Self-discipline is a skill that’s useful in all areas of life. It’s required for everything, regardless of whether you want to quit bad habits or achieve success. In this article, Success Coach Ken D Foster discusses the keys to self-discipline and how to improve it.
What Is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline refers to the ability to control or resist yourself from doing things that give you instant gratification or pleasure for more long-term success. It’s a skill that is learnable and developed improving your self-control.
Here are some examples of self-discipline:
- If you want to increase self-esteem, then make and keep commitments to yourself and others.
- If you want to increase focus; read and learn new things, but stay away from all distractions.
- If you want to keep yourself fit, you commit to working out 4 times a week and learn what foods are best for your body type.
Benefits of Self-Discipline
There are various benefits of self-discipline. Some of them include the following:
- Better planning: When you have self-discipline, you will create a plan to achieve your goal. When you have a proper plan, you can work towards achieving your goal more effectively.
- Ability to work smarter: With self-discipline, you can keep yourself away from distractions and focus more on your goals, which makes you more productive.
- Acceptance: Most people don’t acknowledge their mistakes or their weaknesses. When you have self-discipline, you will know yourself better, and as a result, you will acknowledge your weaknesses and be able to improve.
- Reduced stress: Stress is something that everyone experiences. With self-discipline, you can manage stress much better and keep even-minded therefore make better choices.
- Improve relationships: With self-discipline, you can control your mind and emotions and speak compassionately, which enhances your relationship with others.
4 Beneficial Tips To Develop Self-Discipline
Here are some tips that can help you develop self-discipline:
- Set goals, but start small
- Remind yourself of your goals
- Know your weakness and fix them
- Take care of your health
1. Set Goals, But Start Small
If you want to develop self-discipline, set achievable goals. Your primary goal can be big, but break it down into smaller parts so that you can work towards achieving it more effectively. Also, each time you achieve your sub-goal, you will psychologically feel motivated to achieve your primary goal.
For example, say that you have set a goal to have 1000 customers for your SAAS product within two years. In this case, you can aim to get five customers in the first month and gradually increase the number. From the eleventh month, you can aim to get 300 customers, as you would have already got an idea of the process, so getting customers will be easier.
2. Remind Yourself of Your Goals
Use an app or a calendar to remind yourself of your goals. If you keep your goals at the forefront of your mind you will automatically notice an improvement in your self-discipline. I recommend you daily review your goals. By doing so, each time you see them, you will naturally get the motivation to work. This strategy can also help you overcome procrastination.
3. Know Your Weakness and Fix Them
All humans are here to grow, evolve, develop, and become a better version of themselves. All of us have weaknesses. To develop self-discipline, create a daily habit. At the end of the day, ask yourself these three questions. What worked? What didn’t work? Where will I improve tomorrow? When you identify your weakness you can overcome them.
4. Take Care of Your Health
Health is your most valuable asset, and maintaining it is part of self-discipline. Without good health, you won’t be able to achieve your goals. I suggest you challenge yourself to spend at least an hour a day working out. You need not go to the gym and do hard-core exercises. Going for a fast walk or jogging would suffice. But consistency is the key to self-discipline so set up your targets and keep to them.
Conclusion
Self-discipline is an important skill to develop if you want to be more successful. If you have self-discipline, you will be better motivated to achieve your goals, and it will also prevent you from procrastinating on your tasks.
I would like to end this article with a quote from my book The Courage to Change Everything
“It takes courage to pick yourself up when you have fallen. But try again you must if you want to achieve your highest calling.” – Ken D Foster.
Struggling to develop self-discipline? Book a coaching session with Ken D Foster. Ken, who has over 35 years of experience, can also help you realize your full potential and succeed in life.
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