presentation on self discipline

12 Principles of Self-Discipline for an Unshakable Success

Principles of Self-Discipline are essential for personal growth and fulfillment. Firstly, set clear goals that align with your values and aspirations. This clarity provides a roadmap to follow. Secondly, practice consistency by establishing healthy habits and routines. This regularity builds momentum and reinforces self-discipline. By embracing these principles, you unlock your true potential and lead a more meaningful life.

Sanju Pradeepa

To achieve your goals and live a fulfilling life, self-discipline is key. But cultivating it is challenging, and many people struggle with it. The good news is that it is a learnable skill. By understanding the core principles that underlie it and applying them consistently, you can strengthen your self-control and willpower.

In this article, you’ll learn the principles of self-discipline and how you can build them through practice and persistence. The core principles we will explore include: focusing on one goal or habit at a time; starting small and building up gradually; rewarding yourself for achievements; avoiding temptation and limiting distractions; tracking your progress to stay motivated; and being flexible and kind to yourself.

Mastering these principles will empower you to overcome procrastination, break bad habits, and work towards the life you want.

Table of Contents

The importance of self-discipline for personal development.

It is essential for personal growth and achieving your goals. Without it, you’ll struggle to develop good habits and stick to important tasks.

Self-discipline is a vital element when it comes to personal development. It acts as the compass that guides us toward our goals and helps us maintain focus and direction. Without self-discipline, it becomes challenging to achieve the growth and fulfillment we desire.

One of the benefits of self-discipline is the ability to prioritize and stay committed to our goals. By practicing discipline, we can resist the distractions and temptations that often deter us from our path. It allows us to make conscious choices that align with our values and long-term aspirations.

When we exercise self-discipline, we develop a strong sense of responsibility toward ourselves and our personal growth. We become more aware of our actions and their consequences, taking ownership of our behavior. This sense of accountability empowers us to overcome obstacles and persevere even in the face of adversity.

Moreover, self-discipline fosters consistency and enables us to establish healthy habits. By practicing discipline in our daily routines, such as waking up early, exercising regularly, or dedicating time to learning, we create a positive momentum that propels us forward. These consistent efforts become the building blocks of personal development, fostering a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence.

In addition to personal growth, self-discipline also plays a significant role in nurturing self-love and self-care. When we prioritize our well-being through disciplined actions, we demonstrate love and respect for ourselves. This self-nurturing mindset enhances our overall happiness and fulfillment.

It is important to note that self-discipline should not be mistaken for self-punishment or rigidity. It doesn’t require us to be overly harsh or strict with ourselves. Instead, it is about finding a healthy balance between self-control and self-compassion. By treating ourselves with kindness and understanding, we can embrace discipline as a tool for personal growth rather than a burden.

Principles of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline serves as a guiding force on our journey of self-discovery and personal development. By embracing its principles, we can unlock our true potential and cultivate a fulfilling life. Let’s explore some key principles of self-discipline that can pave the way for our growth.

1. Goal-setting

To build self-discipline, start by setting clear and specific goals. Ask yourself what you want to achieve and why it’s important. Be as detailed as possible.

For example, instead of saying, “I want to eat healthier,” say, “I will replace one unhealthy snack per day with a piece of fruit or vegetable.” Start with small, manageable goals and build up from there.

Review and revise your goals regularly. As you progress, make them more challenging. But don’t make them unrealistic. It’s better to start small and build momentum. Develop concrete plans for each goal. Outline the steps required and the obstacles ahead. Plan how you will overcome them. Put your plans in writing and review them often.

Share your goals with others who will support your efforts. Let them know your plans and ask them to check in on your progress. Accountability to others is a key to success. Reward yourself when you achieve milestones. Give yourself incentives along the way, not just at the end. But don’t reward yourself with unhealthy habits or by abandoning your goals. Stay disciplined.

Building self-discipline is challenging, but with practice, it can become second nature. Start today by choosing one goal and sticking to it. Success will motivate you to continue progressing, one goal at a time. You’ve got this! Stay focused on your “why” and keep putting one foot in front of the other. It will follow.

14 Importance of Goal Setting: Unlocking Your Full Potential

2. finding your motivation.

Without motivation, self-discipline is nearly impossible to achieve.

Some sources of motivation include:

• Your goals and dreams Connecting your daily habits and tasks to your larger goals and dreams can be highly motivating. Ask yourself how learning self-discipline will help you achieve what you really want in life.
• Growth and progress. Notice the progress you’re making and reward yourself for milestones achieved. Even small wins can keep you motivated for continued progress.
• accountability. Tell a friend or family member about your goal to build discipline. Ask them to check in on your progress and hold you accountable. Knowing someone else expects you to follow through can increase your motivation.

inspiring role models. Read about or watch videos of people you find inspiring. Their stories of perseverance and self-discipline can motivate you to push through challenges.

-Positive self-talk. Speak to yourself with encouragement and praise. Say things like “I can do this!” and remind yourself of your strengths and past wins. Positive self-talk leads to increased motivation and determination .

What Motivates You to Succeed in Life: Find What Drives You

To build self-discipline, continually reconnect with your sources of motivation and inspiration. Review your goals and dreams, notice your progress, check in with your accountability partner, read about role models, and practice positive self-talk. With motivation in place,it becomes a realistic achievement.

3. Identifying Obstacles

What is stopping you from achieving your goals and desired outcomes? The barriers could be internal or external.

Internal obstacles include things like:

• Lack of motivation or willpower
• Poor time management or procrastination
• Negative self-talk or limiting beliefs
• Fatigue or low energy

External obstacles are outside of your control but can still be overcome with the right mindset and strategies.

• Lack of support from others
• Demanding job or family responsibilities
• Insufficient resources or access

The first step is recognizing the obstacles in your path. Then, you can develop a plan to navigate around them. Some solutions for common obstacles include:

• Setting small, concrete goals to build motivation and momentum
• Improving time management through scheduling and prioritization
• Practicing positive self-talk and visualization to strengthen your resolve
• Make self-care a priority to avoid burnout.
• Seeking out accountability partners or a mentor for support
• Adjusting expectations or delegating when possible to ease demands on your time and energy

With determination and the right strategies, you can overcome any obstacles blocking your progress. The key is maintaining your vision, starting where you are, and using the tools and resources at your disposal to achieve self-discipline one step at a time.

How Do You Overcome Obstacles in Achieving Goals: 15 Keys

4. time management and prioritization.

You need to organize your time effectively and focus on important tasks.

• Make a schedule. Plan how you will spend your time each day and week. Include time for work, chores, exercise, leisure, and sleep. Having a routine will make you more productive and help you avoid procrastination .
• Prioritize important tasks. Focus on high-priority items first before moving on to minor tasks. Ask yourself what needs to get done and rank tasks by importance and urgency. Make a list if needed. Start with the most crucial tasks, like work projects with impending deadlines. Leave minor tasks like checking email until later.
• Limit distractions Minimize interruptions like social media, TV, and phone notifications. Find periods each day where you can focus without distractions. Let people know if you need to avoid disturbances so you can concentrate.
• Review how you’re using your time. At the end of each day or week, evaluate how you spent your time. Look for ways to improve your scheduling and avoid time-wasters. Make changes to build better habits and optimize your productivity going forward. Effective time management is a continual process of reflection and improvement.

With practice, good time management and prioritization will become second nature. You’ll get better at organizing your days, accomplishing important work, and avoiding diversions, leading to greater self-discipline and productivity. Consistently reviewing how you spend your time and looking for ways to improve will help make these skills a habit.

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5. habit formation.

Habits are behaviors that are repeated and become an automatic response over time. According to researchers, habit formation follows a three-step process:

• Cue : A cue triggers your habit. It can be a location, time of day, emotional state , or event. For example, feeling tired in the evening prompts you to brush your teeth.
• Routine : The routine is the behavior itself. It’s the action you take, like brushing and flossing your teeth before bed. The routine needs to be easy to follow and specific.
• Reward: The reward is the benefit you gain from the habit. It satisfies you and motivates you to continue the routine. For example, the fresh, clean feeling after brushing your teeth is the reward.

To build good habits:

• Identify the cues that will trigger your new habit. The cue could be a time of day, location, or event.
• Choose a simple and specific routine to follow. Start small and build up gradually. Write out each step of the routine.
• Determine a reward to give yourself for following the routine. It can be internal satisfaction or an external motivator. Visualize how you will feel after the reward.
• Practice the habit loop (cue, routine, reward) repeatedly until it becomes second nature. Stay consistent and committed to making progress over time through steady practice and repetition.

Building habits and self-discipline requires conscious effort and consistency. But by understanding how habit formation works and applying proven techniques, you can achieve lasting change and continuous self-improvement . With regular practice, your good habits will become an automatic part of your daily life.

6. Ambition

To achieve your goals and dreams, you need ambition—the drive and determination to work hard and overcome obstacles. Ambition means:

• Having a strong desire to achieve something and a willingness to commit time and effort
• Setting challenging goals and objectives that motivate and inspire you
• Developing grit and perseverance to push through failures, setbacks, and challenges

Ambition is what fuels self-discipline. Without it, you lack direction and motivation. But too much ambition can lead to restlessness, impatience, and selfishness .

Find the right balance through:

• Clarifying your priorities and values Focus on goals that align with what really matters to you.
• Breaking big goals into smaller milestones Don’t feel overwhelmed by the end result; just focus on progress. Celebrate small wins along the way.
• Practicing self-compassion . Be kind to yourself if you face failures or setbacks. Learn from your mistakes and try again.
• Contributing to something greater Have purpose and meaning in your life by positively impacting others. Leave your ego behind.
• maintaining gratitude and contentment. Appreciate each moment and what you already have. Don’t get caught up in an endless cycle of wanting more.

With the right amount of ambition powering your discipline, you can achieve amazing things. But remember, true success comes from living according to your values and finding purpose and meaning, not just achieving goals. Maintain balance through self-reflection and by nurturing your relationships; these connections ultimately give life deep meaning.

17 Ambition Examples: 6 Stories of Ambitious Individuals

7. planning and anticipation.

Developing the habit of planning your days, weeks, and months in advance helps ensure you stay on track to achieve your goals and priorities.

Some tips for effective planning:

• Set daily schedules and routines. Having a consistent wake-up time, work hours, exercise routine, and bedtime can help make good habits automatic. Sticking to a routine requires self-discipline but gets easier over time.
• Make to-do lists. Write down the tasks you need to accomplish each day and prioritize them. Crossing completed items off your list gives you a sense of progress and motivation. Try to schedule in time for unexpected tasks as well.
• Prepare in advance. Don’t go into your day unprepared. Lay out your clothes, pack your gym bag, make lunches, and review your schedule the night before. The more you can prepare in advance, the less likely you are to get derailed by small details.
• •Anticipate obstacles. Try to foresee any potential distractions, challenges, or interruptions that could throw you off course. Come up with strategies for overcoming them in advance, so you have a plan of action if they arise. The ability to anticipate obstacles comes with practice and experience.
• • Review and reset. At the end of each day or week, look at what you accomplished and didn’t accomplish. Make adjustments to your schedule or priorities as needed. Use this review process as an opportunity to renew your motivation and commitment to your goals.

Planning, preparing, and anticipating are habits that strengthen your discipline over time. While it may require effort upfront, having discipline and organization will make you far more productive and effective in the long run. Staying on track and making progress, however small, leads to more success and greater confidence in your ability to achieve what you set your mind to.

8. Persistence

It is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. It means continuing on a course of action even when things get difficult or discouraging. Persistent people stick to their goals and see them through to completion.

To develop it, focus on these core principles:

• Have a clear vision and purpose. Know exactly what you want to achieve and why it’s important to you. Your motivation and passion will fuel your persistence.
• • Break big goals into manageable steps. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the end goal. Focus on the progress you can make each day to build momentum. Celebrate small wins along the way.
• • Plan and prepare for obstacles. Expect challenges and setbacks, then develop strategies to overcome them. Be flexible and willing to try different approaches.
• Start building the habit of persistence. Choose small actions you can stick with each day to strengthen your persistence muscle. Over time, you’ll get better at overcoming distractions and staying focused.
• Stay optimistic and maintain a solution-focused mindset . When faced with difficulties, look for ways around them instead of giving up. Having a positive and determined attitude will help motivate you to push through.

Ask for support. Tell others about your goals so they can check in on your progress. Consider working with a coach or mentor. Let people help keep you accountable.

Learn from your failures and try again. Everyone experiences failures and roadblocks at some point. The key is to not get discouraged. Refocus your efforts and renew your commitment to achieving your goals. Success is often just on the other side of persistence.

9. Responsibility

To develop self-discipline, you must take responsibility for your actions and decisions. This means:

• Accepting the consequences of your choices without blaming external factors Don’t make excuses or point fingers at other people or events outside of your control.
• Following through on your commitments and promises Do what you say you will do. Meet your deadlines and obligations. People with self-discipline have integrity and hold themselves accountable.
• Admitting when you’re wrong and working to improve. Have the courage to acknowledge your mistakes and shortcomings, then make a plan to strengthen your willpower and do better next time.
• Practicing self-reflection to gain awareness of your thoughts and behaviors Consider how your actions and habits are impacting your life, then determine how you can build better discipline.
• Forgiving yourself for slip-ups and imperfections, then refocusing your efforts No one is disciplined all the time. Learn from your failures and missteps, then get back on track right away.

