectionist about it — just do your best. This is about decisions, not outcomes. The important thing is just to start working on that project or eat healthier or call a friend. You can improve your self-discipline with these simple steps.
One of my favorite ways to instantly improve self-discipline is through a quick game of yes or no. Start by writing down everything you need/want to do today. When you’re done, ask yourself: Is it on my list? If yes, put an X next to it and move on.
If not, write down exactly why it’s not a good idea and come up with something else that will accomplish your goal. Next, go back and look at your list again; if something is missing, make sure you have a good reason why — it won’t hurt just because you don’t feel like doing it right now!
2. Accept your bad habits,
accept your bad habits. If you want to improve, they’re not really bad. But if you’re serious about becoming self-disciplined, you need to accept that there are things in your life you have little control over and no amount of discipline will fix them.
Instead of beating yourself up for your lack of self-control around these bad foods or activities, use it as a chance to reflect on why you eat or do those things: What emotions make eating a bag of chips seem like a good idea? How can we find something else that gives us those same feelings?
One of the most important principles of self-discipline is that you must accept your bad habits before they can be broken. If you’re constantly berating yourself for a particular behavior, you may find it impossible to break that habit.
Instead, use positive reinforcement and try learning how to love your bad habits; even though they might not contribute positively to your life, accepting them means that when you decide it’s time for a change, you can do so without guilt or remorse.
There’s nothing wrong with a habit or two. Everyone has them, and they’re often useful because they can make us feel comfortable and in control of our lives. If you don’t have any yet, work on accepting your bad habits before you try eliminating them.
This way, when you do start working on changing a habit — or creating a new one — you won’t get frustrated by having to give up something you enjoy too much; instead, it will be an easy process that takes less time than you thought it would take. (Source: rd .com)
3. Live at the moment
Overthinking is another way that many of us sabotage our self-discipline. We worry about what’s coming up — concluding that it will be stressful and hard — instead of focusing on what we are doing right now. And then, because we fear future difficulties, we succumb to temptation today in order to avoid them in our minds (e.g., I might as well eat cake now because my diet starts tomorrow).
Learning how to live that allows you to make choices based on where you are right now. Also, consider using mindfulness practices that allow you to focus on your breathing or body while preventing your mind from wandering into negativity.
What do we mean when we say live? That’s easy: Stop multitasking. Instead of rushing around and trying to get everything done, focus on one task at a time.
By taking each task one step at a time and completing it before moving on, you will feel much more relaxed and satisfied with your productivity. Plus, there’s no better way to improve your self-discipline than by slowing down and eliminating distractions — it works like magic!
The easiest way to instantly improve your self-discipline is by focusing on what you’re doing right now. It’s an important key in fighting procrastination and getting things done, so try taking a deep breath and living in the now.
It will help you live a more present life and stop wasting time by dwelling on past regrets or worrying about future worries.
One of my favorite ways to instantly improve my self-discipline is by living. This is something I still have a lot of trouble with, but it’s also one of those things that makes you better at everything else you do.
Instead of thinking about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow, live in your world right now.
4. Create short-term goals and rewards
Setting up short-term goals is an important part of self-discipline. Goals are at least 80 percent of what we’re thinking about most of our waking hours, according to psychologist Kevin Hogan, Ph.D., author of Personality Hacker. They guide what we pay attention to and direct how much effort we put into getting things done.
Hogan also says that setting up a reward for reaching each goal keeps you motivated and on track toward success. You might need a mix of both long-term and short-term goals, depending on your self-discipline issues. For example, if you have trouble losing weight, your long-term goal might be to lose 25 pounds by September 1.
A short-term goal within that time frame could be to start using a treadmill at home for 20 minutes every morning, or get into a weight training routine with friends. The key is to choose small milestones and celebrate when you achieve them. Rewards can also help boost your motivation.
If you have poor self-discipline, you’re not alone — it’s actually a common trait. And self-discipline is something that can be developed over time. A great way to immediately improve your self-discipline is by setting specific short-term goals and rewards for reaching those goals.
For example, if your goal is not to eat pizza for two weeks, make it clear that there will be a pizza party at work when you reach your goal. It may seem like cheating, but having something to look forward to is more motivating than pushing through with willpower alone.
5. Think about it as a challenge,
one of your New Year’s resolutions was to work on self-discipline. So how have you been doing so far? If you’re like most people, it hasn’t been going so well.
The good news is that self-discipline can be learned, but if you don’t take steps now, then before long another year will have slipped by, and you’ll still be unable to control yourself. To help get started, try these 10 easy ways to instantly improve your self-discipline.
A common reason why people don’t stick with a diet or an exercise plan is that they’re afraid it will be too hard. But thinking of it as a challenge makes all the difference in how you tackle it. Look at that cupcake, for example — would you rather eat it or be challenged not to? If you say challenge, you’ve already convinced yourself of your capacity for self-discipline.
Before you can work on improving your self-discipline, it’s important to look at how much self-discipline you have right now. And by that, I mean just evaluate how well you manage tasks in your life: Is your room a disaster or spotless?
Are there papers strewn all over your desk, or do they have a system? Do you wake up early every day, even if it’s Saturday? (Or do you drag yourself out of bed?) To improve any attribute in life — self-discipline included — it helps to take an honest look at where you stand and then set goals for improvement. If your house is a wreck, clean it up as one step toward more organization.
6. Get support from others
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to improve their self-discipline is believing that they can do it alone. If you have a demanding job or family, it’s nearly impossible to improve your self-discipline without help from others.
