how to build self discipline

 Try this plan for building your self-discipline

The people who stand out in a competitive environment show up on time, meet deadlines and commitments, take on the tough issues, and do everything they promise. To be that kind of person requires self-management. If you’re ready to build your discipline muscle, begin with this 10-point plan:

Start with a goal. Is there something that you would like to do,

if only you had the discipline to do it? Let’s say, for example, that

you think your job would flow more smoothly if you could get

to work on time. Decide upon a manageable goal and express it

in specific terms, like “I will arrive at work by eight o’clock every

day for two weeks.”

Visualize what self-discipline would look like. Identify the

steps that could help you achieve your goal if you did, in fact,

have the necessary discipline. To reach the office on time, would

you turn off the TV and go to bed earlier? Layout your clothes

the night before? Fill up your gas tank during the weekend?

Choose discipline. Once you have a detailed vision of how you

would act if you did have the discipline, start choosing to act

like that. The opportunities to practice will take the form of a

series of small decisions, like whether or not to turn off the TV

at bedtime even if something good is on. Each time you meet

the challenge of choosing self-discipline, you’ll be exercising your

self-control muscles.

Write it down. Keeping some form of log or diary is tremendously

reinforcing and can help you to gradually build your self-control.

Once you’ve identified the decisions that will help you get to work

on time, keep track of how often you make the right choice.

Reject excuses. When you’re trying to practice discipline, there’s

a danger you’ll be defeated by the voices in your head. Notice

when you’re tempted by internal arguments such as, “I’m too

tired to get organized tonight.” Simply by becoming aware of

how you rationalize will help you to grapple with temptation and

keep you moving toward your goal.

Encourage yourself. Make a list of the excuses that typically

prevent you from acting like a disciplined person. Then, for each

one on your list design a positive phrase to help you get past that excuse. For example, if your inner voice says “I don’t have the

energy,” tell yourself, “I’ll have more energy tomorrow if I get to

work on time.”

Remove temptation. It’s so much easier to be disciplined when

your temptations are out of sight. If late-night TV is what’s

keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep, can you move

the screen out of your bedroom? Or hide the remote in another

room?

Acknowledge the difficulty. Supervising your own behaviour

can be exhausting. In other words, we can exercise self-discipline

only so much and for only so long, and then

we’re too tired to do more. So when you’re trying to change, recognize the challenge and build your muscle in small increments.

Reduce pain by creating habits. When you’re working on a

new behaviour, the first few days are the toughest. But repetition

quickly makes it easier. You start going to bed on time without

having to agonize about it. As your new nighttime ritual

becomes a habit, choosing it won’t be so tiring. Soon you will free

up your reserve of self-control for another challenge. So after you

start getting to work on time, you might turn your attention to

something else, like working on your “to-do” list.

Reward yourself. Positive reinforcement works. Support your

change process by finding little ways to reward yourself when

you do well. As you move through the plan, play with the process. See what works for you. Treat setbacks as learning opportunities. Building self-discipline can become a game, with moments of fun and victory parties along the way.