It is easy, during trying times like this, to feel hopeless and witness a sense of loss of purpose. Such feelings cannot be battled by anything except self-discipline. Self-discipline is the art of control while not being too strict or harsh on yourself.
The example of why self-discipline is important has been exemplified in the story: if you’re in a huge all-you-can-eat buffet, to understand the essence of the buffet, you’d take tiny portions of everything or you’d eat just how much you want. You would not gorge yourself or overeat. That is self-control and this should be done in every aspect of your life. Many people can guide you about this and one such person is Mischa Janiec.
So, what are some ways you can master self-discipline and improve your life? Here are 9 ways to do so.
1. You have to know your strengths and limitations
Knowing this gives you a huge upper hand as you can now take steps to get stronger at what you’re good at and you can work on your shortcomings. No one else will get to you by insulting you as you yourself would know where and in which aspect you’re lacking. This is a huge self-confidence booster. Taking a little time to introspect and finding out this part of your life will go a long way.
2. Remove temptations from your sight
One of the stupidest things they teach about self-control is keeping your temptations in sight and making you resist them. It is just a way to make you think more of it. Human beings always like things forbidden to them. This method uses the out-of-sight, out-of-mind strategy which does wonders. Anything you feel you are addicted to, just get rid of it.
3. Set definite goals and have a strategy to achieve them
Many people have a certain fixed set of goals that they’d want to accomplish by a fixed deadline. This is very important to motivate them. But just having goals isn’t enough. It is important to have a strategy too to achieve them. This gives a clear focus and boosts your innate self-discipline as you tend to eliminate distractions and try to reach your goals sooner. The strategy part is the part that enhances your level of confidence and gives you a reason to change your behavior. Having a good plan to achieve your goals is a significant step in the process of self-discipline.
4. Practice diligence daily
No one is born with perfect routines or a fixed plan. They all cultivate that as they grow up. Many great masters in Buddhism and other religions have done awe-inspiring things because they had a self-disciplined, perfect routine. This comes not just from being of a strong mind, but also from practice and repetition. Diligence is key to a self-disciplined routine and mindset. This can go a long way for people who want to radically improve the quality of their lives.
5. Make new habits and rituals
Anything repetitive that you do for 30 days will stick on and become a habit. Good things and actions can be conditioned this way. If you want to try a new thing like morning exercises, or maybe to study something new and you want it ingrained in your routine, repetition is the key. Make a to-do list, write your goal somewhere in front of your eyes so that it is etched in your memory. This makes you remember it and spurs you into doing it daily. This is one way you can incorporate any habit you want into your life and is one step towards self-discipline.
6. It’s all about willpower
Sure, willpower seems to be quite overrated but it actually works in the long run. Willpower is one of the most underrated superpowers of humans. We can do anything we want providing we set our mind to it. This is actually about sheer willpower and if you can channel this to complete your goals, it would take you a long way. If you really want to do something, put all your energies and attention into it and finish it. The satisfaction you get will be immense and it would be one step in the right direction.
7. Keep a backup plan
We’re not saying have a backup for your plan failing. We’re talking about a backup plan in case your method fails. These are two distinct things and should always be kept in mind. The plan should never change, but the method does. If you find yourself not being able to do something effectively, don’t blame your goal. It is just something wrong with how you’re trying to achieve it. So a backup plan would allow you to switch ways of doing it thus giving you the change of pace you’d need.
8. Never be too hard on yourself
One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they tend to be very hard on themselves if they fail to achieve something. This can be very detrimental to your progress. You are your own best friend and always have to be kind to yourself if you didn’t manage to perform well. Troubleshooting where you failed with a calm mind works wonders as you tend to remember it in your future endeavors. This is a far better strategy than any other harsher step you take.
9. Get good teachers or guides
It is important to have a good teacher when you are setting out on a new path. There are qualified instructors or counselors who would guide you very well on paths to self-discipline. Many scriptures, self-help concepts, and psychological tricks exist for you to bring out the best in yourself, and these would be employed by them to guide you well. Learning any new thing requires guidance from a more experienced individual, so never be shy to ask them for help.
Conclusion
These are a few ways to master self-discipline. It is a very important factor in today’s world of temptation, negativity, and unnecessary pleasures. Self-discipline is one of the many effective ways for you to achieve your goals and improve your life and life’s quality in multitudes. So, taking minor steps to improve the quality of your life will make you grow as a person.
