Self-discipline. Feels like a lot of pressure.
Well, I feel the same way, or I could say I was accustomed to feeling the same way.
But not anymore.
I’ve discovered a few ways to develop self-discipline, and those methods have actually worked out for me (and continue to work for me).
I won’t tell you to look at the people who achieved greatness by building self-discipline.
My main goal here is to talk about “how to build self-discipline”.
The one thing I want to mention before we jump into the main points is that the things that work for me don’t mean they work for you as well.
But what I can assure you here is that by seeing those points, you will definitely get some ideas on “how to build self-discipline”.
So, let’s start.
What is Self-Discipline?
For me, self-discipline means slow but meaningful growth. Regardless of the situation, stick to your goal and follow the path of Stoicism. No matter how many times you have to stop, starting over and over matters.
PS: If you want to know more about Stoicism, do read “Focus on What Matters”.
I know the dictionary definition is a little bit different from what I said, but why do we want to become a self-disciplined person?
Obviously, we want to achieve something in our lives. Otherwise, what is the use of doing anything?
For me, without purpose, there is no life.
You should have a reason to wake up the next day.
Well, I’m not talking about going to the office the next day.
Most people do jobs they don’t like, but for financial stability, they have to, and there are some people who like corporate life. Every coin has two sides.
But going to the office should not be your ultimate goal. You might have a goal or purpose that you want to achieve in your life.
However, going to an office or corporate job could be your purpose. Every person is different.
Some people want to achieve things in the corporate world, and those things matter to them a lot.
Completely understandable.
If you haven’t found your purpose yet, no worries. You’ll find out soon.
Now, let’s understand the “science of self-discipline” so that we can start our main topic.
PS: How to stop lying to yourself?
What you want vs what you get
Science of Self-discipline
You might be familiar with the fact that our brain has two systems: 1) Emotional Brain, aka Fast Brain, and 2) Thinking Brain, aka Prefrontal Cortex.
Emotional Brain
Emotional Brain, as the name suggests, is completely related to our emotions, where it chases pleasure and comfort, and avoids pain.
How many times have you taken your mobile for some different reason and ended up scrolling for hours?
How many times do you eat sweets just because you are feeling sad?
You don’t have to answer me; you can look within yourself.
Asking these questions gives you an idea of how our emotional brain works.
Thinking Brain
This side of our brain plans for the future, makes smart decisions, tries to control impulsive decisions and many other things.
So this is where the real work starts.
If you want to build self-discipline, you have to make your thinking brain strong so that it can control your emotional brain.
Otherwise, just to get some quick pleasures, your brain will eat junk food, scroll Insta for hours, and end up doing useless activities.
Now, the real question is how to make this part of the brain strong.
This is what we are unfolding in the section below.
How to Build Self-discipline?
Understand your Goals
This is the vital point. Before jumping into anything, you should know what your goal is, what exactly you want to achieve in your life.
Don’t chase multiple goals at once. Start with one goal and after achieving that, go for another one.
Suppose your goal is writing. But you are stuck in a 9-to-5 loop.
To break that 9-to-5 loop, you have to find a side hustle, and that side hustle you should like.
You might have heard or read about “IKIGAI”.
IKIGAI is all about knowing your goal, working on it and building a stable income around it.
When we work on something we like, we never get bored and feel like we are doing something worthy.
So find your goal, start working on it by giving 2 to 3 hours daily, something like a side hustle.
And when it starts giving some revenue, you can commit to it on a full-time basis.
Start Slow
Your goal could be anything, but remember to start it slowly.
Suppose you want to start a side hustle.
Now, as you are already working, you should make room for that side hustle in your schedule.
How will you do that?
You can’t work on that in your office (If possible, go for it. But don’t compromise with your office work, as you are getting paid for that only.)
For this, you have to either wake up early in the morning to work on your side hustle or in the evening. Whatever suits you.
Suppose you want to work in the morning, as your evening is kinda tired.
To work in the morning, you have to wake up early, and for that, you have to sleep early and stop using your phone before bedtime.
Are you getting my point?
Everything is interconnected.
If you make a goal of not using your phone before bedtime, you’ll end up sleeping well and waking up early.
So when you start slow, everything else falls in place.
Focus on Long Term Results
Things take time. You can’t ultimately chase the results from day 1.
You have to be patient with yourself.
Treat the first month as a trial. From the second month, you’ll get clarity, and from the third month, you’ll know what exactly you have to do.
This is how it works.
Keep in mind that results will show up within a span of 6 months to 1 year.
I know many YouTubers and Bloggers talk about overnight miracles, which is absolutely bullshit.
Be real. Keep real. Get real results.
Know Why you Want to Build Self-discipline
You should always know the “why” behind your actions.
If you want to lose weight, you should know “why” you want to lose weight.
If you want to wake up early, you should know “why” you want to wake up early.
I can give an endless number of such examples.
But I guess you got my point.
Become Physically & Mentally Strong
To become physically strong, start exercising.
You can start by completing 5000 steps daily and increasing to 10000.
Once you gain that strength, you can start stretching, followed by yoga, the gym, and whatever you prefer.
If you want to become mentally strong, start meditation and yoga. Meditation and yoga work like magic.
I really believe that to become a mentally stable person, one must practice meditation and yoga.
Wait Now, Enjoy Later
Suppose you are working on an “x” task, and suddenly you remember there is one movie on Netflix that you want to watch.
This is where you have to control your mind. Tell yourself that after completing this task, I’ll watch that movie.
This way, you don’t have to worry about that task and can completely enjoy the movie.
It is applicable everywhere.
Avoid Distractions
I’ll tell you that when I want to work on something important, I turn off my internet data, and sometimes I switch off my mobile as well.
For example, right now, I’m writing this article, so I turned off my internet data as I don’t want any disturbance.
At a time, try to focus on a single task. The output would be better.
Track your Progress
Tracking progress is the most important rule while building self-discipline.
When you are starting with something, make sure you note down that date and the result you want to achieve in a particular duration.
This would help you understand whether you have achieved the desired results or not.
You can either maintain a diary for that or use any app. The choice is yours.
Bottom Line
After reading this article, I’m certain that you might have got the answer to your question, “how to build self-discipline”.
Now, the question is, would you apply this in your life?
See, in the first place, incorporating anything in your life takes time, but when you get used to that, you start enjoying it.
Let me tell you my little secret. For me, eating healthy and incorporating yoga in my life is my primary goal in self-discipline.
So start slow, and you will definitely start enjoying it.
