Cultivating Self Discipline

Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful, get more done, and are happier than others?

It all comes down to self-discipline. It is what makes or breaks people when it comes to going after and realizing their dreams.

Life is not always going to be a walk in the park.  Those that are willing to do what they do not feel like doing will succeed beyond their wildest imaginations.

In this article, we go through the what, why, and how of self-discipline.

Self-discipline is one of the essential ingredients of success. Like fine meal, if you leave out just one ingredient, the meal can go from fine to foul.

What is Self-Discipline?

Self-discipline is simply the act of being able to do that you do not want to do. This may mean eating healthy food, taking out the trash, or tackling an especially scary task on your to-do list.

There’s always something else you could be doing that’s more fun and enjoyable, such as eating a pizza and watching TV.

Self-discipline is not something you’re born with, it is something you cultivate, just like a muscle.

You don’t go into the gym expecting yourself to already be strong and muscular, you go there to build muscle and get in shape.

As you keep going there week in and week out, you start to see results. The results are slow at times and sometimes they come in spurts.

Self-discipline is much the same way; it is something you have to work on and constantly maintain to avoid losing it.

Why Cultivate Self-Discipline?

Self-discipline will catapult your life toward your dreams. Life isn’t a walk in the park, and if you want a great life, you have to work for it.

The difference between highly successful people and unsuccessful people is that the successful ones are willing to do the work that the unsuccessful people are not.

Most unsuccessful people focus on pleasant activities, while successful people focus on pleasant results.

One of the fundamentals of self-discipline is having specific and clear goals to go after. If you are not motivated enough, you will see no reason to face the uncomfortable tasks.

And this is one of the main reasons why most people never start a business, never go after their dreams, and never live up to their full potential.

How to Cultivate Self-Discipline

By now, you probably already know how to cultivate self-discipline: it is as simple as doing the tasks you do not feel like doing.

If you have to take out the garbage, do it now. The longer you procrastinate, the weaker your self-discipline muscle becomes.

If you have a particularly big task you need to tackle in your business, do it first thing in the morning.

When you get the biggest tasks done first, the rest of the day will seem like a breeze, and you will feel great when it’s out of the way.

Have you noticed that each time you discipline yourself to do something, you get a jolt that makes you feel good? It’s your body’s way of rewarding you for doing a good job.

You become disciplined by being disciplined. As you take action over and over again on the things you do not want to do, you start to feel powerful and inspired to do more.

It is a circle that keeps going and going. The more discipline you are, the better you feel and the more disciplined become.

It all starts with accepting responsibility for your life, setting goals, and going after those goals. It takes self-discipline to manifest the life you truly want.

My Story

For me, self-discipline has been a slow process. I’ve taken things one step at a time.

My life, like anyone else’s, has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Some months I seem to get a lot done, while other months the work seems to pile up.

What has been constant in my life is the determination to go after my dreams and accomplish my goals. This keeps me motivated to get things done, whether I like it or not.

If I fall into a slump for an extended period of time, I eventually get out of it, because the goals I have beckon me to do more.

Settling for mediocrity is not an alternative for me. The only path I see is the one that leads to my goals and living the life I truly desire.

The Rewards of Self-Discipline

Those that are more self-disciplined tend to live happier, more successful, and more fulfilled lives.

The tasks that people tend to procrastinate on are usually those that have the biggest positive consequences in their life.

Imagine what would happen if you cultivated the self-discipline to get these tasks done. You would make dramatically faster progress towards your goals, and you would feel more fulfilled than ever before.

It all starts with the decision to be more self-discipline. It may seem simple and you may even dismiss it because of its simplicity, but nothing will change until you change.

You are the captain of your own ship. You have to determine where you want to go, and you have to discipline yourself to take action.

While getting started with self-discipline may be hard, if you keep taking one step each day, you will gain momentum and become unstoppable.

Tagged as: Self-Discipline

This post was written by...

Henri Junttila – who has written 1 posts on Eden Journal.

Henri writes at Wake Up Cloud, where you can get his free course: Find Your Passion in 5 Days or Less. And if you liked this article, you will enjoy one of his top articles: How to Live a Happy Life