Developing an internal sense of responsibility is key to achieving self-discipline and success in all areas of life. Take ownership of your journey and make the choice each day to be in control of yourself. Over time, it will become second nature. But it starts with you—your mindset, your actions, and your determination to become the master of your fate.

10. Resilience and a Strong Work Ethic

To build resilience and a strong work ethic, you need to develop certain habits and mindsets.

Focus on progress, not perfection. Don’t expect yourself to get everything right the first time. Learn from your mistakes and imperfections, then continue moving forward. Progress, not perfection, is the goal.

Develop a growth mindset . Believe in your ability to improve and strengthen your skills over time through hard work and persistence. View failures and setbacks as learning opportunities, not permanent shortcomings. With practice and effort, you can achieve more than you currently can.

Start small and build up gradually. Don’t feel overwhelmed by huge goals or major life changes. Take things step by step, focusing on continuous self-improvement and developing better habits over time through consistency and repetition. Small wins add up to big successes.

Learn to delay gratification. Build your ability to resist temptation and overcome impulses in pursuit of your long-term goals and priorities. It’s a key factor that determines success and well-being. Stay disciplined and avoid instant rewards when you should be working toward more meaningful outcomes.

Stay optimistic and look for solutions instead of complaining. Focus on the things within your control and make the best of the situation. Your mindset and reaction matter most.

Types of Resilience: Building Strength for Life’s Challenges

Developing these habits and traits will strengthen your resilience, persistence, and work ethic over time. Success is rarely achieved overnight, but through the gradual progress of self-improvement and consistency. You have the power to achieve amazing things.

11. Emotional Regulation and Mindfulness

To develop it, you must learn to regulate your emotions and cultivate mindfulness.

Emotional regulation involves managing your emotional reactions to situations. Stay calm and composed rather than getting angry, stressed, or frustrated. Take a few deep breaths to avoid reacting impulsively. Look at the situation objectively and logically. Make level-headed decisions rather than emotional ones you may later regret.

Mindfulness means focusing your awareness on the present moment . Spend a few minutes each day being fully aware of your thoughts and feelings, without judgment. Notice the little details in your surroundings. This can help reduce stress and increase focus and concentration. Some ways to practice mindfulness include:

• Deep breathing: Take slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm to quiet your mind and relax your body.
• Meditation: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breath. Start with just 5–10 minutes a day and work your way up.
• Yoga: Do a few basic yoga poses while paying close attention to your breathing and the sensations in your body.
• Journaling: Write down your thoughts and feelings to gain awareness and clarity.
• Limit distractions: minimize interruptions from electronics and spend time fully engaged in one activity.

Developing emotional regulation and mindfulness is a journey. Be patient and gentle with yourself as you learn and practice these skills each day. Over time, you will gain more inner calm. You will react less and respond more. You will appreciate each moment as it happens. These principles may be simple in concept but powerful in application. Make them a habit, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving greater self-discipline and peace of mind.

12. Reward and Celebration

To stay disciplined, you need to reward yourself for achieving your goals and milestones. Celebrating wins, both big and small, keeps you motivated to continue progressing.

When you accomplish a goal or objective, do something to acknowledge your success. Some options include:

Treating yourself to your favorite snack or meal

watching your favorite TV show or movie.

Engaging in a hobby you enjoy, like reading a book, gardening, or exercising

planning an evening out with friends or family.

The rewards don’t have to be extravagant, but they should be meaningful to you. Keep in mind that meeting a milestone is an achievement worth recognizing. Celebrating progress, not perfection, is key.

Additionally, reflecting on what you’ve achieved can enhance your motivation and determination . Think about the progress you’ve made, the obstacles you’ve overcome, and the skills you’ve gained. Appreciating your advancement will inspire you to keep going.

Rewarding yourself for accomplishments and embracing a growth mindset are essential for building self-discipline. Recognize all you’ve achieved to stay dedicated and driven. You’ve earned it! Keep up the good work.

How self-discipline can lead to success and fulfillment

It is key to achieving success and living a fulfilling life. When you develop self-discipline, you gain the ability to control your impulses and delay gratification. This allows you to work towards meaningful goals and push through challenges or setbacks.

Having the discipline to set clear goals, develop plans, and follow through will help you achieve what you want in life. Whether in your career, relationships, health, or finances, it gives you the motivation and willpower to work hard, develop expertise, and overcome obstacles. Success rarely comes overnight, so it allows you to persist in the face of boredom , frustration, or failure.

With this-discipline, you can accomplish more by avoiding distractions and focusing your efforts. You’ll develop better habits and routines to maximize your time and energy.It also allows you to sacrifice short-term pleasures for bigger rewards down the road. By delaying gratification, you can achieve objectives that lead to greater fulfillment and prosperity.

As you improve you it, you’ll find greater clarity of purpose and the motivation to pursue your goals and live according to your values. Success and happiness will follow as natural results of the discipline you cultivate within.

How self-discipline impacts various aspects of life

It impacts your life in many ways.

• Health and fitness Developing it through exercise and diet helps you achieve health and fitness goals. You can motivate yourself to workout consistently and make better food choices.
• Productivity. It boosts your productivity and time management skills. You can focus your efforts on important tasks, avoid distractions, and see projects through to completion.
• Finances. Applying it to your finances leads to better spending and saving habits. You can budget, reduce debt, and work towards financial goals like buying a house or retiring comfortably.
• Relationships. It strengthens relationships. You can be more present with loved ones, listen better, keep your cool in arguments, and fulfill promises and commitments you make to others.
• Achieving goals. It is essential for achieving both short-term and long-term goals . You can outline specific steps to accomplish goals and follow through by overcoming obstacles, staying motivated, and not quitting in the face of failures or setbacks.

Self-discipline in one area of life often translates into other areas as well. By building your willpower and mental toughness, you gain the ability to control impulses and delay gratification, which serves you well in all pursuits. Overall, it leads to greater success, happiness, and life satisfaction.

Differentiating Self-Discipline from Willpower and Motivation

Self-discipline is different from willpower and motivation. While all three are related, it’s important to understand the distinctions:

Willpower refers to your ability to resist short-term temptations and desires in order to achieve long-term goals. It’s a finite resource that can be depleted over time. It is the skill and habit of aligning your behavior with your values and priorities. It leads to consistency and follow-through.

Motivation is the emotional and psychological drive that activates behavior and gives it energy and direction. It’s often short-lived and dependent on “feeling motivated.” It lets you continue to progress even when motivation fades.

Developing it requires determination and practice. It involves:

• Defining your core values and priorities What really matters to you?
• Setting clearly defined rules and limits Be specific about the behaviors you want to change.
• Start small and build up gradually. Don’t aim for major life changes right away.
• Plan and prepare in advance. Have strategies in place for when your willpower is tested.
• Reflect regularly on your progress and reward yourself for milestones achieved. Staying motivated will keep you disciplined.

It is a learned skill that becomes second nature over time with conscious effort and consistency. While it requires willpower and motivation to get started, it is what allows you to persist long after the initial enthusiasm has worn off. Developing this important habit will serve you well in achieving your goals and maintaining healthy behaviors.

Developing Self-Discipline Techniques

Developing self-discipline techniques requires practice and patience. Start by setting small, achievable goals and sticking to them. As your confidence grows, you can aim higher. Some tips to build :

• Develop a routine and schedule. : Plan your days and weeks. Establish regular times for waking up, exercising, working or studying, and leisure activities. Having structure and consistency in your life builds discipline over time. Start with a basic routine, then build from there.
• Start small and build up gradually. : Don’t try to change everything at once. Pick one area to focus on, like waking up an hour earlier or reducing screen time before bed. Once that habit is formed, choose another small goal. Incremental progress is key.
• Practice mindfulness. : Spend a few minutes each day focused on your breathing or the present moment. This helps strengthen your concentration and self-control. With regular practice, you’ll get better at avoiding distractions and delaying gratification.
• Remind yourself why self-discipline matters.: Revisit your priorities and goals, then consider your daily choices and habits. Ask yourself whether they align with what you want to achieve. Make adjustments as needed to stay on track.
• Self-discipline gets easier with consistency. : Stay patient and committed; follow through each day, and before you know it, your disciplined mindset will become second nature. With this personal growth, you’ll achieve more than you ever thought possible.
• Focus on one habit or area at a time. : Don’t try to overhaul your whole life at once. Pick one concrete thing you want to change, like going to bed an hour earlier or cutting out sugary snacks, and focus on that first before moving on to something else.
• Remove temptations. :Make it easier on yourself by eliminating distractions and triggers. Put your phone away, turn off notifications on your devices, and try to minimize interruptions. The fewer diversions, the more discipline you can exert.
• Start your day strong. :How you begin your morning often sets the tone for the rest of the day. Establish a consistent wake-up routine that includes exercise or meditation. Eat a healthy breakfast. Getting an early start builds momentum to continue positive habits throughout the day.
• Review your goals and progress regularly. : Check in with yourself to make sure you’re still on track. See what’s working and not working. Be flexible—you may need to adjust timelines or make changes to your goals or strategies. But don’t give up. Building new habits and self-discipline takes continuous effort and practice. Stay committed, and you will improve over time.

Lack of Self-Discipline: 13 Root Causes & 9 Ways to Fix It

With ongoing practice of these techniques, you can strengthen this and your willpower. But remember, lasting change happens gradually. Be patient and kind with yourself; celebrate small wins along the way; and stay determined. You’ve got this!

Now you understand the core principles behind self-discipline and what it takes to develop this critical skill. By starting small, building good habits, accepting failure, focusing on progress, and staying consistent, you have the tools to strengthen your discipline over time.

Be patient with yourself as you work to improve. Apply what you’ve learned here consistently, and your discipline will grow. You already have everything within you to become self-disciplined and achieve your goals. Stay dedicated and keep practicing; you’ve got this!

• Motivation vs. Discipline: How to Leverage Both Tamara Franklin PUBLISHED IN HubSpot
• Beyond Willpower: Strategies for Reducing Failures of Self-Control BY ANGELA L. DUCKWORTH, KATHERINE L. MILKMAN, AND DAVID LAIBSON February 13, 2019 – A RESEARCH Psychological Science in the Public Interest  (Volume 19, Number 3) Read the Full Text ( PDF ,  HTML )
• NEUROSCIENTIST: You will NEVER LACK Motivation Again

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The Psychology Of Self-Discipline: Understanding Your Mind

Table Of Contents

In the realm of personal development, the concept of self-discipline reigns supreme. Here, we delve into the fascinating realm of the psychology of self-discipline, exploring how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors contribute to your ability to stay focused, committed, and motivated.

By gaining a deeper understanding of your own mind, you can pave the way towards greater self-discipline and ultimately, success.

The Importance of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is a crucial ingredient for success and achievement in various aspects of life. It plays a pivotal role in helping individuals stay focused, overcome obstacles, and maintain consistent progress towards their goals. In addition to its role in goal attainment, self-discipline also has a significant impact on mental and emotional health.

By establishing a foundation for positive habits, self-discipline lays the groundwork for personal growth and development. Understanding the basics of self-discipline, the role of motivation and habits, and strategies for overcoming procrastination and distractions are key to cultivating and maintaining self-discipline in the long term.

Understanding the Basics of Self-Discipline

Definition and meaning.

Self-discipline refers to the ability to control one’s actions, emotions, and impulses in order to achieve specific goals or maintain desired behaviors. It involves exercising restraint, perseverance, and consistency in the pursuit of objectives, even in the face of obstacles or distractions.

Self-discipline is not merely about willpower or forcing oneself to do something, but rather about cultivating a mindset and habits that support self-control and long-term success.

Factors Influencing Self-Discipline

Various factors can influence an individual’s level of self-discipline. One significant factor is motivation, which can be intrinsic (internal) or extrinsic (external). Intrinsic motivation stems from inherent personal satisfaction or enjoyment derived from engaging in a particular activity or pursuing a goal.

Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from external rewards or punishments. Other factors that influence self-discipline include personality traits, upbringing, environment, and the individual’s belief in their ability to exert self-control.

The Role of Willpower

Willpower is a crucial component of self-discipline. It refers to the ability to resist short-term gratification or impulses in favor of pursuing long-term goals. Willpower is like a muscle that can be strengthened through consistent practice.

By consciously exerting self-control and making mindful decisions, individuals can build their willpower over time. However, it is important to note that willpower alone is not sufficient for maintaining self-discipline in the long run. Developing supportive habits and mindset is equally important.

How Can I Stay Motivated When Facing Challenges?

The Role of Motivation in Self-Discipline

Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation.

Motivation is a key driver of self-discipline. Intrinsic motivation, which arises from within, is often more effective in sustaining long-term self-discipline than extrinsic motivation.

When individuals are internally motivated, they derive genuine satisfaction and pleasure from the process of pursuing their goals, rather than relying solely on external rewards or punishments. Intrinsic motivation creates a sense of autonomy, competence, and self-determination that fuels continuous progress towards desired outcomes.

Creating Personal Rewards and Punishments

While intrinsic motivation is powerful, external incentives can also play a role in bolstering self-discipline. By creating personalized rewards and punishments, individuals can align their behavior with their goals and reinforce positive habits.

Rewards can range from small treats or indulgences after completing a task to larger rewards after achieving significant milestones. Conversely, punishments can involve denying oneself certain privileges or indulgences if specific tasks or goals are not met. The key is to ensure that rewards and punishments are directly related to the desired behavior and aligned with one’s personal values and goals.

Self-Motivation Techniques

In addition to rewards and punishments, there are various techniques individuals can employ to boost self-motivation and maintain self-discipline. Setting specific and achievable goals, breaking them down into smaller, manageable tasks, and creating a timeline for completion can help maintain focus and motivation.

