4 Things you can do to Improve your Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is a great skill to teach yourself. Most if not all entrepreneurs have mastered this and some have gone on to say it's the key to success in their business. It's not just important for entrepreneurs.

Do you ever wonder why athletes are so dedicated to their sport, or why an artist can work for days without a break? They all developed schedules that they stuck to using self-discipline. Discipline can be used when someone wants to teach themselves what is acceptable and what is not.

For instance, when I'm writing, I tell myself that I cannot watch Netflix until I am done and then I reward myself with one or two episodes of whatever show I'm watching at the time. It can be difficult to learn but once you do, everything seems to fall right into place.

There're a few things you can do to help yourself become more disciplined.

Remove Temptations

The first thing you want to do when you begin working is remove everything that can break your concentration. This means taking your phone and turning it off or put it on silent and leaving in another room.

In this case thinking "out of sight out of mind" is best. Make sure you have everything you need to complete your tasks for the day in front of you. It's very easy for people to get distracted when they get up from their desk to get a snack and on the way see a sink full of dishes and now you're cleaning instead of working.

Make sure that your desk is clean and neat. Another distraction is looking for certain files on your desk and realizing that nothing is organized. Now you are off track again.

Be careful on the Internet. How many times have you googled something for work and found yourself going deeper than you wanted to go because of your own curiosity. You start looking up facts about hedge funds and now you're on YouTube watching cat videos. Try your best to stay off sites like Facebook YouTube and Instagram as well.

Keep some water and a snack by your desk. It's always good to have something small to eat and water close by to help give you that extra bit of energy to finish your project.

Rat Right/Timely

Having those little snacks close by can really help prevent another distraction, hunger. Many of us feel and or hear that rumbling in our stomachs and immediately think it's time for a break. This is true for those who have just been working two or three hours but for others who have only been working 20 minutes, its more of a distraction.

Hunger disrupts concentration due to low blood sugar. It makes you grumpy and working while hungry is an easy way to hate everything you've just been working on. Keep healthy snacks close to when working so you have something quick to eat.

This will give you energy to finish what you were working on.

Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are great healthy snack ideas which contain healthy fats and proteins to help fuel your brain. It's important to eat around the same times every day to maintain blood sugar levels and keep decision-making and concentration at their peaks.

Schedule Breaks and Rewards

When learning to stay disciplined, it's important to create a new routine. It doesn't have to be anything difficult but something that will keep you on task towards accomplishing your goal. Having a schedule when you wake up is important for maintaining discipline.

Imagine waking up on an off day and wandering around your house. If you had something planned, you would wake up at a certain time to get everything down on your To Do List.

Using self-control, remember to take breaks throughout the day. After an hour or two when you begin to feel rundown step away from what you were working on and take 10 to 15 minutes to think about anything else or even do anything else. Then go back to what you were working on for another hour or two. This will help keep your mind fresh and the quality of your work good.

Self-discipline is difficult in the beginning because you are putting yourself in a situation that is uncomfortable. Most people like to stay in their comfort zones. Once you make your new routine feel familiar, the discomfort will go away and you'll be on your way towards being self disciplined.

It's very important not to wait until you feel like it's the right time to do something. Breaking bad habits should feel wrong because you're going against what you've done for a long time. Embrace that feeling until you create your new habit. When behaviors become habit we stop thinking and do things automatically.

Forgive Yourself and Move on

Whenever you start something the first thing most of us do is make a plan. But what happens when something doesn't go according to plan? The average response is to get angry or frustrated with yourself. Try your best not to get to this point.

Whenever there're setbacks look at them as learning points, not something to beat yourself up over.

When you begin to feel guilty or frustrated by a set back you are not helping yourself. Learning from the situation gives you an advantage because now you know what to look for in the future and are less likely to make that mistake again.

Remember, the longer you remain angry with yourself for messing up, the longer it will take you to get back to what you want to do. So, stay calm, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving forward towards your goals.

Out of everything mentioned in this article this may be the toughest thing to do. After all, humans are creatures of habit and a bad habit that most of us have is to blame someone when something goes wrong.

Final Thoughts

It's true that self-discipline could be the key to success in whatever you do as long as you work hard. This has been proven multiple times by self-made millionaires. They created schedule, stuck to it, and edit breaks into it to avoid burning out.

Some get started right away to avoid any distractions. Others start the day with a good breakfast to make sure they have the nutrients they need to keep them thinking and working throughout the day.

Most importantly, if they do beat himself up on mistakes it's never for too long, and they learn from what they did wrong so that they never do it again. Self-discipline it's a great skill to learn and I hope you master it too.