When lacking in motivation we still need to be getting things done, both at home and at work, so it’s important we are able to use self discipline to make sure we’re getting through even the most mundane tasks despite lacking in motivation. Some will say self discipline is more important than motivation since motivation tends to be temporary and sometimes only appears in short bursts, whereas self discipline is a more permanent way to make sure things are getting done and can be used on a daily basis. Some people may not even realise how useful simple self discipline may be and will now have no idea where to start when wanting to develop this skill, so here are the top 5 ways you can learn self discipline, which should help you be able to achieve long term goals and be more resilient. 1) know where you struggle No one is perfect and it’s important to realise we all have multiple strengths and weaknesses, but the biggest strength will be the ability to be aware of those weaknesses and find solutions to them. Even something as simple as knowing when you should ask for help can make a huge difference instead of struggling in silence and perhaps underperforming or not completing tasks. To learn where you struggle make a list of your strengths and weaknesses, plot what makes your strengths useful and what possible solutions there are to areas you are unconfident in. The goal here is to get you to understand your strengths and their value, hopefully boosting your confidence in some sectors to then feel more optimistic about being able to solve current weaknesses and perhaps manage to turn them into strengths. 2) set and visualise your goals You are 80% more likely to achieve your goals if you take the time to write them out or tell someone about them, it may be useful to break up the goal into smaller achievable steps and plot your progress as you go along to feel more sense of achievement early on which may help in being the motivation to continue and complete the project. Visualisation is growing in popularity as a meditation-like method that has been said to be incredibly powerful and shows genuine results in helping people achieve their goals. Simply put, visualisation is the act of taking the time to close your eyes and focus all your energy on thinking about the things you want to achieve in life. For example, sports players would visualise themselves winning their game, hearing the crowd cheer for them, and seeing the medal being handed to their team. If you are unsure about the idea of visualisation and the science behind it, BetterHelp has a useful article on the topic. 3) do not fear failure
The fear of failure can be immobilising, if we are already fearing the outcome we are less likely to do the things we need to which may cause ongoing avoidance habits. In order to gain self discipline, you cannot fall victim to this unhealthy mindset. In order to do this, you may want to begin by analysing all possible outcomes, no situation is ever going to have only one outcome so make sure to be looking at the bigger picture in every instance.
In order to overcome the fear of failure, it’s important to replace negative thinking with positivity and rational thinking. This does not mean completely denying the possibility of a negative outcome, but it is more about being aware of the negatives yet being able to settle with them happening. If you can alter your mindset of fearing failure into being able to accept failure, you will find yourself feeling far calmer around stressful situations. We cannot avoid the fact some things will end up with bad outcomes, but with good emotional intelligence, we can be prepared and accepting of that.
4) start small
Unfortunately, self discipline isn’t something that just happens overnight, and some things will take longer to make habits than others. You can implement self discipline into many aspects of life, practising them in smaller and easier places will help build up to self discipline in places where it may be harder to stay consistent.
This can be things such as setting and sticking to a good sleep schedule, something simple that many more than we realise may struggle with. Or perhaps choosing a weekly habit to stick to would be an easier start, such as an hour of reading, meditation or exercise, etc.
5) practice self-care
At times we may forget to be kind to ourselves. Although this is about discipline, it doesn't have to be seen as such a stern and hard habit. Self-discipline is a kindness in yourself to make sure you are able to achieve the things you want and deserve in life. The less self care you practice, the harder it is going to be to keep yourself under self-discipline, this includes simple things such as eating and sleeping well, taking care of your mental as well as physical health, and allowing yourself to have breaks when needed.
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