How To Discipline Yourself In 10 Steps

Are you used to waiting until the last minute to do certain things? Do you have trouble sticking to your work schedule? Maybe you want to do things more regularly, like preparing for exams or going to the gym. Whatever the cause of your lack of discipline, don't beat yourself up and be brave. The problem is simple to solve. In fact, all you need to do is develop a plan to strengthen your sense of discipline.

1.Think about why you want to be more disciplined.

Perhaps you have a particular goal you want to achieve, but you think there are obstacles to getting there. Perhaps you want to become an early riser and break the habit of waking up late in the morning. Or maybe your exceptional musical gifts are waning because of a lack of practice. You may be trying to lose weight, but don't like sports. Take some time to think about your problems before specifying your goal.

2. Imagine your goal.

Visualization is very important in setting a goal correctly. First, you'll need to think carefully to clarify the outline of your goal. Then, it's a matter of imprinting yourself, either physically or mentally, with that goal.

The simulation process is a special form of visualization. It is very effective in helping you achieve your goals. This method consists of imagining the actions necessary to achieve a goal, instead of only considering the final result.

You can also practice visualization by meditating daily or by creating a visualization chart of your goal.

3. Create an action plan.

You can present your plan in the form of a table either manually or by using software such as MS Word or Excel. At this stage, do not try to fill in your table. You can do that later! Think about a relevant title to put at the top of this form, such as exercising regularly. Next, assign the following headings to the columns in order:

• the action,
• start time,
• any problems,
• strategies for overcoming any problems,
• progress made,
• then fill in the columns carefully according to the headings.

4. Prepare to take action and set a date to start.

The actions you identify will help you make your project a reality. It's a matter of thinking a little to find some appropriate actions. Also, think about setting a date to begin your goal to gain your new self-discipline.

Your actions could be quite varied. You can limit the time spent on unproductive activities that keep you from working out, or make sure you get your gym clothes ready the night before.

If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, brainstorming is a great way to help. You can also ask a relative or friend to help you. You will likely think of several actions, for which you will need to have several lines on your chart. Take your time and write down everything you can think of.

You may be tempted to start today, tomorrow or later in the week or month. Be realistic and consider the time frame. For example, if the action is to start work each day at 6:00 a.m., it will be impossible to do it today if the afternoon has already begun.

5. Anticipate problems and develop strategies to overcome them.

Consider the difficulties that may arise as you execute your plan and develop a methodology for dealing with them. For example, you have decided to start your day at 6:00 a.m. every day, but you know that when the alarm goes off, you will just turn it off and go back to sleep. In this case, you can scribble something like "I'll go back to sleep".

On the other hand, you can think of solutions that have worked well in the past. However, discard an action, such as the decision to get up early in the morning, if you know from your experience that you will not do it because you have tried it a number of times before, but to no avail.

Repeatedly using the wrong methods will only lead to disappointment. Look for other ideas. For example, you may have more success if you place your alarm clock at a certain distance from your bed. You will have to make more effort to stop the alarm.

6. Review and update your report on the progress of your plan regularly.

Begin execution of your actions and implement your problem-solving methods on schedule. As you execute your actions, keep track of when and how well or how poorly you did. At the end of your plan's execution period, review your annotations about the progress you made during that time.

As you review your plan, think about what you did well and what you did not. Learn from the mistakes you may have made so that you can avoid making them in the future. That way, you can incorporate your experience into your plans next time and make it easier to achieve your goals.

If you didn't learn anything useful, abandon the method and try another. If the difficulty persists, go back to your previous methods and consider new ideas.

7. Reflect on your mistakes.

Even if you totally failed on your first attempt, it's best to persevere to reach your goal and become more disciplined. But you will need to examine your mistakes to learn from them. The important thing is to keep trying!

Researchers have found that the human brain responds to difficulties in two ways. It can either try to solve the problem or simply freeze. People who examine their mistakes are more willing to learn new ways to correct them in the future. On the other hand, careless people, such as those whose minds get stuck, continue to make mistakes and make no progress. Strive to identify your weaknesses and think about how to address them.

8. Don't get demoralized because of a lack of discipline.

This attitude will not help you and it is very likely that you will become discouraged and perhaps even depressed, if your life has been affected. Instead, remember that some people are often undisciplined. Fortunately, this behavior can be identified and controlled. So, it will take time, but you will eventually overcome your difficulties.

A 2011 survey found that about 27% of participants felt they needed help with willpower and self-control. However, the majority hope to improve in these areas.

9. Take care of yourself.

Self-control can be exhausted because it often has limits. Some situations can affect it more than others. For example, when you are sleep deprived, you may make poor decisions and even overeat. By taking care of your body, mind and spirit, you will be able to achieve your goal and improve your sense of discipline.

Eat well-balanced meals. Make sure you eat three to five small meals a day that contain a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, lean protein and whole grains. Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.

Exercise regularly. Set aside enough time for physical activity while you are working on your action plan. Exercise will put you in a good mood and give you the energy and motivation to move forward.

Work to reduce stress. Fatigue can profoundly affect your productivity and overall health. Minimize stress by getting enough sleep and taking care of yourself. For example, you can take a soothing bath or a walk in the park. You can also use relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga. If you are a spiritual person, performing rituals such as prayer can also help you deal with stressful situations.

10. Find motivation every day.

Know that a work routine is the best way to improve your ability to achieve goals. The author of "The Power of Habits" explains that the human brain processes habits in the same area as reflexes and not in the prefrontal cortex that controls decision making. At first, you will have to make an effort to be disciplined in your actions, but eventually, these actions will become habits and you will automatically perform them without effort.

To motivate yourself, you can read inspirational quotes or books, listen to or watch podcasts or TED talks. You can also talk on the phone with someone you admire. If you have important work to do, it is best to prepare in the morning or at a time that works best for you.

Tips

• Consider your bad habits, such as watching TV all the time and using your computer, the Internet or video games intensively, etc. This will help you organize your time to do more interesting things.
• Goal-based actions are great. Instead of trying to lose 20 pounds, why not set a goal of exercising daily?
• Track your daily progress. That way you'll know what you've already accomplished and you'll find it easier to move forward.

Warnings

• Don't expect overnight improvements.
• Be patient with yourself as you cultivate new habits.