I happened upon this quote in a book I was reading, coincidentally at the same time I decided to write a post on discipline to go hand in hand with my post on goal setting. If you haven’t read said post, my recommendation is to do that after reading this to start your new year off right!
Like any post, I’m bringing to the table real research studies— studies that will give us tangible ways to make and sustain improvements in our lives. Whether we make it known to our entire circles or inwardly hope, we all want some sort of good change to occur looking at the next calendar year. Goal setting is the first step at making change a reality (see last post); discipline is the second step…and third, fourth, fifth, so-on, until it becomes consistent.
Self-discipline and motivation are good predictors of success. Meaning: the more likely you are to choose discipline and motivate yourself, the more likely you are to be successful. But you didn’t need a research study to tell you that, so the question is, how can we be more disciplined and self-motivated?
We’ll make this easy with a list on how to be disciplined:
- Take small steps. As overused as this analogy is, it is effective; if your goal this year is to complete a marathon when you haven’t ran a mile in years, then you need to start out small or the task will be too overwhelming to even begin (stealing this from Atomic Habits). What you can do is set out your workout clothes and tennis shoes the night before. Make next morning’s goal simply putting them on. If you can recognize that as a win for the day, then you’re already on your way to being more disciplined! The next day, put the clothes on and go on a walk or do a five to ten minute workout. If you can find the discipline to take small steps, exponential growth is possible.
Benefit: Starting with small steps leads to exponential growth and keeps you on the path of discipline.
- Eliminate stimulation. Start with a short period of time and decide to work only during that period without distractions. If you don’t want to work, the only other option is to be bored. No finding something else to do during that time, just work/workout/read/etc. or be bored.
Benefit: Dedicating all your energy toward one task will produce better results than having your focus on multiple tasks.
- Get to it immediately. Easier said than done, yes. But next time you decide to turn on your show to eat, instead of finishing your meal and proceeding to binge watch the entire season (guilty), pause the show as soon as you’re done eating to get up and get on with dishes or whatever task you stopped prior to eating. The longer you wait, the harder it is to start. This can be applied to every part of life, but if you already feel like you missed your start on January 1, it’s never too late to start. Choose now!
Benefit: Doing things right away helps overcome procrastination.
- Stay positive. I know it’s annoying to hear, but I try to think of it like this: If my goal is to read the Bible and journal everyday and I miss one day, I know the devil wants me to feel ashamed that I messed up. His ploy is to make us feel so ashamed that we miss the next day and the next, until we’ve completely given up on our goals because we’ve already ‘failed’. If we couldn’t try again at anything after failing once or skipping one day, then it would be impossible to accomplish anything! Discipline takes a positive mindset, lifting yourself up when you slip up, and starting back at step one next time.
Benefit: Positivity fuels us to not give up, to keep striving for discipline.
To help in your discipline journey, try using a planner to track your progress. Check out my etsy shop NourishWithRiss, where you can find weekly, chore, budget, and fitness & nutrition planners that are easy to use throughout the year, for any level in your nourishment journey.
Take small steps; eliminate stimulation; get to it immediately; stay positive. Not rocket science, but not a magic trick either. Discipline takes desire meeting determination. If you made it this far, I’d say you’re probably on the right track to challenging yourself to be more disciplined. We’re in this together!