7 Ways To Develop Unbreakable Self Discipline
Self-discipline is one of the most popular topics in the self-improvement space. People generally understand that with self-discipline, just about anything is possible with consistent effort.
Yet, this is one of the hardest skills to master.
Yes, it is a skill…and just like all skills, the more you practice it, the better you’ll get at it.
Most people aren’t born with innate self-discipline. They either knowingly or unknowingly practice sacrificing what they want now for what they want most – and they do what they need to do to achieve their goals.
This is what self-discipline is at its core.
Below you’ll find 7 tips that will help you develop self-discipline gradually until you reach a point where you almost automatically do what’s in your best interests, with very little resistance on your part.
1. Create A routine
When you were young and in school, there was a timetable to follow. This is a routine. Similarly, in the military, there are strict routines soldiers need to follow. There’s a reason for this.
When you follow a routine, you experience less decision fatigue. More importantly, by doing the same activities at the same time daily, your mind and body gets used to the work and it all becomes habitual and automatic.
One good example is writing at the same time every single day, if you’re a content creator.
Writing is one of those activities that people procrastinate on all the time. By having a writing routine, you’ll eliminate a lot of the hesitation and procrastination commonly associated with the task.
With time, you’ll get used to it. Even on days when you don’t feel like it, you’ll go through the motions. This is true self-discipline.
Make sure you create a routine that suits your life.
2. Eliminate Energy Depleters
You have a finite amount of energy daily. You’re using up this energy for a multitude of activities throughout the. Even reading this article requires energy on your part.
It doesn’t matter if you’re leisurely scrolling on social media or watching TV passively – you’re still depleting your energy.
So it’s best to eliminate most of the time wasters in your day. Do your most important work at the start of the day when your energy levels are at their highest.
Some people may find that they do their best work at night. This is fine too. Just ensure that you’re not wasting your precious energy on irrelevant activities throughout the day.
3. Set Milestones
Big goals take time. To stay motivated and disciplined, you need to set milestones that you can reach on your path towards your big goal. Now you have a target that’s nearer and more attainable.
This will encourage you to stay disciplined to achieve the target that’s within reach. If your goal is too far into the distance, it’ll seem insurmountable and you’ll be less likely to stay motivated.
4. Focus On 1-2 Habits At A Time
Trying to bite off more than you can chew is a surefire way to fail. If you’re trying to cultivate a habit of daily exercise, don’t suddenly try to adopt a keto diet and wake up at 5 AM daily.
If you do that, your body will have to adjust to both the physical demands of a new training regimen… and it will also have to cope with the sugar cravings associated with the keto diet when you begin.
Not to mention, you’ll be sleepy and groggy throughout the day because you woke early.
All this stress will inevitably be too much to bear and you’ll cave in…and quit. You’re better off focusing on one habit at a time.
This may mean just exercising for 45 minutes to an hour a day. Do this for 3 weeks until you’re used to the increased activity.
Next, you may try waking up 10 minutes earlier each day until you hit the 5 AM mark. You’ll need to adjust your bedtime too.
Once you master both habits and are ‘in the groove’, now you can gradually reduce your carb intake while increasing your fat consumption until you reach ketosis.
It may take you 3 months or so to master all 3 habits, but by methodically taking the slower approach, you’ll stay disciplined and accelerate your results.
Herein lies the contradiction – the slow approach leads to faster results when you’re trying to transform yourself.
Going too fast and too hard will only lead to burn out and eventual quitting. Less is more.
5. Enjoy Small Rewards
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…and Jill a dull girl. Every single time you reach a milestone, take a day (or a few hours) to celebrate your achievement.
Lost 2 pounds?
Great! Treat yourself to a movie at the cinema or a new piece of clothing. You might want to indulge in a cheat meal…and that’s fine. Just be very careful not to go overboard.
What’s most important is that you appreciate your efforts. Instead of constantly depressing yourself by looking at how much further you have to go, focus on how far you’ve come.
This will inspire you to stay disciplined and on track because you’ve progressed…and will want more of the same.
6. Stay Accountable
You’ll want to be accountable to yourself daily, weekly and monthly. Of course, you’ll need targets and milestones to ensure that you’re on track.
For example, if you have a goal to lose 50 pounds of fat, you may set a goal to lose 2 pounds a week. That will mean training for an hour each day and being at a caloric deficit.
If you’re accountable, you’ll know if you’re on track with your training and caloric requirement daily. At the end of the week, when you weigh yourself, you’ll know if you indeed did lose the 2 pounds you were supposed to.
There’s no guess work here. You’re accountable. If you’re on track, that’s excellent. If you’re not, that may mean you need to do more or correct any slip-ups that may be occurring in your journey.
Whatever the case, accountability will lead to increased self-discipline.
7. Aim To Beat Your Personal Bests
All you need to do to progress is to beat your personal bests daily. You don’t need to do a lot…just aim to be slightly better.
It may mean waking up 5 minutes earlier or doing an extra rep at the gym. Maybe it’s writing an extra page for your book…or spending an hour more with your family.
What matters is that you actively find ways to improve every single day. This is a discipline on its own.
When you’re constantly striving to beat your personal bests, you’ll have no choice but to stay disciplined.
You can’t slack off because you need to get better. Challenging yourself also keeps things interesting and competitive. You’ll be motivated to do more, and do better.
Apply these 7 tips in your life and you’ll discover that you gradually develop more self-discipline. In 6 months to a year, you won’t be able to recognize your former self.
You’ll be more productive and your life will be much more rewarding. Developing self-discipline is a slow and laborious process…but it will yield rewards many times over in your life.
“Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don’t talk back”. – W. K. Hope