Reaching a meaningful goal, or achieving success in any pursuit, rarely happens overnight. Regardless of how you define success, as Steve Jobs said, ‘“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”
So how does discipline play a part in success or achievement? And how do we build more discipline into our lives?
Why Discipline Matters
Discipline is the ability to do what needs to be done to achieve our goals, even when we don’t feel like doing it. It’s the foundation of long-term success because it helps develop habits that drive progress.
Those who effectively build their discipline muscle:
· achieve their goals more often,
· reduce their stress levels,
· improve productivity and focus skills
· feel better about themselves – more confident and self-reliant, and
· become better decision makers.
Discipline is key for following through on plans and reaching our full potential in any aspect of life, whether personal or professional. And by avoiding procrastination and managing time effectively, self-discipline can significantly reduce our stress levels.
It’s a way to turn our intentions into actions that move us toward those things we desire the most.
So what are some of the key strategies that help us build discipline?
Setting Specific Goals:
Sometimes it’s challenging to know clearly what we actually want, and it can be easiest at times to start defining our goals by identifying what we don’t want, so we can get clearer on what we do want. Once we have a clear goal, then we can start breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps which will help us stay motivated and on track. It’s important to start small.
Identifying Distractions:
When we recognise what pulls us away from our goals, then we can actively minimise our exposure to those distractions (like social media, unnecessary notifications) and get ourselves back on track quickly.
Creating Routines:
Consistent daily habits that support our goals lay the foundation to building discipline, like a morning exercise routine or dedicated study time. And when you get to the stage where you are automatically starting to put your walking shoes or training clothes on in the morning, despite how ‘motivated’ you feel, you know you are on target.
Rewarding Yourself:
It’s really important to celebrate small wins and milestones with positive reinforcement to stay on track. Any step or steps forward are worth acknowledgement.
Getting back up when we fall:
We all lose focus now and again and find ourselves out of rhythm with our goals. At this stage it’s important to remember that we are all human and setbacks are part of the journey. Now is not the time to decide to give up entirely. Just get back up the next day, re-focus and start again. Self-compassion is key.
Staying Accountable:
It can be really important to share our goals with someone who can support and encourage us to help us stay on track, and who can help celebrate the milestones.
Finally, it’s important to remember that success is rarely about talent alone. It’s more about the consistent actions and behaviours that will move us in the direction of our desires.
Discipline isn’t always easy, but it’s a muscle that we can strengthen the more we practise, so the more we cultivate discipline the higher our self esteem will be and the closer we will be to the outcomes of our dreams.
Until next time,
The PLS team
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