Self discipline is one of the most important and useful skills everyone should possess.
It is an essential and useful skill in every area of life. However, though most people acknowledge its importance, few do something to strengthen it.
Contrary to common belief, to build self discipline does not mean to be harsh on yourself, or living a limited, restrictive lifestyle. Building this skill requires common sense, making priorities, and thinking before acting.
This skill gives you the power to stick to your decisions and follow them through, without changing your mind. That’s why it is one of the important requirements for achieving goals and carrying out tasks.
Studies have shown that students with a high degree of this skill retain more knowledge than those without it. This is because they are more persevering and possess the inner strength to focus on their studies.
Why Is Self Discipline Important?
- This skill enables you to persevere with your decisions and plans until you accomplish them.
- In order to reach your goals, a good measure of discipline is most helpful.
- It imparts you the ability to persevere.
- It is a power that helps you stay motivated.
- If you wish to have resolution, persistence, single-mindedness and staying power, you need to develop this skill.
With this skill well-developed, it becomes easier to build up good habits and get rid of bad ones.
It also becomes easier to overcome addictions, overeating, procrastinating and laziness.
You don’t have to feel bad if you currently lack this ability. It is a skill, which you can improve with the right exercises.
If you wish to possess more inner strength and stronger willpower, you need to start working on developing your discipline.
Self Discipline Definition
To better understand this topic, here are a few definitions.
- This skill means self-control, the ability to avoid unhealthy excess of anything that could lead to negative consequences.
- It means perseverance and not giving up.
- The inner strength to continue and not give up.
- It is the ability to have your goal in mind and pursue your plans, despite difficulties and the temptations to abandon them.
- The ability to delay instant gratification in favor of accomplishing long term goals.
A disciplined person is more punctual than other people. Such a person is more likely to take control and responsibility for his or her life. He or she can set goals and take concrete steps to achieve them.
Discipline is one of the important ingredients of success, and that’s one of the reasons why discipline is so important.
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How does this skill manifest?
- It manifests as the ability to persevere.
- It is the ability not to give up, despite failure and setbacks.
- Disciple manifests as self control and restraint.
- The ability to resist distractions and temptations.
- It manifests as firmness, purposefulness and self-mastery.
- It expresses itself as the ability to try over and again, until you accomplish what you set out to do.
- It stands for firmness, purposefulness and self-mastery and single-mindedness.
Life puts challenges and problems on the path to success and achievement. In order to rise above them, you have to act with perseverance and persistence, and this of course, requires discipline.
The possession of this skill leads to self esteem and confidence, and consequently, to happiness and satisfaction.
Self Discipline Benefits and Importance
Being disciplined can help you in many areas of your life.
I would like to repeat what I have said earlier, and mention a few more benefits of being disciplined.
Being disciplined would help to:
- Avoid acting rashly and impulsively.
- Carry out the promises and decisions you make to yourself and to others.
- Break bad habits.
- Make wise and healthy choices.
- Overcome the tendency to laziness and procrastination.
- Improve your ability to concentrate and stay focused when working, reading or studying.
- Continue working on a project, even after the initial rush of enthusiasm has faded away.
- Exercising, going for a walk, or hitting the gym.
- Continue working on your diet, and resisting the temptation of eating fattening foods.
- It will give you the inner strength to get out of bed in the morning promptly, even if it is cold.
- Overcome the habit of watching too much TV.
- You will meet your tasks and goals confidently and pursue them assiduously.
Accomplishing even just a small part of this list is a great achievement, which can have positive effects on your life.
It will be easier for you to gain self discipline, if you:
- Understand its importance in your life.
- Become aware of your undisciplined behavior and its consequences. When this awareness increases, you will be more convinced of the need to make a change in your life.
- Make the effort to act according to the decisions you make. Do so, regardless of laziness, or the desire to give up and stop what you are doing.
You can improve your self discipline with the help of special simple exercises. You can find these exercises in my book on this topic.
Lack of Self-Discipline
Lack of self discipline can lead to failure, loss, spoiling of relationships, health problems, obesity and unhappiness.
Here are a few examples:
- You might not be able to resist eating a cone of ice cream when you are trying to lose weight.
- Sometimes, you might react in anger or act impulsively, and therefore, hurt the people you love.
- Becoming addicted to the social media and unable to put your smartphone away for a little while?
- If you lack this skill, you will not be able to persevere with your plans or carry out your decisions.
- Inability to curb anger.
- You might hurt your health if you lack the inner strength to exercise your body and stop overeating.
- Lack of discipline is one other main reasons for failure with lose weight.
I believe that you now realize how important this skill is for overcoming eating disorders, addictions, smoking, drinking and negative habits.
This ability enables you to sit down and study, exercise your body, or develop new skills. It can also help you with self improvement, spiritual growth and meditation.
As already said, most people are aware of the importance of discipline, but few take steps to strengthen it. However, you can strengthen this ability like any other skill. This is done through training and exercises.
How to Be Disciplined
To be disciplined does not mean that you act according to other people’s rules of conduct or being obedient to others. It means being obedient to your own self, and acting according to your common sense and reason. It means sticking with your plans and not changing them due to laziness and difficulties.
How to become more disciplined?
Here are a few suggestions to develop your self-discipline:
- Think and consider the consequences of your action before you act.
- Wait for a few moments before reacting in anger.
- Set small goals and plans that you can carry out during the day. Stick with them, until you carry them out, despite the tendency to procrastinate or give up. This will give you, in time, the strength to handle bigger goals and plans,
- In every area of your life, do not give up easily if you encounter obstacles.
- Pay attention on what you are doing, instead of thinking about other matters.
- Try to be courageous enough to get out of your comfort zone.
- When feel you want to quit, just continue for some more time.
- Make some small plans for the day, and strive to carry them out.
Start with Simple Small Tasks and Actions
It is often overwhelming and daunting to take care of big projects, but it is easier to tackle small ones. Start with small tasks and goals, and carry them out despite inner resistance. This would improve your discipline and self-control, and strengthen your confidence and faith in yourself.
You can, for example, take a walk, even if would rather stay at home and watch TV. Choose to cook dinner, instead of eating junk food. Invest time in cleaning the drawers of your desk, instead of playing with your smartphone.
You will improve and get stronger when you start small and focus on carrying out small tasks.
Self Discipline Quotes
“I think self-discipline is something, it’s like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.”
“It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.”
“Discipline really means our ability to get ourselves to do things when we don’t want.””
You might like reading more Self discipline quotes
As in everything in life, practice is most important. Over a period of time, you will see great improvement.
I hope this short article has given you the motivation and inspiration to develop this useful skill.
- Do you wish to be able to accomplish a specific goal?
- Is it important for you to have more control over your reactions and habits?
- Do you wish to be able to persevere with whatever you do?
If you do, consider strengthening this skill. You can find guidance and exercises in the book mentioned below.
Even a few minutes a day of practicing the exercises in this book would take you far.