Visualizing success, using positive affirmations, and seeking inspiration from role models are also effective techniques. Additionally, engaging in activities that align with personal values and passions can help sustain intrinsic motivation and drive self-discipline.

The Power of Habits in Self-Discipline

Habit formation process.

Habits play a fundamental role in self-discipline, as they automate behaviors and reduce the need for constant decision-making. The habit formation process consists of three stages: cue, routine, and reward. The cue acts as a trigger that signals the brain to initiate the habit, the routine is the behavior itself, and the reward reinforces the habit by providing a sense of satisfaction or pleasure. By understanding and consciously shaping these stages, individuals can create new habits that support self-discipline and break free from undesirable ones.

Replacing Bad Habits with Good Ones

Breaking bad habits and replacing them with positive ones is a crucial aspect of developing and maintaining self-discipline. One effective strategy is to identify the cues and triggers that initiate the undesirable habit and find alternative responses.

For example, if the cue for unhealthy snacking is stress, finding a healthier way to cope with stress, such as exercise or deep breathing, can help in breaking the habit. By consistently practicing the new routine and rewarding oneself, individuals can establish positive habits that foster self-discipline.

Creating an Effective Routine

Establishing a consistent and structured routine can significantly enhance self-discipline. By having a set schedule and designated time for specific tasks and activities, individuals reduce the likelihood of getting distracted or succumbing to procrastination. Having a routine also minimizes decision fatigue, as certain behaviors become automatic and require less mental effort. To create an effective routine, it is essential to prioritize tasks, allocate time for breaks and relaxation, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Overcoming Procrastination and Distractions

Understanding the procrastination cycle.

Procrastination is a common challenge that hinders self-discipline. It is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or activities, often in favor of more immediate and pleasurable distractions. Understanding the procrastination cycle is crucial for overcoming this habit.

It often starts with the avoidance of an uncomfortable or overwhelming task, followed by engaging in distracting activities, resulting in guilt or regret. Breaking this cycle involves recognizing and challenging irrational thoughts or beliefs, breaking tasks into smaller, manageable parts, and implementing strategies to minimize distractions.

Identifying and Eliminating Distractions

In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, distractions are ubiquitous and can derail self-discipline. To combat distractions, it is essential to identify and eliminate or reduce them as much as possible. This may involve creating a designated workspace free from interruptions, turning off notifications on electronic devices, or using website blockers to limit access to time-wasting websites or social media platforms.

By creating an environment that supports focus and productivity, individuals can enhance their self-discipline and improve their chances of achieving their goals.

Using Time-Management Strategies

Effective time management is a crucial skill for maintaining self-discipline and overcoming procrastination. By prioritizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and allocating time for breaks and relaxation, individuals can better manage their time and avoid the trap of wasted hours.

Techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique, where work is divided into focused intervals with short breaks in between, can help maintain concentration and prevent burnout. Additionally, creating to-do lists and utilizing productivity apps or tools can support organization and productivity.

Building and Strengthening Willpower

Exercise and meditation.

Physical exercise and meditation are powerful tools for building and strengthening willpower. Regular exercise not only improves physical health but also enhances mental resilience and self-control.

Engaging in activities that require discipline and physical exertion can help build the capacity for self-discipline in other areas of life. Meditation, on the other hand, cultivates mindfulness and self-awareness, enabling individuals to observe and regulate their thoughts, emotions, and impulses. Both exercise and meditation work synergistically to enhance self-discipline and overall well-being.

Developing Mental Resilience

Mental resilience refers to the ability to adapt, bounce back, and maintain composure in the face of challenges and setbacks. Developing mental resilience is crucial for maintaining self-discipline, as it allows individuals to stay focused and motivated even in difficult times.

Strategies for enhancing mental resilience include reframing negative thoughts, practicing gratitude and optimism, seeking social support, and learning from failures and mistakes. By embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and developing a resilient mindset, individuals can navigate obstacles and maintain their self-discipline.

The Importance of Self-Care

Self-care is a vital component of self-discipline. It involves prioritizing one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being and engaging in activities that promote relaxation, rejuvenation, and self-reflection. Neglecting self-care can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and a decline in self-discipline.

Taking time for adequate rest, engaging in hobbies or activities that bring joy and fulfillment, and practicing self-compassion are essential for maintaining a strong foundation of self-discipline. By nurturing oneself, individuals can recharge and sustain their motivation and focus towards their goals.

Mindset and Self-Discipline

The growth mindset vs the fixed mindset.

The mindset individuals adopt significantly affects their level of self-discipline. The growth mindset, based on the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning, is conducive to self-discipline.

Those with a growth mindset see failures and setbacks as opportunities for growth, embrace challenges, and persist in the face of obstacles. On the other hand, the fixed mindset, which assumes intelligence and abilities are fixed traits, can hinder self-discipline by leading to fear of failure and avoidance of challenges. Cultivating a growth mindset is crucial for fostering self-discipline.

Cultivating a Positive Attitude

A positive attitude is an essential ingredient in maintaining self-discipline. By adopting a positive mindset and reframing challenges or setbacks as opportunities for growth, individuals can stay motivated and focused even in challenging circumstances.

Positive self-talk and affirmations can help counter negative thoughts or self-doubt, while seeking out positive influences and role models can provide inspiration and encouragement. Cultivating a positive attitude requires self-awareness, conscious effort, and the willingness to challenge and replace negative thoughts or beliefs.

Developing a Purpose-Driven Mindset

Having a sense of purpose and aligning one’s actions with personal values and aspirations is a powerful motivator for self-discipline. When individuals have a clear understanding of their goals and why those goals are important to them, they are more likely to stay disciplined and perseverant. Developing a purpose-driven mindset involves reflection, introspection, and identifying core values and passions. By aligning daily actions with a larger purpose, individuals can overcome challenges and maintain unwavering self-discipline.

Overcoming Obstacles and Challenges

Managing temptation and impulses.

Temptation and impulsive behaviors can undermine self-discipline. To manage temptation, it is crucial to recognize and anticipate situations or triggers that may lead to impulsive or undesirable actions. Developing strategies such as removing temptations from one’s environment, practicing delayed gratification, and seeking alternative sources of fulfillment can help combat impulse-driven behavior. By being mindful of the consequences of succumbing to temptation and implementing strategies to resist, individuals can strengthen their self-discipline and maintain their progress towards their goals.

Dealing with Failure and Setbacks

Failure and setbacks are inevitable in any pursuit, but they should not deter individuals from maintaining self-discipline. In fact, failure can serve as a powerful teacher and catalyst for growth. Resilience and a growth mindset are crucial in bouncing back from failure and setbacks.

It is important to view failure as a learning experience, analyze what went wrong, and adjust strategies accordingly. Seeking support from friends, mentors, or accountability partners can provide perspective and encouragement during challenging times. Adopting a proactive and solution-oriented mindset is key to overcoming failure and maintaining self-discipline.

Seeking Support and Accountability

Building and maintaining self-discipline can be challenging, but seeking support and accountability can significantly enhance success. Surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals or joining a community of individuals with similar goals can provide a supportive network where challenges can be shared, successes celebrated, and motivation boosted.

Accountability partners or mentors can provide guidance, feedback, and encouragement while holding individuals responsible for their actions and progress. By seeking support and creating a system of accountability, individuals can reinforce their self-discipline and achieve greater success.

The Role of Self-Awareness

Recognizing triggers and patterns.

Self-awareness is a critical component of self-discipline. By being attuned to one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, individuals can recognize triggers that may lead to impulsive or undesirable actions. By identifying patterns and understanding the underlying motivations behind certain behaviors, individuals can take proactive steps to modify or redirect them. Regular self-reflection, journaling, or seeking professional guidance can facilitate the development of self-awareness and help individuals better navigate their self-discipline journey.

Understanding Emotional Triggers

Emotional triggers can significantly impact self-discipline. Negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, or sadness can lead to impulsive behavior or the desire to seek immediate gratification. By understanding one’s emotional triggers and developing strategies to cope with these emotions in healthy ways, individuals can enhance their self-discipline.

Techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, or seeking emotional support can help individuals manage and regulate their emotions, enabling them to make rational decisions and maintain self-discipline.

Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that cultivates present-moment awareness and non-judgmental observation of one’s thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Practicing mindfulness enhances self-awareness and helps individuals stay grounded and focused, even in challenging circumstances.

By becoming mindful of their thoughts and impulses, individuals can better manage distractions, resist temptations, and maintain self-discipline. Daily mindfulness exercises such as meditation, body scans, or mindful eating can be incorporated into one’s routine to develop and strengthen mindfulness skills.

Maintaining Long-Term Self-Discipline

Celebrating milestones and achievements.

Celebrating milestones and achievements is vital for maintaining long-term self-discipline. By acknowledging progress and giving oneself credit for accomplishments, individuals reinforce positive habits and motivation.

Celebrations can take the form of small rewards or indulgences, sharing successes with loved ones, or simply taking time to reflect and appreciate one’s growth. Recognizing milestones and achievements serves as a reminder of the progress made and fuels the motivation to continue challenging oneself and striving for further development.

Reevaluating and Adjusting Goals

Self-discipline requires periodic assessment and adjustment of goals. As individuals evolve and their circumstances change, it is important to reevaluate goals and ensure they remain aligned with personal values and aspirations. Setting realistic and achievable goals allows for regular successes, which in turn sustains self-discipline. By regularly reviewing and adjusting goals, individuals can stay motivated, maintain focus, and avoid potential burnout or disillusionment. Flexibility and adaptability are key to long-term self-discipline.

Continuing Self-Improvement

Self-discipline is an ongoing process of self-improvement and personal growth. It is essential to continuously seek opportunities for learning and development, both in the pursuit of specific goals and more broadly in life.

Engaging in activities such as reading, attending workshops or webinars, or seeking mentorship can enhance knowledge and skills while fostering self-discipline. By embracing a growth mindset and committing to lifelong learning, individuals ensure that self-discipline remains a constant companion in their pursuit of success and achievement.

In conclusion, self-discipline is a vital trait that underpins success, achievement, and overall well-being. Understanding the basics of self-discipline, the role of motivation and habits, and strategies for overcoming obstacles are crucial for cultivating and maintaining self-discipline.

By developing a growth mindset, practicing self-care, and seeking support and accountability, individuals can bolster their self-discipline and achieve their goals. With consistent effort, self-awareness, and a commitment to lifelong learning, self-discipline becomes a powerful tool for personal growth and fulfillment.

Turning Setbacks Into Comebacks: 10 Resilience Strategies

10 important insights for building your Self Discipline – Video

Video Summary:

The video provides a comprehensive exploration of self-discipline through the lens of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, offering insights that are as relevant today as they were in ancient Rome. Here are the key takeaways:

Purpose Discovery : Self-discipline begins with identifying your purpose. Marcus Aurelius emphasizes the importance of understanding your role and duties, as this clarity propels you forward and ensures commitment to your tasks.

Self-Reliance : Counting on yourself and turning desires to stone are essential. Developing a practical plan of action and committing to small, actionable steps towards your goals fosters self-discipline.

Consistency : Showing up every day and engaging in your work, regardless of feelings or immediate results, builds mental endurance and focus. Consistency is the foundation of self-discipline.

Voluntary Hardship : Practicing voluntary hardship, such as enduring discomfort and testing your limits, strengthens your resolve and prepares you for challenges.

Control Dichotomy : Understanding what is within your control and accepting what isn’t helps maintain focus and reduces distress, enhancing discipline.

Responsibility : Avoiding the victim mentality and taking responsibility for your actions and their outcomes is crucial for self-discipline.

Delayed Gratification : The ability to postpone immediate pleasure for long-term goals is a key component of self-discipline, leading to greater rewards.

Ignoring Naysayers : Focusing on your path and disregarding negative or discouraging opinions from others preserves your energy and dedication to your goals.

Role Models : Seeking inspiration and guidance from individuals who embody the discipline and success you aspire to can provide valuable insights and motivation.

Self-Review : Honestly evaluating your daily actions, acknowledging both successes and areas for improvement, supports continuous personal growth and discipline.

Insights based on numbers :

• Marcus Aurelius’ reign (161-180 AD) as one of the Five Good Emperors marks a period of philosophical and personal introspection, highlighting the timeless nature of his insights on self-discipline.
• The practice of reflecting on daily actions and seeking continuous improvement is emphasized as a method for fostering self-discipline, suggesting a methodical approach to personal development.

Exploratory Question On The Video Discussing Self-Discipline

What does the video say about how the practice of voluntary hardship can be applied in modern life to enhance self-discipline.

The concept of voluntary hardship, as discussed in the video, is a powerful tool for building self-discipline. Marcus Aurelius advocates for making life intentionally uncomfortable at times to prepare ourselves for challenges and to harden our resolve. This practice can be integrated into modern life in several ways:

Physical Challenges : Implementing physical discomforts such as cold showers, fasting, or rigorous exercise can strengthen mental fortitude. These practices teach resilience and the ability to endure discomfort, enhancing our capability to tackle difficult tasks.

Digital Detox : Temporarily giving up conveniences like social media, smartphones, or other digital distractions can help focus our attention on more meaningful activities and goals, reducing dependency on instant gratification.

Simplifying Lifestyle : Choosing to live with less, whether it’s by decluttering our living space or opting for minimalist living, can teach us to appreciate what we have and reduce the constant desire for more.