Try developing a support system with other people who are also working on improving their self-discipline; work out together, share recipes and healthy food ideas, or meet regularly for lunch where you all agree not to eat junk food. You’ll be surprised how much easier it is when you have friends rooting for you and helping you keep accountable.
If you have trouble being self-disciplined, surround yourself with people who have more discipline than you. Others may be able to provide support for your goals, which can help keep you on track. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight and your friends are all going out for ice cream, ask if they’ll join you on a walk instead.
Don’t make self-discipline a solitary journey. Find like-minded people and join them in making small commitments that support your goals. For example, if you’re trying to learn how to manage your time more effectively, it might help to find a friend or coworker who is also trying (or has tried) to do so.
If you’re aiming for self-improvement, you don’t have a lot of time and energy left over after work and other obligations. You need people around you who can support your efforts — people who will call or email when they notice you slipping up or pushing back on your own goals, people who can hold you accountable when it looks like you might give up altogether.
7. Tell yourself you can do it
When we think about a self-disciplined person, we often imagine someone who just naturally has great willpower and self-control. But studies show that’s not necessarily true. It turns out, self-discipline is like a muscle; it can be strengthened with training and practice.
When you’re trying to improve your self-discipline, take a page from strength training — actually say those words out loud: I can do it! — and write them down or even stick them on your mirror, so you’ll see them first thing every morning.
You may sound a little silly, but remember how people used to tell themselves they could run faster or lift more weight before they ever stepped into an exercise room?
We’ve all been there, especially when we’re starting out: The idea of working toward a major goal is a bit overwhelming, and self-doubt creeps in. These are normal feelings and thoughts, but you can use them to your advantage. Tell yourself that yes, you can do it — and then go for it!
One of my favorite mantras is, You can do it. I like it because it reminds me that it’s not a question of ability, but desire. As Tony Robbins says, Desire is everything.
If you want something badly enough, you’ll figure out how to get it. Saying you can do it out loud works for me because I think that actually hearing myself say what I believe triggers a response in my brain. It activates something deep inside me and gives me motivation when I need it most.
8. Set reminders for yourself
Another great way to practice self-discipline is by using a reminder tool. Reminders can be set on your phone or computer, which is especially helpful if you want to build new habits or avoid bad ones.
For example, setting reminders for yourself will help you keep up with meditation and daily exercise, stick with meal plans, and call friends and family members regularly.
You’ll soon find that these little reminders can have an enormous impact on your overall productivity, motivation levels, healthiness, and relationships — and they don’t require much work either!
Sticking with a diet or exercise plan can be tough. If you’re having trouble remembering your commitments, use your phone to set reminders for yourself.
For example, when you have a meeting in an hour and don’t want it interrupted by dinner plans, add an event that reminds you that you need to eat a healthy meal beforehand. These are just a few of many reminders that can help keep your promises from day today.
It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll do something (i.e., exercise, eat healthier, floss) as you walk out of your doctor’s office after another great dental checkup. It takes a little more discipline to actually make it happen when there are no reminders around, and you don’t feel like doing whatever it is that needs doing.
To help with that, leave yourself a note in an obvious place or set an alarm on your phone for certain activities; if you still can’t get around to it by that time, turn off said reminder and be sure not to set another one until some time has passed.
9. Celebrate your progress
Consistency is a key component of building self-discipline. People who change their behavior and keep doing it week after week are more likely to experience long-term success. While that may seem like a simple task, actually celebrating your progress can help you stay on track.
No matter how big or small your accomplishments, make sure you’re patting yourself on the back once in a while — not only will it make you feel good, but it can serve as motivation for what’s ahead. Making progress is great, but celebrating said progress will ensure that you continue making strides toward your ultimate goal.
Acknowledge that you’re making progress toward your goals, even when it seems slow. If every week you wake up with a little more energy than you had before and a little more motivation, you’re moving forward.
And progress is progress! Celebrate any time you stick to your guns and accomplish something on your list. Soon enough, these small wins will add up to bigger ones.
One of life’s most powerful tools for improving self-discipline is simply giving yourself credit for it. Don’t keep yourself chained to your old, less effective ways of doing things just because you don’t think you deserve better. If you want to eat less chocolate, celebrate every time you resist eating it.
If you want more willpower and confidence in social situations, congratulate yourself on every success. And if it helps, make a little public celebration out of your victories — tell people how proud you are of yourself or take a picture or two so that there’s a visual reminder as well.
10. Sleep well
When you aren’t well-rested, it can be difficult to control your impulses and avoid distractions. Getting enough sleep is essential if you want strong self-discipline. Try turning off screens 30 minutes before bed and setting an alarm, so you can wake up at a regular time each morning.
If possible, try napping once a day — even if it’s only for 15 minutes, in order to prevent sleep deprivation.
When you aren’t well-rested, it becomes easy to give in to temptation and more difficult to resist tempting distractions from work. By getting some sleep first thing in the morning, you can create that much more space for self-control in your day ahead.
Getting enough sleep will help you in two ways. First, it’ll keep your mood up and your energy high so that you can be productive. Second, getting enough sleep reduces stress and cortisol levels, which helps increase self-discipline. Aim for seven or eight hours of shuteye a night; if that’s not possible, shoot for seven or eight hours of sleep every day.
Not getting enough sleep can sap your self-discipline, and being sleep-deprived can even make you more likely to cheat on your diet or quit exercising regularly. Make sure you’re getting a good seven or eight hours of sleep every night.
If it takes some effort, so be it. Even if you have trouble falling asleep at first, making an effort to set a regular bedtime and stick with it will eventually become easier, which in turn will improve your discipline in other areas of life as well.
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