Self-discipline is the trait that determines success.
It’s not something you’re either born with or without.
It takes hard work and deliberate action to develop it.
Here are 11 steps to help you master self-discipline:
1. Know What You Want
Your goals must excite you.
– strong enough to convince you to fight through obstacles.
With worthy goals, you’ll see your life improve and that will keep you going.
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.”
― Earl Nightingale
2. Get Rid Of Distractions
Don’t give attention to people or things that are not important.
Design your environment, so you are less distracted.
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”
― Winston S. Churchill
3. Set Deadlines
Set goals and deadlines for yourself.
Keep in mind that goals must be realistic.
Each goal must have a deadline for completion.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”
– Yogi Berra
4. Don’t Wait For Motivation
Motivation is fleeting. It comes and goes.
If you wait for motivation, it will never come.
Instead, you must act on your goal with or without motivation.
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
— Jim Ryun
5. Make It A Habit
Build self-discipline on autopilot.
If you want to exercise, make it a habit to exercise every day.
If you want to write, make it a habit.
“Self-discipline is a habit. It is not situational, but it is applied situation by situation.”
— Gary Ryan Blair
6. Remove Negative Habits
Discover the negative habits that hinder your goal.
It’s not enough to work hard if you have bad habits.
Reduce or eliminate the bad habits.
“Don’t let your sins turn into bad habits.”
— Saint Teresa of Avila
7. Force Yourself To Do It
If you are not motivated, try forcing yourself.
After a week, you will be more motivated and have more discipline.
“What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.”
― Wayne Dyer
8. Find Role Models
Find role models who have the self-discipline you want to develop.
Look at how they live their lives and what they do to develop self-discipline.
Learn from their successes and failures.
“Success leaves clues.”
— Tony Robbins
9. Self-analyze Your Progress
Track your progress.
Look at how you’ve improved,
and what you still need to work on.
This will help you see what’s working and what needs more attention.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”
— Lord Kelvin
10. Prioritize The Goal Over Anything Else
The goal should be your priority in life.
It should come before anything else.
It should be the reason you get up and go to bed.
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”
— Gretchen Rubin
11. Treat Yourself
Reward yourself when you accomplish a goal or hit a milestone.
This will help keep you motivated and excited about reaching your goals.
“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground.”
– Stephen Covey
Conclusion:
Developing self-discipline isn’t easy.
Remove distractions and temptations.
Set daily goals and make a daily plan to achieve them.
Trust your plan and follow it no matter what.
Take a break, relax, and recharge.
If you feel like quitting, don’t.
Good luck.
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