Embracing Failure : Actively stepping out of our comfort zones, taking risks, and being open to failure can significantly enhance our self-discipline. It teaches us that setbacks are not the end but part of the learning process.

Mindful Consumption : Practicing restraint in consumption, whether it’s food, shopping, or entertainment, encourages us to value quality over quantity and to exercise control over our impulses.

By incorporating voluntary hardship into our lives, we not only build self-discipline but also gain a deeper appreciation for the comforts and conveniences we often take for granted. This practice aligns closely with Stoic philosophy, which emphasizes control over one’s own actions and reactions as the path to a fulfilling life.

What does the video say about how Marcus Aurelius’ concept of the dichotomy of control can help in reducing stress and increasing productivity?

The video highlights Marcus Aurelius’ teachings on the dichotomy of control as a pivotal strategy for reducing stress and enhancing productivity. This Stoic principle differentiates between what is within our control—our thoughts, feelings, and actions—and what is not, such as external events or the actions of others. Here’s how this concept can be beneficial:

Stress Reduction : By recognizing that we cannot control everything that happens to us, we can focus our energy and attention on our responses rather than on attempting to change uncontrollable circumstances. This realization significantly lowers stress levels, as it shifts our perspective from feeling victimized by circumstances to taking proactive control over our reactions.

Enhanced Focus : Understanding what is within our control helps in prioritizing tasks and actions that directly impact our goals and well-being. It allows us to detach from external distractions and pressures, concentrating our efforts on what truly matters and can be influenced by our actions.

Increased Resilience : Applying the dichotomy of control cultivates resilience, as it prepares us to face adversities with a calm and composed mind. When we accept that challenges and setbacks are part of life, and focus on our capacity to adapt and respond, we develop a stronger, more resilient character.

Improved Decision Making : This concept encourages us to evaluate situations based on their controllability, leading to more rational and effective decision-making. It helps in distinguishing between worthwhile efforts and futile endeavors, optimizing productivity by investing our resources wisely.

Emotional Stability : Emphasizing control over our internal state rather than external outcomes fosters emotional stability. It teaches us to maintain our equilibrium in the face of adversity, reducing emotional turbulence and enabling a steady pursuit of our objectives.

Marcus Aurelius’ dichotomy of control offers a timeless framework for navigating life’s challenges with grace and effectiveness. By applying this principle, we can minimize stress, enhance our productivity, and lead a more purposeful and contented life.

What does the video say about strategies to effectively ignore naysayers and stay focused on personal growth and goals?

The video outlines several strategies based on the teachings of Marcus Aurelius for dealing with naysayers and maintaining focus on personal growth and objectives. These strategies include:

Understanding Critics : Marcus Aurelius suggests going to the souls of those who criticize or oppose you to understand their perspectives and motivations. Recognizing that their criticism often stems from their own limitations or insecurities can help diminish its impact on you.

Maintaining Inner Peace : The Stoic emperor emphasizes the importance of keeping your mind centered on itself and not allowing external opinions to disturb your inner tranquility. By focusing on your own path and progress, you can preserve your energy for more constructive endeavors.

Seeking Constructive Feedback : While it’s essential to ignore baseless criticism, Aurelius also advises seeking out honest feedback from those you respect and admire. This approach allows you to grow and improve by considering valuable insights from credible sources.

Embracing Your Purpose : Staying true to your purpose and goals is a powerful deterrent against the influence of naysayers. When you are clear about what you want to achieve and why it matters, external negativity becomes less relevant.

Practicing Resilience : Developing a resilient mindset enables you to bounce back from setbacks and criticism without losing focus on your goals. Marcus Aurelius teaches that adversity can be a tool for strengthening character and advancing personal growth.

Cultivating Self-Reliance : Strengthening your reliance on your own judgment and abilities helps mitigate the influence of detractors. Confidence in your path and decisions makes you less susceptible to external criticism.

By applying these strategies, you can effectively navigate the challenges posed by naysayers, keeping your focus on personal development and the achievement of your goals. Marcus Aurelius’ wisdom offers timeless guidance for maintaining direction and purpose in the face of opposition.

Related posts:

• Top 10 Must-Read Self-Discipline Books
• Self-Discipline Vs. Motivation: Which Is More Important?
• The Psychology of Survival: Understanding the Mindset for Beginners
• Goal-Setting Techniques For Enhancing Self-Discipline
• The Role Of Self-Discipline In Personal Growth

A Guide to Developing the Self-Discipline Habit

By leo babauta.

One of the most important life skills to develop, for those just starting out in life (and everyone else!), is the skill of self-discipline.

It’s like a superpower: when I developed some self-discipline, I started exercising and eating healthier and meditating and writing more, I quit smoking and ran marathons, I started a blog and wrote books, I read more and work earlier, I decluttered and transformed my finances. I’m far from perfect, but I’ve learned a lot.

But if you don’t develop self-discipline, it causes problems: health problems, distraction, procrastination, financial problems, clutter, things piling up and overwhelming you, and much more.

So it’s such an important skill to develop, but most people don’t know where to start. This guide is aimed at helping you get started.

I’m writing it for my kids, and for anyone else who would like to develop a superpower.

Finding Motivation

The first question is, how do you even get motivated to start? Most of us don’t want to think about our lack of discipline, let alone take a bunch of actions.

For me, the motivation came from realizing that what I was doing wasn’t working. Ignoring the problems only made things worse. Trying to be disciplined but doing it half-assedly only resulted in me feeling bad about myself. Being wholly undisciplined was causing myself a bunch of pain.

Once you realize that you’re causing yourself pain … you might develop a whole-hearted intention to stop hurting yourself. You might say, “OK, that’s enough with making my life worse. Let’s try to make it less worse.”

With that in mind, you can tell yourself that you are going to:

• Start taking small actions to make things better
• Do the things that hurt you less
• Push yourself into discomfort a little bit, so you can get better at this over time
• Get good at self-discipline with some practice

Keep these things in mind as you practice, as you get the urge to not practice, and as you make mistakes and then want to give up.

There are other good motivations as well:

• Wanting to help others — if you get better at exercise or healthy eating, for example, you can help your aging parents who need to get better at these things. If you get better at not procrastinating on your life’s work, you can help more people with that meaningful work. More on this below, in the “Focus on Others” section.
• Appreciating life — we have a short time here on Earth, and the life we have is a gift. When we procrastinate and give in to endless distraction, and don’t make the most of our time, we are not fully appreciating the gift we have. Instead, we can appreciate it by being present, being grateful, and being purposeful about how we spend our time.

With these motivations – or whatever motivations move you the most – we can start to practice.

Small Actions

One of the most important things you can do to get better at self-discipline is to take small actions. It can seem overwhelming to tackle huge, intimidating projects … so don’t. Instead, tackle easy actions, things so small you can’t say no.

Have some taxes to do? Just do 5 minutes. Want to run? Just run for 10 minutes. Have a report to work on? Just do the first few paragraphs. Want to declutter? Just find 5 things to declutter.

You’ll get better at self-discipline if you focus on small tasks, and break bigger projects into small tasks. Read more .

Discomfort Training

One of the reasons we don’t have self-discipline is because we run from the hard, uncomfortable things. We would rather do the easy, comfortable, familiar things.

So instead of facing our hard, uncomfortable projects or finances, we run to distractions, videos, games. This running from discomfort is ruining our lives .

What you can tell yourself is that you’re done running. You are going to push into discomfort, a little at a time, and get good at being uncomfortable. This is another of your superpowers. When others run, you’re OK (even if it’s not always fun).

One small task at a time, push yourself into discomfort. See how it feels. See that it’s not the end of the world. See that you are awesome enough to handle discomfort, and that the results are well worth it.

Mindfulness with Urges

You’ll have the urge to quit doing something hard, or to put it off for now. Those urges don’t serve you well.

Instead, develop mindfulness around those urges, and see that you don’t have to follow them.

A good way to do that is to set a time for yourself where you can do nothing but X. For example, for the next 10 minutes, you can do nothing but write your book chapter (or exercise, meditate, etc.). When you have the urge to procrastinate or run to distractions, you’ll easily see it, because you’re either writing the book, or you’re not. When you have the urge, tell yourself you can’t follow it, you have to either write your book chapter or sit there and do nothing.

Raymond Chandler used that as his simple writing system: “Write or nothing. I find it works. Two very simple rules, a. you don’t have to write. b. you can’t do anything else.”

The reason it works is that you are setting up a time where you do nothing else but that one specified task, and you can see your urges to run away. Use this to learn to be mindful of your urges, and see that you don’t have to follow them.

Interval Training

If you combine the above items into a system of bursts, or intervals, you can train yourself using interval training:

• Set your intention to practice self-discipline and not hurt yourself anymore.
• Set a task to focus on (writing, drawing, strength training, meditating, etc).
• Set a timer for 10 minutes. Five minutes is also fine if 10 is too long. Don’t go longer until you get good at 10 minutes, then increase to 12 and eventually 15. I don’t find I need to go beyond 15-20 minutes even when I’m kicking butt.
• Do nothing but sit there and watch your urges, or push into your discomfort by doing the task.
• When the timer goes off, give yourself a 5-minute break.

You can train for several intervals, or potentially for an hour or two. Then take a longer break, and do another set of intervals after that.

This kind of interval training is fantastic, because it’s not that hard, you really train yourself in discomfort and watching urges, and you can get a lot done this way.

A Focus on Others

When you find yourself struggling, dig into deeper motivation: doing your work/exercise/meditation etc. not for yourself, but for others.

For example:

• I’m writing this article to help my kids, and anyone else who might benefit.
• I work out to be healthy, not only for myself but as an example for my kids and others who might benefit.
• I meditate not only for my own peace and sanity, but so that I can help others find their own peace and sanity.
• You might draw or write or play music to inspire others.

In each example, you might benefit … but you’re also doing it to benefit others. And this benefit to others is much more motivating than doing something just for yourself.

Try it … try doing a difficult task for someone else. Tell them you’re going to do it for them beforehand, then keep them in mind as you do it. See if you feel more motivated.

Victories in Success & Failure

A huge mistake that a lot of people make is that they mess up, and get discouraged by this. They feel bad about messing up. This causes them to give up and not want to think about developing self-discipline.

Here’s the thing: failure is actually a victory.

Failure means you tried. So it’s a victory from the start.

But it also means you learned something — you now know that what you tried didn’t quite work. Next time, you can try something a bit different. Add more accountability, try it at a different time, unplug your wireless router, get a workout partner, anything. Because of your failure, you have new information. You’ve learned, and that helps you get better.

Failure is a victory. Success is also a victory. No matter what your result, you can see it as an opportunity to learn, to grow, to get better.

Drop any ideas of being perfect at this, and just keep trying.

The next time you fail at whatever you’re trying, instead of letting it get you discouraged, see it as a victory. Then keep going, no matter what, because giving up is only going to hurt you some more.

Getting Support

You’re not in this alone. You have family, friends, online strangers who can help you. Form a support team by reaching out to the people around you, and asking for their help.

Lots of people skip this because they are embarrassed by their lack of discipline. They feel that the way they behave is shameful. That’s not true. Actually, we all act like this, but we’re just afraid to show that side to each other. But the truth is, if you show your “dark” side to people, they actually love you more, trust you more, relate to you more. So don’t be afraid to connect with others in a vulnerable way.

Find the courage to ask for help. Then let yourself be supported as you work on pushing yourself into discomfort and hurting yourself less.

If you need help from me, I’m offering a course in Building Self-Discipline in my Fearless Living Academy .

You can do this.

Posted: 05.23.2017

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Self-Discipline

Persisting until you reach your goals.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

"You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself."– Jim Whittaker, American mountaineer and CEO

Marietta wakes up before dawn each morning to exercise. She works very efficiently in the office, ignoring distractions, and devoting all of her attention to high-value projects. In the evening, she attends a class online; she'll be graduating in a few months with her MBA.

How can people like Marietta achieve so much, so consistently? And how can we accomplish as much in our personal lives and careers? Part of the answer lies in self-discipline. This is what pushes us to deliver on our best intentions and goals, even when we don't feel like doing so. If we have self-discipline, we're able to put off short-term pleasure (or endure short-term inconvenience or discomfort) in the pursuit of long-term gain.

This is why self-discipline is so important. In this article, we'll examine what self-discipline actually is, we'll explore why it's useful, and we'll look at how to develop it.

A Definition of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is the ability to push yourself forward, stay motivated, and take action, regardless of how you're feeling, physically or emotionally. You're showing it when you intentionally choose to pursue something better for yourself, and you do it in spite of factors such as distractions, hard work, or unfavorable odds.

Self-discipline is different from self-motivation or willpower. Motivation and willpower contribute to it, as do persistence, the ability to follow through on your intentions, and hard work.

The Benefits of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline can boost your well-being and outcomes in many different areas of your life. It can:

1. Help you to achieve goals. Self-discipline people are more likely to commit to, and reach, important long-term life goals.

2. Improve your mental health. People practicing self-discipline report higher levels of self-confidence, happiness and independence. Researchers have also found that self-discipline eases anxiety.

3. Benefit your physical health. People who demonstrate regular self-discipline often engage in healthy habits, and resist unhealthy ones.

4. Improve your relationships. Individuals with high self-discipline often experience stronger long-term relationships.

5. Make you more resilient. Self-discipline can enhance your ability to bounce back from adversity. The more resilient you are, the better control you have over impulses and delayed gratification.

