The current constant in my life is trying to eat healthily and take better care of my body. However, one skill I struggle with is self discipline. I’m in constant need of tips to help me develop self discipline.
Does this sound familiar?
You start strong on your diet, and then as soon as something gets hard, or you have an emotional day, that discipline is over. You revert to doing the easy things that make you feel good instead of continuing on the path of your goal.
For the last couple of weeks, I have been eating well, moving my body, and feeling pretty good. A few emotional things came up with my kids, and I instantly needed a beer and a burger. And, while that is not necessarily bad to do once in a while, it made me feel guilty and ready to throw the whole eating healthy thing out the door!
It’s that toggle between “Life is short, I’ll do what I want” and “If I want to stay healthy, I need to do this.”
Which one is winning? Did you know:
- Self discipline is the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses—the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.
- Self discipline is the number one trait needed to accomplish goals, lead a healthy lifestyle, and ultimately be happy.
- Success comes from the actions you take consistently, and self discipline allows you to do that.
- It’s a learned behavior and requires practice and repetition in your day to day life.
So, let’s get started.
7 Easy Tips to Develop Strong Self Discipline
Set Clear Goals and Know Your Why
Identify what you want to do differently and in what area of your life. Examples might be eating, exercising, uncluttering, or your business. Write down what you are trying to achieve and be very specific and realistic.
“I want to lose 10 pounds in three months” or “I want to write a chapter in my book this week” or “I want to clean out one drawer today.”
Then write down why you want to do that.
“I want to lose 10 pounds in three months because I want to get off my medication” or “I want to write a chapter in my book this week because I want to finish by the end of the year and start earning money from it” or “I want to clean out one drawer today to start the process of clearing the clutter in my life and reduce the stress in my life.”
Write these down every day in your journal to remind you why you are doing the hard things now to get where you want to be.
Remove Temptations
Throw out the junk food, turn off notifications on your phone, or turn off the TV. Do not let yourself be easily tempted to break from your goals. Distractions and temptations are the best way to keep you from your focus and prevent your goals from being achieved.
Sign up for Living Marvelously Resources to find a cheat sheet you can use to start developing strong self discipline! Don’t just read it; take action! You will find it under Self Care.
Create Routines That Support Your Goals
Start small and write down what you want to do every day. Break your big goals down into smaller pieces that you can achieve easily.
If you are keeping a planner, block out an hour to spend on your book or clean out a closet. Go to the grocery store on Sundays and meal prep for the week. Have healthy options available.
If you know you are going out to eat, check the menu ahead of time, so you know what to order.
Build-in time every day to do something that supports your goals.
Find a mantra or affirmation that you can say when you feel tempted to cheat or get distracted.
Eat Regularly and Intentionally
Eating regulates your blood sugar. If you are hungry or overstuffed, you are more likely to make poor decisions about everything. Don’t put yourself in that situation.
Have healthy snacks available in your car or at work for those times when you need to miss a meal.
Take breaks from your work to eat lunch and snacks and keep your brain functioning well. When your blood sugar gets low, you become irritable, shaky, and tired. Not good for your focus. You need to make healthy choices, not emotional ones.
Forgive Yourself and Get Back on Track
Don’t confuse losing control of your eating or other goals with being a bad person. This stuff is hard, and we all are making mistakes. Don’t give up just because you blew it one day.
This is why writing your goals down every day is so important. If you messed up one day, focus on the next. Keep doing this until it becomes a habit. Soon enough, doing the things that support your goals will start to feel good and be the norm in your life.
Reward Yourself
Success is hard work and if you were able to maintain focus on your priorities for a whole week, take yourself out for ice cream. If you wrote a chapter for your book, splurge on a new pen to write with. If you uncluttered a drawer or closet, reward yourself with a massage.
Life is not meant to be all work; we need to have some fun too. The great thing about self-discipline is that once it becomes a habit, it is what makes us feel good and becomes easy.
One last thing
Only you are responsible for doing what you need to do to achieve your goals! If you want a better life, you need to make the hard decisions to get there. Stop watching others achieve their goals and dreams and get in on the action.
Make doing the right thing the thing that makes you happy and what you want to do on all occasions.
I’m still working on this in my 50’s! It’s tough but worth the effort.
Use these tips to develop a strong self discipline and make the most of your life now.
Do you have other tips that have worked for you? Share in the comments below; I know I can always use more help!
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“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most!” Abraham Lincoln
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