Have you ever told yourself you weren’t going to do that Self-Discipline one thing, but you lapsed and did it anyway?
This happens to us all occasionally with things like diet, exercise, and relationships. But how can we put a stop to this and do what we initially set out to do?
Mastering the art of self-discipline is something many people struggle with for years—sometimes without success.
In fact, self-disciple has a direct effect on your overall happiness, as a 2013 study found that those with self-discipline were happier. Primarily because they spent less time going back and forth trying to figure out why they keep repeating (or not following through) with a particular goal or action.
This is the exact reason we thought it’d be beneficial to compile a list of ways you can keep your tasks, goals, and intentions in line.
1. Take Note of Your Weaknesses
No matter your intent, you should always note the things that impose on your intended goal.
Your weaknesses can range from foods, retail to toxic people you’re trying to part ways with. The number one thing you should understand is understanding your weaknesses is the first step in being more disciplined.
2. Set Clear Goals
Now you know what your weaknesses are, so you can start setting goals and expectations for yourself.
When you set clear goals, it’s helpful to write them out on paper. It’s said that writing goals on paper help solidify them in your mind on a deeper cognitive level. When you get your goals down on paper, break them down into smaller chunks.
This applies to any type of goal, not just career-based goals. Setting goals help guide your focus and keep you moving in the right direction.
Besides, once you get in the habit of setting goals and achieving them, it’s the best feeling in the world and helps solidify self-discipline in your life.
3. Plan For Mental Rebuttals
Once you have everything written out, take some time to plan for mental rebuttals.
If you’re not clear on what a mental rebuttal is, it’s the mental back and forth and reasoning you go through with yourself before you break discipline.
On the backside of your paper, write down what you can do to avoid this mental back and forth. It can be a phrase or the fact that you say to yourself instead of going with the bargaining tactic you’ve come up with in your head.
Mental rebuttals often resemble procrastination at times, so take this into consideration when you say you’ll go for a run tomorrow.
An excellent way to get these mental rebuttals out of the way is by removing temptation altogether. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight but keep sneaking to have one chip or one cookie—don’t buy them.
If you’re trying to remove a toxic person from your life, block their access to your phone and social platforms and delete their contact information.
When you remove the temptation, you cut the need for any mental rebuttals.
4. Kick Back, Ditch the Stress
One of the most stressful things about lacking and trying to build self-discipline is failing. When this happens, don’t beat yourself up—you’re only human!
However, it’s always a good idea to reflect upon the situation and take it as a learning experience to reference moving forward. If you find yourself getting worked up and stressed out about it all, take the time to explore CBD as a supportive option.
CBD works naturally within your body and has tons of benefits that range from increasing focus and concentration, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as helping you keep a healthy balance throughout this whole process.
It’s easy to take CBD capsules, and they’re packed with CBD goodness that lasts for the majority of the day. Many find great success with the no-hassle approach to CBD wellness.
When you take the stress and overanalyzing out of the equation, it’s much easier to hone in on your self-discipline skills.
Parting Thoughts
When you get older, you realize how essential self-discipline is. It’s a valuable skill that helps us reach our goals, lead healthier lives, and bring more happiness in our lives.
When you set out to do something (or not do something), it helps you build confidence when you know you’re on the right track, and you’re capable of sticking to your intentions.
You don’t want to be stuck in a mental loophole trying to figure out why you keep making the same mistakes—why you can’t do what you say you’re going to do.
It’s a proven fact that self-disciplined people are happier in general for this very reason. If you want to develop self-discipline, all you need are these simple steps to set things off in the right direction.
With a little time, practice, and dedication, you’ll see your progress and beam with pride—and self-discipline!
Why we need self-discipline.
- Self-discipline can be extremely important for achieving goals, embodying success (whatever that might mean to you) and living a healthy life. Being able to regulate our behavior and track our goals, knowing our specific end-goals without forgetting where we started, helps us be effective in our personal and professional lives.
- Consistently reminding ourselves — especially when it gets hard — how and why we set a goal and what we will have achieved when we’re done, not only helps us achieve our specific goals, but it can improve our mood by giving us a level of satisfaction and shows us that this behavior can be a way of life.
- Visualize yourself having control of your life and accomplishing whatever specific goal you’ve set: it’s a powerful feeling. Consistently tell yourself how far you’ve come and how proud you are, don’t forget to treat yourself kindly with your words and your actions, remember that self-discipline shouldn’t mean denying yourself all your favorite things and being miserable.
- Consider how you want your day to day life to look. Self-discipline is the tool that allows us to enact sturdy plans, ward off procrastination, and identify our weaknesses. To make the changes we want to see in our lives, we have to proactively consider what we want to see changed, how we can go about getting there, and what is most likely to get in our way. Creatively and intuitively determining your own weaknesses and knowing how you can prevent them from happening is a skill that comes with self-discipline.