6. Help you to feel happier. If you're more productive, the more creative and happy you are. The more we feel in control of the origin of our behavior, the better sense of well-being we have, and that makes us happy.

7. Improve learning and enhance performance. Studies have shown that students with a high degree of self-discipline retain more knowledge than those without self-discipline. Additionally, researchers discovered that students with strong self-discipline are more careful in their tasks, which improves their performance. [1]

Research has also shown that measuring a person's level of self-discipline is a more accurate predictor of success than measuring their IQ. [2]

How to Develop Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is like a muscle: the more you work on developing it and using it, the stronger it will become.

However, it's just as important not to start out with goals that are too ambitious. Instead, set small goals, and increase the level of challenge slowly over time. The more you practice, the better you'll become.

Follow these five steps to start developing your self-discipline:

1. Choose a Goal

Begin by choosing just one goal that you want to focus on to develop your self-discipline.

For instance, perhaps you want to start exercising every evening, or you want to read one leadership book a week to enhance your skills. You could even practice self-discipline on very small goals such as concentrating on a piece of work for an hour without checking your messages, or avoiding unhealthy food for one day.

Remember, starting small is the best way to start developing your self-discipline. As your discipline gets stronger, you can spread the focus to more areas of your life.

Make sure that the goal you set is SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound – and break the goal down into smaller sub-goals, where you can.

2. Find Your Motivation

Once you've chosen a goal, list the reasons why you want to achieve it. Try to express these reasons in a positive way.

So, instead of saying, "I want to exercise three times a week to lose weight," say "I want to exercise so that I have the energy to play with my kids and work successfully." Or, instead of saying, "I want to get this task off my To-Do List," say, "I want to do this task, so that I can meet my objectives, get praise from my boss, and feel satisfied with my day's work."

When you list the reasons why you want to achieve something, you'll find it much easier to get the job done.

Our article on Motivating Yourself has additional strategies for finding and developing your self-motivation.

3. Identify Obstacles

Now you need to identify the obstacles that you'll likely face when working toward your goal, and devise a strategy for overcoming each one.

For instance, imagine that your goal is to read one leadership book a week to enhance your skills. In the past, you've faced a number of obstacles in reaching this goal. For example, when you find a book you like, it's hard to find time each night to read. Between work, dinner and the kids, your time is taken up until late in the evening, and you get distracted by messages coming in while you're reading.

Once you've identified obstacles, come up with a strategy to overcome each one. In this example, you could do the following:

• Instead of going to a bookstore, spend an hour looking at leadership books online. Find several that interest you, and that have good reviews. Order all of them at once, and download them to tablet so that you always have a book on hand to read.
• Find more time in your day to focus on reading. Perhaps you could read during your lunch hour, or while you're waiting to pick your kids up from school.
• Turn your phone off when you want to focus on reading.

Often our self-discipline crumbles because we haven't identified the obstacles that we'll face, and we haven't developed strategies to overcome them. When these obstacles show up, we're unprepared to deal with them, and this shakes our resolve. Don't skip this step!

4. Replace Old Habits

When we're developing self-discipline, we're often trying to break a bad habit and replace it with something more productive. However, if that habit is tied into a certain time of day or routine, breaking it can leave a hole. If we don't replace that habit with something else, then its absence becomes even more noticeable.

A good example is if you're trying to stop yourself shopping online when you take a break at work. This bad habit destroys your focus and attention, because you're likely to be online for 20-30 minutes each time.

Once you've resolved to stop, identify a new behavior that you can engage in when you need a quick break. Instead of online shopping, you could do some stretches in your office, get a cup of coffee, or take a quick walk outside. These behaviors will help to support your goal and strengthen your self-discipline, instead of leaving you with nothing to do on your break.

5. Monitor Your Progress

As you work on your self-discipline, pay attention to how you're feeling as it develops and strengthens. You might feel free, happy, proud, and energized.

Also, think about keeping a journal to write down your self-discipline goals and to track your progress. This reinforces the positive changes that you're implementing in your life, and gives you a record that you can look back on to see the progress that you've made.

Over time, your self-discipline will strengthen, and you'll be able to apply it to lots of other areas of your life.

More Tips for Self-Discipline

• Try to avoid distractions when you begin to develop your self-discipline. Make it harder to engage in the activity you're trying to avoid.
• It's important to reward yourself when you experience success. Celebrating your accomplishments will keep things fun, and strengthen your resolve to keep going.
• Don't let a fear of failure or an occasional setback discourage you. All of us experience setbacks and failures – they're parts of life! Acknowledge that you slipped up, learn the lesson, and move on.

Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Discipline

Why is self-discipline important?

Self-discipline helps you to stay focused, meet deadlines, and maintain a strong work ethic. It enables you to resist distractions, adhere to company policies, and consistently produce high-quality results. This contributes to your own success and the overall productivity and success of the organization.

How do you explain self-discipline?

Self-discipline is the ability to control and regulate your own behavior, actions and decisions so you can achieve goals or keep to a set of principles, even in the face of temptations, distractions or challenges. It involves setting and maintaining a consistent standard of behavior, often driven by a strong sense of commitment and personal responsibility.

Why is self-discipline the key to success?

Self-discipline enables consistent effort, goal-setting, and the ability to overcome challenges. It helps individuals stay focused, make better decisions, and build the habits necessary for long-term achievement.

What are the effects of lack of self-discipline?

Lack of self-discipline can lead to a range of negative effects, including procrastination, missed opportunities, poor time management, underachievement, unhealthy habits, and a failure to reach your full potential. It can also result in reduced productivity and difficulties in both your personal and professional life

It's important to develop self-discipline in life. Self-discipline is what enables us to do high-quality work. It keeps us pursuing our goals through tough times. And it helps us to stay professional, even when we're not feeling great.

To develop self-discipline, follow these steps:

• Choose a goal.
• Find your motivation.
• Identify obstacles.
• Replace old habits.
• Monitor your progress.

Self-discipline is an essential quality, and it's a key differentiator between people who are successful in life and those who aren't.

[1] Gong, Y, Rai, D, Beck, J.E, and Heffernan, N.T. (2009). 'Does Self-Discipline Impact Students' Knowledge and Learning?' Educational Data Mining , 2009. Available here .

[2] Seligman, M.E.P, and Duckworth, A.L. (2005). 'Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ in Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents,' Psychological Science , Vol. 16, No. 12. Available here .

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Comments (2)

Heaven Leigh

Having self-discipline means you can proactively remove temptations and avoid self-sabotaging behaviors. Visualization is key to successful goal-setting. For one, you must think . https://catalyticministries.com/

Manon Seite

I found this article really interesting ! now im motivate to use self-discipline to reach my goal !

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17 Self-Discipline Exercises to Help Build Self-Control

Whether we’re trying to study for a test, lose weight, kick a bad habit, or work toward a future goal, willpower always plays a part.

So why do some people ‘stick at it’ so much better than others? What’s their secret, and how can you learn to cultivate more self-discipline?

This article covers self-discipline theory and the evolution of the concept, to answer some of your most common questions about willpower.

Keep reading to learn more about the techniques, skills, and activities that can help you build better self-discipline and take more control of your everyday life.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Productivity Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients become more productive and efficient.

This Article Contains:

What is self-discipline theory, common questions about self-discipline, 4 important techniques and skills we should know, a look at self-discipline in kids, 5 ideas for building self-discipline in children.

• 5 Exercises, Activities, and Worksheets Designed to Improve Self-Discipline

3 Tests and Questionnaires

A take-home message.

What is self-discipline, and how does it work? Many of us feel like we don’t have enough of it or want to improve it, but can we develop it? Let’s start with a definition of self-discipline and look a little closer at the theory behind it.

Defining self-discipline

In the psychological literature, self-discipline is often called self-control or willpower: “ effortful regulation of the self by the self ” (Duckworth, 2011, p. 2639). We’ll be using the terms interchangeably in this article.

It is also defined as “ the ability to suppress prepotent responses in the service of a higher goal… and that such a choice is not automatic but rather requires conscious effort ” (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006, p. 199).

The American Psychological Association provides a nice overview of a few key self-discipline characteristics that have been used by psychologists, including (Metcalfe & Mischel, 1999; Tangney, Baumeister, & Boone,  2004; Moffitt et al., 2011):

• The ability to quash an impulsive response that undoes our commitment
• The capacity to delay gratification, holding out against short-term temptations so we can meet longer term goals
• The ability to use “cool” rather than a “hot” emotional system of behavior

Self-discipline theory

There are numerous different theories about how self-discipline works and how we can tap into it to accomplish our goals.

Ego depletion

One of the most well-supported willpower theories concerns ego depletion: the idea that willpower is limited and we rely on a finite reservoir of mental resources to resist temptation (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice, 1998; Muraven & Baumeister, 2000; Gino, Schweitzer, Mead, & Ariely, 2011).

According to this theory, we use willpower daily to resist urges and push ourselves, until those resources dwindle or run out.

Say we’ve stopped ourselves from yelling at a coworker in the morning, chosen fruit instead of chocolate at 3:00 p.m., and held back from the bread rolls before dinner. This theory would view such acts as depleting events. At the end of it, we theoretically have fewer mental resources to resist continued urges. We might then skip the gym in our ‘weakened state’ or take a cab home instead of walking.

Support for ego depletion theory

Early empirical support for ego depletion theory included the famous ‘cookie’ experiment conducted by Baumeister et al. (1998). In this study, participants were asked to choose between snacking on cookies or radishes. Guess which one required more willpower?

Afterward, they were given a puzzle to solve – an unsolvable puzzle, but they didn’t know it – to observe which group of participants would persevere longer. As the researchers predicted, those who had snacked on cookies persisted 11 minutes longer than those who had resisted them.

Some interesting, but now disproven, extensions on this theory included the idea that willpower was related to our body’s glucose supply. The original idea was that when sugar levels dropped, so did our self-discipline (Donohoe & Benton, 1999, 2000; Gailliot & Baumeister, 2007).

Evidence to the contrary

Since the early ‘90s, researchers have presented other findings that question the validity of Baumeister et al.’s (1998) ego-depletion theory. Rather than relying on a finite supply of willpower, there is evidence that our attitudes and beliefs may have a moderating influence on our self-discipline (Muraven & Slessareva, 2003; Muraven, Gagné, & Rosman, 2008; Job, Walton, Bernecker, & Dweck, 2013).

Muraven and Slessareva (2003) showed that ‘depleted’ participants could compensate for lower self-control resources through higher motivation, even performing as well as non-depleted participants with high motivation.

And as the authors so aptly describe, this “ can help explain why, when depleted, people may lose control of their appetites but not their temper ” (Muraven & Slessareva, 2003, p. 906).

Another study demonstrated that participants who believed self-control was plentiful and unlimited had high willpower performance, both with and without glucose boosts (Job et al., 2013). Participants who believed in finite and easily depleted willpower, however, performed poorly on experimental tasks as the demands on their self-control grew.

Both motivation and self-control resources are essential components of self-control (Muraven & Slessareva, 2003).

Now that we’ve explained what self-discipline is, let’s get into why it’s important and how you might be able to improve it.

Here’s what the research says.

Why is self-discipline important?

Willpower helps us resist short-term urges and impulses to pursue longer term goals. If you’re saving for a car, for instance, practicing self-control about impulse purchases can help you save more easily and quickly.

Mischel and Ebbesen’s (1970) early marshmallow experiment was one of the first studies into delayed gratification, and it gave rise to a surge of later studies linking self-discipline with success.

A couple of decades later, researchers followed up with the students from the marshmallow experiment and found that those who could delay gratification had comparatively better academic performance and higher educational achievements than those who couldn’t (Shoda, Mischel, & Peake, 1990).

This corresponds with later findings that have shown self-control to have a more significant positive impact on academic success than cognitive intelligence, and that students with more self-discipline had better grades, school attendance, and test results (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006).

Research findings also point to the parts that self-control can play in:

• Reduced risk of obesity – due in part to higher impulse control and the ability to delay gratification (Tsukayama, Toomey, Faith, & Duckworth, 2010)
• Better muscular and aerobic fitness (Kinnunen, Suihko, Hankonen, Absetz, & Jallinoja, 2012)
• Lower likelihood of engaging in risky or criminal behaviors (King, Fleming, Monahan, & Catalano, 2011; Ford & Blumenstein, 2012)
• Greater occupational and career achievement in terms of income and job satisfaction (Converse, Piccone, & Tocci, 2014).

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So how can we develop more self-control? Let’s look at some techniques that may be helpful.

1. Develop your self-awareness

How many temptations do you think you resist every day?

It’s impossible to know, because most of our decisions are unconscious. By becoming more attuned to when, where, and how we exercise self-control, we can start to manage our behavior a little better.

For example, have you ever gone to the supermarket when you’re really hungry? If so, chances are you made a few more impulse buys than you would have if you’d gone on a full stomach. There are many benefits of self-awareness . Being aware of what we do when we’re doing it is the first step to making better decisions and resisting those that don’t help us over the long term.

As a start, we can try to recognize and avoid temptation, either by steering clear of it or distracting ourselves from it (Metcalfe & Mischel, 1999).

2. Believe in willpower

The beliefs that we hold about willpower can affect our ability to practice self-control (Job et al., 2013).

By viewing self-discipline as an unlimited resource, participants were able to exercise the same degree of willpower after a depleting task as before it, demonstrating the impact our beliefs can have on our actions (Job et al., 2013).

This suggests that you and I can do the same. Choosing not to view self-control as a depletable resource might give us some of the motivation we need to overcome, at least mild cases of, ego depletion (Vohs, Baumeister, & Schmeichel, 2012).

