How to Develop Self-Discipline in 6 Simple Ways

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Discipline is important for ANYONE on the planet who wants to grow and achieve anything, whether that is a promotion, 6-pack abs, or mental well-being. If you are a business owner/solopreneur/blogger/freelancer and work for yourself, then oh boy, you are going to need a whole bucket of this magic juice. 

And lately, discipline is even MORE important as most people are working from home due to the pandemic. 

Now, I’m not saying 9-5, Monday-Friday is the most optimal workweek, BUT it has its pros. The biggest is discipline. 

As a long-time openly critic of the 9-5 job, I have always thought the idea was stupid. I have read so much on why it isn’t even productive. 40 hours in the workweek for most employees is not even used on work. 

That said, I do want to highlight the benefits of a typical 9-5 job:

1. Discipline in timings. You go to work, and you work. You can’t zone out, watch Netflix, take a walk to the fridge every two minutes. 
2. Discipline in personal vs professional work. Very rarely, unless you are an overachieving workaholic or very competitive, you don’t need to bring home your work. 

The problem is, a lot of us millennials are so afraid to live by the status quo. Dissent and rebellion runs in most of our veins, and we challenge every idea and convention thrown to us. According to me, that is really healthy in some ways because we can actually grow as a human race as we challenge age-old notions of sexism, patriarchy, racism, and other f***-ed up notions. 

At the same time, however, we majorly overlook the value of DISCIPLINE. The boring, dull, discipline, the opposite of exciting, challenging, revolutionary ideas. 

We are a generation that wants to do everything on our terms. We want freedom; financial, location, social, and much more. We squirm at the thought of anyone telling us what to do. 

And while I am ALL for that, it is SO easy to slip up and ignore what our cooler, inner self is telling us to do. 

Let me explain. Because of the idea of ‘not listening to anyone who else’ you stop listening to yourself. For example, you want to workout. But because of lack of discipline, and the idea of “doing what you want”, you don’t even listen to yourself. You let immediate gratification win over long-term success. 

How do you practice anything? 

Discipline.

If you have discipline, you can be more productive, you can learn a new skill, you can workout, you can do anything! You can work on your physical, mental, or emotional well-being!

But discipline is also another thing you have to learn first. It is kind of like case 0. Practice discipline so that you have more discipline and it is easier to practice (and ultimately achieve) other things. Does that make sense?

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How to Develop Discipline 

• Start with small things, like putting away things immediately after you use them, or not checking your phone the moment you wake up; anything that requires discipline. Even waking up early, or sleeping on time. New habits take A LOT of brain power, even if it is something really simple. So, don’t make any new habit too big or else you will find it too hard after Day 1 or 2 and give up. The key is starting small and doing it everyday to get discipline.
• Make it a habit. Try to be disciplined about one thing everyday, and then 2, and then more and more. The more discipline you have, the more you can achieve, much more easily. 
• Create a routine so you know 9 am-12 pm you will work, no matter what.
• Ask yourself if you will regret your present actions. For example, will you regret eating that cookie, or sleeping in till 12 pm? 
• Surround yourself with positivity and inspiration like podcasts, inspirational stories, accountability partners, etc. 
• Predetermine your actions with “When/If, then” statements. For example, “when it is 5 pm, I will hit the treadmill” or “then my friends order a pizza, I will order a salad”. Saying these in advance will etch it deeper in your brain, making it easier for your brain to do these predetermined actions (kind of like autopilot). The fewer decisions that your brain has to make, the easier it is. 

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Benefits of Self-Discipline

1. More Confident – you know you can do anything you set your mind to
2. Helps you get stuff done – it will be easier to work, even when you don’t feel like it.
3. Helps you create a better life – If you can focus and work, you will have more money. If you work out, you will be healthier, be able be more active (think treks, adventure sports, walks in sunflower fields, swimming in the ocean, etc), and beat diseases.
4. More Perseverant – You’ll be uncomfortable a lot, you’ll push through temptations and urges, you’ll push just a little bit more. Each time you act in a disciplined manner you tell your brain, “I can do this,” or “I can do hard things.” You will learn not to give up. 
5. More Resilient – practicing discipline tells your brain that you can push through challenges and hard stuff. It teaches you how to overcome failures, setbacks, and doubt. Little problems or setbacks become irrelevant because even big problems won’t break you. You will handle future setbacks more easily.
6. More Success – Not watching Netflix and working, or working out instead of sleeping in both require willpower. And they both also lead to success (a good job done or a healthy body).
7. More Disciplined – If you practice discipline in one area of your life, it will make you more disciplined in all areas of your life. 
8. You can do anything! – With this mental strength, you can train your mind to do anything. 

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Further resources on self-discipline: (India)

Great resources on self-discipline: (International)

Conclusion

Just like anything else, discipline is a practice that needs to be cultivated. But it is the foundation for trying to improve any other area of your life.

the more you practice happiness, the happier you will be

the more you practice being grateful, the more grateful you will be

the more you practice being positive, the more positive you will be

Similarly, the more you practice discipline, the more disciplined you will be. And the more disciplined you are, the more you can grow!

So if you are discouraged because you can’t achieve your big goal, go small. Just start with self-discipline. Say no to something each day. After a while, it will be easier to set a bigger target, and before you know it, you will be able to achieve your big goal, too!

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What is ONE thing you can do each day to inculcate discipline? Share in the comments below and let’s inspire each other! 😀

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