3. Regular physical exercise

They also reported positive increases and improvements in other domains related to self-discipline: emotional control, spending, study habits, attendance to commitments, healthy eating, and household chores. At the same time, they reported significant reductions in perceived stress and unhealthy habits, such as smoking and caffeine consumption (Oaten & Cheng, 2006).

4. Implementation intention

Practicing the implementation intention technique can help you improve your self-control, work toward breaking bad habits, and change unwanted behavior (Gollwitzer, 1999). The method involves creating an if–then plan that specifies when, where, and how you’ll act to achieve a goal.

Implementation intention has been shown to increase the likelihood of goal achievement by helping us bridge the gap between our goal intentions and our behaviors (Gollwitzer & Brandstaetter, 1997). By identifying and committing to concrete goals, then specifying the precise goal-directed behaviors we’ll engage in, we help to make this behavior more automatic when the time comes.

In the next section, we’ve given you an introduction to an implementation intention exercise.

The Johari Window is a thought-provoking self-awareness framework founded by Luft & Ingham (1955). It brings recognition to how you are perceived by others, and also encourages the expansion of your self-awareness.

The Johari Window consists of four quadrants, namely the Arena, the Blind Spot, the Mask, and the Unconscious.

• The Arena : This quadrant includes not only self-knowledge but public knowledge about your personality, skills, attitudes, and behaviors.
• The Blind Spot : This facet includes the things that are blatantly obvious to those around us, but we have yet to recognize in ourselves.
• The Mask : This includes hidden information that you have concealed from others for a multitude of reasons. This information is usually disclosed once you have built a trusting relationship with someone.
• The Unconscious : This quadrant includes undiscovered truths, talents, and information about yourself that can be uncovered through introspection. 

Introspection involves looking inward to understand our internal thought processes, beliefs, and sensory experiences (Schwitzgebel, 2012).

For example, according to the Johari Window framework, minimizing the blind spot by receiving feedback from others is not an example of introspection. Although it is gaining self-awareness and self-knowledge, it is not a purely internal process.

The unknown and unconscious quadrant can only be minimized by the means of self-discovery. Self-discovery is a multifaceted approach which can be done through self-monitoring (noticing what is going on in our minds), mindfulness, or asking yourself introspective reflection question (Schwitzgebel, 2012).

We’ve heard of Mischel and Ebbesen’s (1970) marshmallow study (if you haven’t, read our delayed gratification article), but what else do we know about self-discipline in kids?

Here’s an overview of some key research findings to date (Makin, 2013):

• In 1972, the influential marshmallow study demonstrated that kids waited an average of 6 minutes before eating a marshmallow that was placed in front of them, despite being told that they could have two marshmallows if they waited 15 minutes. Kids who delayed gratification for longer did so by either hiding the marshmallow or distracting themselves.
• Almost a decade later, a similar experiment was carried out on pigeons by researchers Grosch and Neuringer (1981). Pigeons who could distract themselves during the waiting period were more likely to exercise self-control by waiting for a preferred food vs. instantly eating an inferior one (Vanderveldt, Oliveira, & Green, 2016).
• Close to 16 years after the marshmallow study, the delayed gratification children from the experiment were shown to have better academic success, SAT scores, and social and emotional competence than those who showed low self-discipline (Shoda et al., 1990).
• In 2005, researchers suggested children don’t understand the impact of conflicting mental states on their behavior until they are at least seven years old (Choe, Keil, & Bloom, 2005). Researchers propose that maybe this is because they can only observe behavior that corresponds to one of their desires (Wellman, 1990).
• Children’s ability to delay gratification at 4 years old has been linked to their obesity risk at 11 years old (Seeyave et al., 2009).
• Brain imaging research of the original marshmallow study participants in middle age showed that prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum activity differed between high and low delayers facing temptation (Casey et al., 2011).
• Kid’s ability to demonstrate self-discipline is moderated by their beliefs about the environment. More specifically, children who believed their environments were unreliable waited significantly less time to succumb to gratification than those who thought the environment was reliable (Kidd, Palmeri, & Aslin, 2013).
• Kids with low self-control during childhood are more likely to smoke throughout adulthood; over half of this relationship was attributed to adolescent smoking (Daly, Egan, Quigley, Delaney, & Baumeister, 2016).

In a nutshell, it appears that self-discipline, or delayed gratification , at least, is not as straightforward as it seems. There is evidence suggesting that low or high self-control in childhood can have influences on our choices and behaviors in later life, but that our beliefs regarding the environment can play a significant role, too.

Given that our capacity for self-control can be improved, how can we build more self-discipline in children?

According to this framework, self-discipline is viewed more as emotional self-regulation than simple delayed gratification.

It suggests that we have two processing systems:

• A cool, rational cognitive system — This helps us make more strategic, objective, and thoughtful decisions, and it underpins self-regulation or self-control .
• A hot, impulsive, emotional system that undermines the former

Using this paradigm, building self-control is about helping kids develop their capacity to use cool processes. Here are a few ideas:

1. Build trust

A trusting environment is viewed as more reliable (Kidd et al., 2013).

Think of a child experiencing homelessness who is asked by an unfamiliar experimenter to wait before eating a hot meal, versus a child whose wealthy mom asks them to wait. The former, accustomed to a shifting environment where their food could be stolen, might be less likely to wait than the latter.

The role of trust in self-discipline has also been examined by Michaelson, de la Vega, Chatham, and Munakata (2013), who found that participants were more likely to choose hypothetical immediate, smaller rewards from character vignettes they considered low in trustworthiness.

2. Encourage children to practice

Delayed gratification and cool-system activation has been linked to higher right prefrontal cortex activity, and we can strengthen this brain area through repeated practice (Casey et al., 2011). Within reason, we can give kids the chance to practice delayed gratification, exercise their prefrontal cortex’s neural pathways, and enhance their capacity for self-discipline.

3. Provide motivation

Motivation plays a significant role in self-control. Muraven and Slessareva’s (2003) participants were more likely to persist at a task when they believed doing so would help others or when they were told they’d be paid.

Providing the right motivation for children can be one way to make willpower exertion a voluntary choice rather than a chore.

You might encourage them with praise and recognition while helping them see the benefits of self-discipline through empathy. “ I understand that you’re not tired now, and I’ve been there before. But I have gone to bed early before many times, and the next day I always feel energetic for the picnic !”

4. Model good behaviors

Show your child how to manage their hot-system processes by demonstrating good behavior. If you lose your temper every time someone cuts you off in traffic, they are more likely to learn that this kind of response is okay.

Visibly practicing soothing and calming positive self-talk can help them pick up techniques and skills that they can apply later (Meichenbaum & Goodman, 1971).

5. Reward desired behaviors

Positive reinforcement is also a good way to encourage acts of self-control, and rewards can be good incentives for new adaptive behaviors. Think about how you might reinforce kids with attractive rewards such as staying up five minutes longer, screen time, or stickers. Use this set of Kid’s Reward Coupons to help!

5 Exercises, Activities, and Worksheets to Improve Self-Discipline

1. Increasing self-control through repeated practice

On average, we resist two impulses out of every five that we face daily (Muraven, Baumeister, & Tice, 1999). In other words, we spend more than half our waking hours trying to resist our urges and impulses. When we don’t resist them, statistics suggest that we act on up to 70% of those desires; but when we do resist, we can decrease that figure to as little as 17%.

By practicing self-control, we can build up our willpower just as we build up fitness by exercising. To cite Muraven et al.’s (1999) figures, we can improve our self-discipline with as little as two weeks of consistent practice. Here’s a worksheet that helps you take it step by step, by performing small acts of self-control in your everyday life.

Click here to get this exercise from our Positive Psychology Toolkit©.

2. Implementation Intention

As discussed, implementation intention (if–then approaches to planning) can be a concrete and effective method for connecting your behaviors to desired outcomes. In other words, they bridge the gap between intentions and actions, leaving us with more mental resources for avoiding distractions and competing goals (Gollwitzer, 1999; Achtziger, Gollwitzer, & Sheeran, 2008).

Use this exercise to learn more about the theory behind if–then statements, then clarify what you want to achieve (your intention). As you follow the steps, you’ll plan when, where, and how you’ll start acting toward your goal, as well as how you’ll overcome obstacles: “ If X happens, then I will do Y. ”

3. The Spheres of Personal Control

If we believe that our capacity for self-control is unlimited, we can motivate ourselves to practice more willpower even when our mental resources are depleted. But that doesn’t warrant wasting time and energy trying to control factors that we can’t, such as natural disasters or another person’s behavior. This can end up having detrimental effects on our mental health (Wenzlaff & Wegner, 2000).

Here is a tool that works by helping you cultivate more self-awareness about what lies outside your sphere of personal control so that you can apply your mental resources more strategically and thoughtfully.

First, you’ll think of a valued goal you want to achieve and the desired outcomes of accomplishing it. Then, you’ll identify the actions you need to take to achieve it, before distinguishing between those that you can and cannot control.

The PDF includes more on the research and theory behind this exercise, as well as tables to fill in and examples to guide you. You can access the Spheres of Personal Control here .

4. Red Light: Anger!

Parents and teachers can use this exercise with children who find it tough to control their anger. It gives a small description of how anger starts small and grows to become bigger and often harder to control. Kids are invited to draw what they think their anger looks like in both scenarios.

The final page shows a bright red “Stop” signal. The instructions ask the child to think of the warning signs that indicate their anger is growing.

These help them understand when to pause and practice self-control before the situation gets out of hand. Then they can write their anger stop signs in the boxes. Examples include “ I start to sweat ,” “ I want to throw something ,” and “ My voice gets louder .”

Download this free Red Light: Anger! worksheet.

5. Self-Control Spotting

In this exercise, children can read and think about some examples of self-discipline and its opposite. There are eight boxes at the bottom of the page for kids to cut out, including examples such as:

• “ You feel sad, so you write in your diary. ”
• “ You feel upset, so you scream out loud. ”
• “ You feel angry, so you shout at your friend.”

Above this, there’s a larger table with two columns: “ This Is Self-Control ” and “ This Is NOT Self-Control.” Kids are prompted to cut out the examples and place them where they feel they belong in the two columns. It’s designed to help children build self-awareness about how self-discipline looks and feels so they can start to improve their own capacity.

Here’s a link to the Self-Control Spotting worksheet.

The secret to self control – Jonathan Bricker

Besides waiting around for marshmallows, how can we measure self-control? There are almost as many measures of the concept as there are definitions for it, but they fall into a few categories (Duckworth & Kern, 2011):

• Executive function tasks assess the ability to exercise top-down control over lower level cognitive processes (Williams & Thayer, 2009). Examples include Stroop tasks, set switching tasks, and continuous performance tasks.
• Delayed gratification tasks are exactly what they sound like, and this category includes hypothetical choice delay tasks (Michaelson et al., 2013), real choice tasks (like the marshmallow test), and sustained delay tasks (Grosch & Neuringer, 1981).
• Self- and informant-report personality questionnaires include standalone assessments and measures featuring multiple sub-scales.

If you’d like to look more into the latter, which you can often do yourself, have a look into some of the examples below (Duckworth & Kern, 2011) and read our blog post on Delayed Gratification Exercises .

1. The Tangney Self-Control Scale (SCS)

Developed by Tangney et al. (2004), the SCS is a 36-item measure that uses a 5-point scale. It assesses five dimensions: a general capacity for self-discipline, healthy habits, deliberate/nonimpulsive action, reliability, and work ethics (Unger, Bi, Xiao, & Ybarra, 2016).

Example items include:

• Sometimes I can’t stop myself from doing something, even if I know it is wrong.
• I have worked or studied all night at the last minute.
• People can count on me to keep on schedule.
• I am good at resisting temptation.
• I do certain things that are bad for me if they are fun.

2. The Eysenck I7 Impulsiveness Scale

This measure features items about impulsively doing and saying things and can be seen as a somewhat narrow measure of self-control (Eysenck, Easting, & Pearson, 1984; Duckworth & Kern, 2011).

Nonetheless, it’s a hefty instrument that includes 77 yes/no questions.

Examples include:

• Do you sometimes put down the first answer that comes into your head during a test and forget to check it later?
• When you watch a favorite TV show, can you feel with the hero or heroine when they are sad, happy, or angry?
• At a fairground, would you prefer playing games and seeing shows to riding rides?
• Do you get so carried away by new and exciting ideas that you never think of possible snags?
• Would you prefer an unexpected outing to one you have looked forward to for a while?

3. Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11 (BIS-11)

This is a multi-scale instrument incorporating items that measure non-planning, cognitive, and motor impulsiveness (Barratt, 1985). Developed as a multifaceted assessment of trait impulsivity, it has been widely used in the field for over 50 years.

The 30-item BIS-11 measures 6 correlated components: attention, cognitive instability, motor impulsiveness, perseverance, cognitive complexity, and self-control. Sample items include the following (1 = Rarely/Never; 2 = Occasionally; 3 = Often; and 4 = Almost Always/Always):

• I am restless at the theater or lectures.
• I often have extraneous thoughts when thinking.
• I spend or charge more than I earn.
• I can think only about one thing at a time.
• I say things without thinking.
• I am more interested in the present than in the future.

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Temptation is everywhere, but by practicing self-control, we can learn to strengthen it. Self-awareness, motivation, the right mindset, and greater willpower can all help us build better self-discipline, which in turn can have potential benefits for our success and long-term goals.

Have you had any struggles with willpower today? How did you manage? How about strategies for success? Can you share any with us? Try some of the exercises, techniques, and approaches we’ve shared today, then let us know how it goes. Share your experiences in the comments!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Productivity Exercises for free .

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• Barratt, E. S. (1985). Impulsive subtraits: Arousal and information processing. In J. T. Spence & C. E. Izard (Eds.), Motivation, emotion, and personality (pp. 137–146). Elsevier Science Publishers.
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• Choe, K. S., Keil, F. C., & Bloom, P. (2005). Children’s understanding of the Ulysses conflict. Developmental Science, 8 (5), 387–392.
• Converse, P. D., Piccone, K. A., & Tocci, M. C. (2014). Childhood self-control, adolescent behavior, and career success. Personality and Individual Differences, 59 , 65–70.
• Daly, M., Egan, M., Quigley, J., Delaney, L., & Baumeister, R. F. (2016). Childhood self-control predicts smoking throughout life: evidence from 21,000 cohort study participants. Health Psychology, 35 (11), 1254–1263.
• Donohoe, R. T., & Benton, D. (1999). Blood glucose control and aggressiveness in females. Personality and Individual Differences, 26 (5), 905–911.
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I feel like I have somewhat of self control when I a really stressed about anything I brake down and cry I just overthink anything possible but I feel like if I took the time to breath and figer it out one step at a time that I wouldn’t get so worked up about thing that stress me out.

Great job again Catherine! You are the absolute best :-)!!

Thank you for the article. Findings of Some wonderful research was put together very well. Keep up the great work

This article is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thank you so much for sharing!

The article is indeed great ! But I wonder are self-discipline and self-control two words of the same thing?

Hi Jack, So glad you enjoyed the article. Yes, you raise a good point about the difference between these two overlapping concepts. It’s a subtle distinction which is explained well in this article. – Nicole | Community Manager

Thanks for a wonderful article! It was well explained and I really find it very helpful. Thanks again!

Hi Marj, So glad you enjoyed the article. Thanks for being a reader. – Nicole | Community Manager

As an early childhood educator, I find this article useful particularly on the use of motivation, for example, praising. Further, paying attention to desirable behaviors always works for me . Finally, modelling is often applied in teaching including young children.

Thanks Kalaya for your comment :o) Positive reinforcement is indeed a powerful thing, and compliments and praise can go a long way. Not only in shaping adaptive behavior, but in building good relationships and cultivating a growth mindset, too! I recently read a lovely study that suggested a “Magic Ratio” of 6 compliments to every one piece of negative feedback – sounds a bit like what you’re doing very effectively already. What do you think? Cath

Excellent article Catherine well done

Thanks Javier, Robert, and Felix! Glad you enjoyed 🙂

Catherine, Great article! Thanks, Robert Wright.

Great article Thanks a lot

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Why Discipline Matters—and 5 Ways to Work On It

If you want to make changes that last, discipline is key. but how do you get it.

Posted January 9, 2023 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

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• You can go a long way in making changes for your life, but they won't stick unless you have discipline.
• Discipline is essential in the change process, because you'll need to keep new behaviors in place even after you've met your initial goals.
• Many people never learned to be disciplined and would say they aren't very good at it; but it's a skill that can be taught and developed.
• There are simple and practical tools you can put in place for becoming a more disciplined and consistent person.

If you’re looking for ways to become more successful, improve your relationships, or feel more satisfied with your life, you won’t have a hard time finding suggestions for how to go about it. Your search for such information will often lead you to tips for making healthier lifestyle choices, forming effective habits, building a better mindset, and sharpening your communication skills. Most of this advice, if you follow it, will probably lead to positive changes within yourself and your life. But how sustainable will those changes be?

The truth is, there’s one essential ingredient in the process of creating change that too often gets overlooked: discipline. Beyond the desire to do something and the motivation to get started, there is a need to put in the work—repeatedly, consistently, and enduringly.

Discipline is what kicks in long after motivation has faded. And if you’ve ever made a new year’s resolution that lasted until mid-January or set an intention on Monday that you strayed from by Friday, you know that motivation has a tendency to fade. Discipline carries you from the moment you start working on making a change, to the moment you celebrate the end result.

But here’s the kicker: Discipline is also what continues to happen well after that celebration.

How Change Happens

One of the most recognized theories behind behavior change, the Stages of Change Model, suggests that people move through 6 specific stages on their way to accomplishing a goal: precontemplation (not even thinking about changing), contemplation (starting to consider it), preparation (getting ready to do something different), action (putting in the work), maintenance (keeping it going), and termination (knowing there’s no going back).

Using this model as a reference point, we can say that discipline is directly involved in the last 3 stages. It takes discipline to commit to action and to do what it takes to make a change. This is the facet of discipline that requires making different choices, sometimes sacrificing the comfort of this moment for the promise of future achievement or fulfillment.

In the maintenance stage, discipline is critical. By this point in the process of change, the original motivation has probably dwindled. Your old familiar ways of thinking and behaving are threatening to override your new intentions. The efforts you made up to this point might be feeling too tiring or too tedious.

The temptation to take the path of least resistance creeps up a lot during the maintenance stage; it’s discipline that keeps you from giving in to it. And it’s discipline that takes you into the termination stage and gives you the confidence that your changes will last.

How You Can Become More Disciplined

For many of you reading this, the fact that discipline is essential to making lasting changes is no surprise. But the real question you might be pondering is: If I’m not good at being disciplined, how do I get better at it? While the answer is that there are many ways to go about it, let’s focus on 5 of them:

• Identify the areas where you struggle most. For some people it’s following through on a task or commitment; for others, it’s finishing what they’ve started. Some people have the hardest time with implementing new behaviors on a consistent basis. Others struggle most with making excuses and talking themselves out of their efforts to change. Take an honest look at your own challenge areas, so you can see where the work is most needed.
• Set yourself up for success. Sometimes, the things that get in the way of being disciplined are things people tend not to consider, like getting enough sleep and maintaining proper nutrition . Paying attention to these lifestyle basics will help you access the energy and mental focus you’ll need to stay disciplined.
• Notice the thoughts and emotions that drain you of discipline . It’s one thing to work towards a goal when you’re motivated; it’s another to keep at it, even when you don’t feel like it. This is what discipline is all about. Your thoughts and feelings, which are constantly changing, can easily keep you from making good on the promises you make to yourself. To keep this from happening, pay attention to the emotions and feeling states that tend to derail you, and be mindful of the kinds of thoughts that keep you from sticking to your commitments.
• Write things down and set reminders. Distraction is a big barrier to discipline. To keep it from taking you off course, organize yourself by writing down your goals/intentions/tasks and keeping them somewhere you’ll be sure to look at on a regular basis. Get a calendar or planner, if you don’t already have one, where you can write things down and keep yourself organized. Set reminders in your phone or use organizational apps and digital tools to keep yourself on track.
• Practice delayed gratification. Our world is wiring us all for instant gratification, and it’s never been easier to take shortcuts and stay on the comfortable path of least resistance. But discipline requires delayed gratification—the ability to sustain effort in the absence of reward. This can be incredibly difficult, especially if you didn’t develop the ability early on in life, but you can train yourself to get better at it. Start with small practices, like not turning on the TV until you’ve completed all the essential tasks on your to-do list; not opening TikTok until you’ve sent those important work emails; or waiting to enjoy your morning coffee until after you’ve finished a 30-minute workout. Eventually, you can build up to setting bigger goals that require discipline and delayed gratification to complete.

If you aren’t a naturally disciplined person, there’s no reason to panic . Work on developing more of it, and you’ll be well on your way to making—and solidifying—the kinds of changes you want to see in yourself, your relationships, and your life.

Denise Fournier, Ph.D. , is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, coach, and adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University.

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Self Discipline - A Must-Have Habit - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Self Discipline - A Must-Have Habit

Self-discipline helps you in many ways. it is not easy, it’s painful and tedious in the beginning but with time when you will see the change just by being disciplined. you will fall in love with the pain of discipline. – powerpoint ppt presentation.

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Self-Discipline

Persisting until you reach your goals.

© iStockphoto CharlieAJA

Resist temptation until you reach your goals.

"You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself." – Jim Whittaker, American mountaineer and CEO

Marietta wakes up before dawn each morning to exercise. She works very efficiently in the office, ignoring distractions, and devoting all of her attention to high-value projects. In the evening, she attends a class online; she'll be graduating in a few months with her MBA.

How can people like Marietta achieve so much, so consistently? And how can we accomplish as much in our personal lives and careers? Part of the answer lies in self-discipline. This is what pushes us to deliver on our best intentions and goals, even when we don't feel like doing so. If we have self-discipline, we're able to put off short-term pleasure (or endure short-term inconvenience or discomfort) in the pursuit of long-term gain.

This is why self-discipline is so important. In this article, we'll examine what self-discipline actually is, we'll explore why it's useful, and we'll look at how to develop it.

What Is Self-Discipline?

Self-discipline is the ability to push yourself forward, stay motivated, and take action, regardless of how you're feeling, physically or emotionally. You're showing it when you intentionally choose to pursue something better for yourself, and you do it in spite of factors such as distractions, hard work, or unfavorable odds.

Self-discipline is different from self-motivation or willpower. Motivation and willpower contribute to it, as do persistence, the ability to follow through on your intentions, and hard work.

Why Work on Your Self-Discipline?

Self-discipline is useful in many areas of our lives.

For instance, it's what pushes you to do high-quality work, even when you don't feel like it. It gives you the strength to stay professional with your clients, even when you're ready to throw in the towel. It helps you to stick with and achieve tough goals that you set for yourself. Self-discipline also enables you to keep going through to great success, despite what others might see as insurmountable odds.

It can also improve learning and enhance performance. Studies have shown that students with a high degree of self-discipline retain more knowledge than those without self-discipline. Additionally, researchers discovered that students with strong self-discipline are more careful in their tasks, which improves their performance. [1]

Research has also shown that measuring a person's level of self-discipline is a more accurate predictor of success than measuring their IQ. [2]

How to Develop Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is like a muscle: the more you work on developing it and using it, the stronger it will become.

However, it's just as important not to start out with goals that are too ambitious. Instead, set small goals, and increase the level of challenge slowly over time. The more you practice, the better you'll become.

Follow these five steps to start developing your self-discipline:

1. Choose a Goal

Begin by choosing just one goal that you want to focus on to develop your self-discipline.

For instance, perhaps you want to start exercising every evening, or you want to read one leadership book a week to enhance your skills. You could even practice self-discipline on very small goals such as concentrating on a piece of work for an hour without checking your messages, or avoiding unhealthy food for one day.

Remember, starting small is the best way to start developing your self-discipline. As your discipline gets stronger, you can spread the focus to more areas of your life.

Make sure that the goal you set is SMART   – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound – and break the goal down into smaller sub-goals, where you can.

2. Find Your Motivation

Once you've chosen a goal, list the reasons why you want to achieve it. Try to express these reasons in a positive way.

So, instead of saying, "I want to exercise three times a week to lose weight," say "I want to exercise so that I have the energy to play with my kids and work successfully." Or, instead of saying, "I want to get this task off my To-Do List," say, "I want to do this task, so that I can meet my objectives, get praise from my boss, and feel satisfied with my day's work."

When you list the reasons why you want to achieve something, you'll find it much easier to get the job done.

Our article on Motivating Yourself   has additional strategies for finding and developing your self-motivation.

3. Identify Obstacles

Now you need to identify the obstacles that you'll likely face when working toward your goal, and devise a strategy for overcoming each one.

For instance, imagine that your goal is to read one leadership book a week to enhance your skills. In the past, you've faced a number of obstacles in reaching this goal. For example, when you find a book you like, it's hard to find time each night to read. Between work, dinner and the kids, your time is taken up until late in the evening, and you get distracted by messages coming in while you're reading.

Once you've identified obstacles, come up with a strategy to overcome each one. In this example, you could do the following:

• Instead of going to a bookstore, spend an hour looking at leadership books online. Find several that interest you, and that have good reviews. Order all of them at once, and download them to tablet so that you always have a book on hand to read.
• Find more time in your day   to focus on reading. Perhaps you could read during your lunch hour, or while you're waiting to pick your kids up from school.
• Turn your phone off when you want to focus on reading.

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Often our self-discipline crumbles because we haven't identified the obstacles that we'll face, and we haven't developed strategies to overcome them. When these obstacles show up, we're unprepared to deal with them, and this shakes our resolve. Don't skip this step!

4. Replace Old Habits

When we're developing self-discipline, we're often trying to break a bad habit and replace it with something more productive. However, if that habit is tied into a certain time of day or routine, breaking it can leave a hole. If we don't replace that habit with something else, then its absence becomes even more noticeable.

A good example is if you're trying to stop yourself shopping online when you take a break at work. This bad habit destroys your focus and attention, because you're likely to be online for 20-30 minutes each time.

Once you've resolved to stop, identify a new behavior that you can engage in when you need a quick break. Instead of online shopping, you could do some stretches in your office, get a cup of coffee, or take a quick walk outside. These behaviors will help to support your goal and strengthen your self-discipline, instead of leaving you with nothing to do on your break.

5. Monitor Your Progress

As you work on your self-discipline, pay attention to how you're feeling as it develops and strengthens. You might feel free, happy, proud, and energized.

Also, think about keeping a journal to write down your self-discipline goals and to track your progress. This reinforces the positive changes that you're implementing in your life, and gives you a record that you can look back on to see the progress that you've made.

Over time, your self-discipline will strengthen, and you'll be able to apply it to lots of other areas of your life.

More Tips for Self-Discipline

• Try to avoid distractions   when you begin to develop your self-discipline. Make it harder to engage in the activity you're trying to avoid.
• It's important to reward yourself when you experience success. Celebrating your accomplishments will keep things fun, and strengthen your resolve to keep going.
• Don't let a fear of failure   or an occasional setback discourage you. All of us experience setbacks and failures – they're parts of life! Acknowledge that you slipped up, learn the lesson, and move on.

It's important to develop self-discipline in life. Self-discipline is what enables us to do high-quality work. It keeps us pursuing our goals through tough times. And it helps us to stay professional, even when we're not feeling great.

To develop self-discipline, follow these steps:

• Choose a goal.
• Find your motivation.
• Identify obstacles.
• Replace old habits.
• Monitor your progress.

Self-discipline is an essential quality, and it's a key differentiator between people who are successful in life and those who aren't.

This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is just one of many tools and resources that you'll find here at Mind Tools. Subscribe to our free newsletter , or join the Mind Tools Club and really supercharge your career!

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Comments (12)

• Over a month ago Sonia_H wrote Hello Malgorzata, We're glad you enjoyed the article. Yes, I use 'sticky notes' quite frequently! They ARE so useful. ;) ~Sonia Mind Tools Coach
• Over a month ago Malgorzata wrote Thank you for the article :) It reminds me of moments in my life when I felt like I was fighting till the end :) and there were good days. For the time being, I put my professional life on hold, but I still seek ways to develop myself and organize better. I tend to use "sticky notes" to improve self-discipline, at times tools like kanban. they really help a lot If you would like to save a little bit more time :)
• Over a month ago BillT wrote Hi kidzjigz, Thanks for that feedback. It's nice to hear that you have identified a practical use for our resources. BillT Mind Tools Team

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

Self Discipline for Students

Updated: August 7, 2023

Published: December 2, 2019

Self discipline is an invaluable skill to learn and develop over the course of your life, and will help you tremendously throughout your academic career. Inevitably, as a student, there will always be subjects you don’t love and periods of distraction in your life, which is why it is so important to develop self discipline in order to succeed through those times of less motivation. Even if it is something that doesn’t come naturally to you, there are ways to find and cultivate strategies. Here are some great tips on how to develop good self discipline for students.

Self Discipline Definition

Photo by  Pixabay  from  Pexels

Just what exactly is self discipline and how can it relate to students? Self discipline means regulating oneself and making corrections to one’s thoughts and behaviors in order to improve oneself.

For students, this can mean: keeping yourself focused on assignments or in classes, not getting yourself distracted during lectures or times of study and making sure that you’re on track with deadlines. This is especially important once you enter college, where you will need to rely on yourself and only yourself to meet your academic goals.

Importance of Self Discipline

Photo by  bruce mars  from  Pexels

• Power to achieve your goals
• Feeling of being in control of yourself
• Helps you stick to your decisions and not lose sight of your goals
• Helps you accomplish goals
• Self-control and inner strength
• Gives you the ability to not give up

Steps to Self Discipline

Ready to start learning and developing your own self discipline? Get started here with these easy steps towards self discipline for students.

Photo from  Pexels

1. know your strengths and weaknesses.

Are you always avoiding essays but hit the ground running when it’s time for a lab assignment? If you can recognize what subjects or types of projects you enjoy and the ones you don’t, you can start to make strategies for self discipline.

Start by anticipating that you may have struggles through a specific class or project, and preemptively make plans to limit distractions, increase reward systems and schedule non-negotiable study times into your weekly agenda.

2. Know When You Are Motivated

If you are feeling great and jamming along to an assignment no problem, take a moment to notice what makes it easier for you and write that down. Is it your current music playlist? The time of day? The amazing breakfast you had time to eat because you woke up early?

Take notice of these factors that increase your motivation and productivity. Then, you can make plans to add these motivation factors to whenever or whatever you are studying!

3. Recognize Your Downfalls

When you find yourself getting distracted, make a note of the circumstances so that you can avoid the same pitfalls again.

For example, if your roommate always gets home in the early evening and you find yourself chatting away and losing focus, try not to schedule your study time for that hour. Or if you notice that skipping lunch has your head in a fog, make sure to eat at the proper time. Try to limit screen time distractions as well, or allow yourself a break, but set timers for your distraction times.

4. Stay Positive

If you feel yourself slipping, don’t lose hope! If you feel you are losing control of your actions and find yourself falling for the distractions again, instead of getting discouraged just take notes about it and challenge yourself to not let it happen again. Think positive and use your mistakes to your advantage! A positive mind and attitude go a long way towards your success as a student.

5. Get Support

A great way to stop study distractions is by starting or joining a study group, where the whole focus is getting assignments done or going over readings/lectures. You can also let your family members, friends, and housemates know when you’ll be studying so they won’t distract you.

Finally, use your technology to support you. You can set up calendars on your phone with deadlines and reminders. You can also set screen time limits for certain phone applications so that you don’t spend too much time on social media when you should be studying.

6. Get Better at Time Management

Great time management can help you limit procrastination and stress, achieve your goals, and make your free time more enjoyable because you won’t be worried about what else you could be getting done. Make it a point to improve your time management skills in order to increase your self discipline as a student.

For more tips, check out our guide on time management for students .

Benefits of Self Discipline

Photo by  Sebastian Voortman  from  Pexels

Once you have a good handle on your self discipline, you will reap many benefits, such as:

• Higher rates of goal achievement and success
• Overcome addictions and procrastination
• Feeling more motivation towards your goals
• Higher satisfaction of accomplishments

How to Be a Disciplined Student in School

If you are taking classes in person or online, you will need to learn to become a self-disciplined student.

This is especially true for online students. With increased flexibility, such as with fully online University of the People , comes increased responsibility to keep yourself on track with lessons, assignments and deadlines. You are solely responsible for your success or failure as an online student, and one of the ways you can succeed is through self discipline.

As as student, here are some ways to improve your self discipline:

• Put away your phone or other distractions
• Take good notes
• Update your calendar and review deadlines often
• Make your own personal deadlines for larger essays or projects
• Set up a good study area at home for yourself
• Make friends in school, but know when it’s time to socialize and when it’s time to study

Learning self discipline, while not natural to everyone, is a skill that can be developed and learned in order to increase your success as a student. All you need is a positive attitude, a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and a clear plan to stick to. Just follow our guide and tips and you’ll be on your way to being a self disciplined student in no time!

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Life of Self Discipline

Jul 13, 2014

620 likes | 1.52k Views

Life of Self Discipline. Freedom. What is freedom? What is the opposite of freedom? Why would a slave want to be free? They are mistreated by their master They feel they can make better decisions for themselves or would have better opportunities, etc

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Freedom • What is freedom? • What is the opposite of freedom? • Why would a slave want to be free? • They are mistreated by their master • They feel they can make better decisions for themselves or would have better opportunities, etc • In all known cases of slavery, the master has their own best interest in mind, and not the slaves

Freedom • Leviticus 26:13I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. • But what if the master does not mistreat the servant and has his best interests in mind? • What if the master gives up his life for the servant?

Freedom • Does the servant still think he can do better on his own? • Prodigal son • Is freedom an absolute good? • Legalized abortion • Legalized homosexual unions and marriage • Children disobeying parents and suing them • Right to divorce for any reason

Freedom • “No man in this world attains to freedom from any slavery except by entrance into some higher servitude. There is no such thing as an entirely free man conceivable.” - Philip Brooks

Slaves of Righteousness • Romans 6:16-22Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Slaves of Righteousness • The world sees freedom as “freedom to sin” and God’s commands as restrictive • Christianity sees freedom as “freedom from the power of sin” and God’s commands as liberating

Self Discipline • Choosing to discipline our bodies in obedience to God’s commandments • Spiritual not earthly discipline • Colossians 2:20-23Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Example in Children • “The essence of emotional self-regulation is the ability to delay impulse in the service of a goal. The importance of this trait to success was shown in an experiment begun in the 1960s by psychologist Walter Mischel at a preschool on the Stanford University campus. Children were told that they could have a single treat, such as a marshmallow, right now. However, if they would wait while the experimenter ran an errand, they could have two marshmallows. Some preschoolers grabbed the marshmallow immediately, but others were able to wait what, for them, must have seemed an endless 20 minutes. To sustain themselves in their struggle, they covered their eyes so they wouldn’t see the temptation, rested their heads on their arms, talked to themselves, sang, even tried to sleep. These plucky kids got the two-marshmallow reward. The interesting part of this experiment came in the follow-up. The children who as 4-year-olds had been able to wait for the two marshmallows were, as adolescents, still able to delay gratification in pursuing their goals. They were more socially competent and self-assertive, and better able to cope with life’s frustrations. In contrast, the kids who grabbed the one marshmallow were, as adolescents, more likely to be stubborn, indecisive, and stressed.”

Self Discipline • Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls. • Food/Appetite • Tongue/Speech • Senses • Material Possessions • Spiritual Life

Food/Appetite • Commonly overlooked as a spiritual form of self-discipline • Seen more as a means to maintain weight or health • Food is used for comfort, to relieve stress, or for entertainment to alleviate boredom • The reality is that what we eat and how much we eat plays a huge role in our spiritual life • Philippians 3:19whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

Food/Appetite • Overeating causes us to be tired, lazy, sleepy, not energetic • It is hard to pray and read, but very easy to sleep • Proverbs 25:16Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit. • Anyone who has tried to control their eating knows how difficult it is. • This is why our church places such an importance on fasting. By denying our body, we allow our spirit to grow and thrive. • The world advertises unlimited food and low prices. We see such advertisements all the time on TV and the media. • How able are we to control our appetites? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUjz_eiIX8k

Food/Appetite • By gorging ourselves with food, we become so focused on the needs of our bodies that we forget about God and have no energy to seek after Him. • Matthew 4:4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Tongue/Speech • The words we say we say have a big impact on us and those around us • James 3:6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. • With our tongues we reveal all our sinful thoughts and weaknesses to the world.

Tongue/Speech • There are so many ways to sin with our tongues • Cursing/hateful words • Flattery • Gossip • Blasphemy • Lying • Pride • Merely declaring a statement with our words makes them stick in our minds even more

Senses • Luke 11:34The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. • What our eyes look at and our ears hear have a direct impact on us. • Sadly we many times feel that we can go unaffected by what we allow our eyes to see and ears to hear because we see no immediate change • Over the course of time, what we experience does have a dramatic and profound effect on our spiritual lives. • Today the media plays a huge role in our view of the world, the people in it, and what is important • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOvw12EsoD8

Media • They have millions of dollars in research invested to designing every form of media to get us to buy their product. • If we allow ourselves to be exposed to it, we will fall. It is only a matter of time. • 2 Timothy 2:22Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Pornography • 12% of websites contain pornography • As of 2003, 260 million pages of porn • 13,588 hardcore porn movies released in 2005 in the US alone • 25 % of search engine requests are related to pornography • 28,000 internet users are viewing porn every second • On average there were 75 million monthly unique visitors to adult websites between 2005 and 2008 • 43% of all internet users view pornographic material online • More than 70% of people from 18-34 visit a porn site at least once a month • 1 out of every 3 pornography users is female • 266 new pornographic websites appear online every day • $97 billion total worldwide revenue generated by pornography annually, as of 2006

Pornography • The website where I found these stats was advocating more government action to limit the spread of pornography. • 13 people posted comments, but only 2 people agreed that pornography is a problem. The others either saw no problem with it or didn’t believe it should be regulated: • “People need to get over it. View what you want and avoid what you don't. I don't aggree with the porn. My husband spends hours viewing it daily instead of taking care of his own business, distroying our marriage, but soon with all the advocates out here we won't have any freedoms and everything will be dictated to us. I don't want anyone telling me what I can and cannot view in the privacy of my own home on my computer, or other wise. Lets teach out children better and stop making excuses for them. Instead of hiding behind the government.”

Senses • 1 John 2:16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. • What about other popular shows that we watch on prime time TV, that we know have inappropriate material or sensual images, etc? Do we think it’s ok to watch these because we are “adults” or “mature”? • These shows are harmful in more subtle ways, but very damaging nonetheless. • Ungodly, sensual, and blasphemous music is just as harmful to our spirits • How can we claim to love God, if we then fill our minds with music that promotes everything he hates?

Career/Material Possessions • 1 Timothy 6:9-10But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. • How much work is too much? Why has work and studying become such an important aspect of our lives, even more than church and the time we spend with God every day? • Money is now the driving factor in so many of our decisions…the choice of career, how much time we are willing to work, etc. • Do we compare ourselves to other people?

Spiritual Life • Matthew 6:6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. • How consistent is our prayer life? • What circumstances cause us to skip our prayers? • Fatigue • Other Plans • Boredom/Not in the mood • Too busy with work

Spiritual Life • Why do I feel that I don’t need prayer? Because society offer me a solution to every problem in a different seemingly more logical, clear cut way. • How often do we read the Word of God? When we do read it, are we thirsting for the knowledge of God?? • How will I grow unless I am nourished? The world tells us that we are already mature, and thus can partake of all kinds of defiling activities because we are “adults” and have freedom to choose

Spiritual Life • Matthew 7:13-14“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Conclusion • World sends the wrong message about freedom • Danger of unchecked freedom • Food/Appetite • Tongue/Speech • Senses • Material Possessions • Spiritual Life • John 8:36Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

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