7 Ways To Apply Self-Discipline Effectively

Top 7 Reasons why self-discipline is my word of the month

Having recently posted about Top 5 Reasons to Start a Blog, I mentioned that blogging creates good habits.  Well this is only true if you continue to blog and make blogging a routine. To expand on routine, I’ve been pushing myself lately to be driven and disciplined. That is why I specifically chose to focus on self-discipline this month. Now, I realize that half of the month of February has already passed us by; however, my diligence and dedication is driving me to post about why self-discipline is so important to me.

1. Meditate.

Even though this seems tremendously hard or complex meditating is extremely easy. It trains your brain self-control. So you might ask “How do I mediate?” and my answer is just jump in and get started! I try to start each day in meditation.  The simple technique of mindfulness, which involves taking “as little as five minutes a day to focus on nothing more than your breathing and your senses, improves your self-awareness and your brain’s ability to resist destructive impulses” according to a Forbes Article.

2. Organize Tasks.

You MUST be organized. The best way to figure out your day is to set a list of tasks that you must accomplish. I could write a whole blog post about how to organize your tasks, but just know that staying organized by task is important. The self-disciplined will set tasks that they can accomplish and will pursue them with all diligence.

  1. For me, I split my tasks into two categories, personal and work related.
  2. Then I break them down into large, medium, and small.
  3. Finally I tackle the highest priority and most stressful (often the large ones) first.

3. Manage Time.

Whether you believe it or not, time is your most valuable resource so use it wisely. This includes what, where, and who. If someone tells you they are “too busy” that simply means they have not prioritized you into their schedule. Even the busiest clients and business owners I’ve met with make time for the important things in their life. Sometimes understanding this is a reality check.

4. Set Goals.

In order to be effectively self-disciplined, you need to set obtainable goals and milestones that help you stay focused and lead to accomplishment. Goal setting is another topic that could consume an entire blog post, however realize that goal setting is easy and extremely straight forward. Set specific or SMART goals and find an accountability partner who will check in on your goal progress.

"Trust yourself. If you don't learn to trust yourself, you will never be happy. You'll always be deferring your authority to someone or something outside of you."

5. Reward Yourself.

Perhaps rewarding yourself is the best part of this post, but in all seriousness, give yourself something to look forward to whether it is a cheat day or a new item of clothing. Rewards are very important in conditioning yourself to routine hard work and self-discipline. Make the rewards desirable and hold yourself accountable to only rewarding yourself once you accomplish the goal.

6. Crave Self Motivation.

Motivation is personal. Some are motivated by family, generosity, money, fame, pride, or love. The question is Do you know what motivates you? Perhaps you could look on Twitter for “posts about motivation” for a quick start or you could just follow my account on Twitter @DavidGoecke. Find your motivation and crave it. It might be as simply as a good song or a hot shower, but motivate yourself to stay focused and driven on your goals.

7. Enjoy Excitement.

Really, excitement stems from happiness. The new concept of “happiness experts” has recently emerged in response to the mass appeal of studying people and what drives joy and happiness. Huffington Post listed a great article after discussing Happiness Tips from 13 experts. It really comes down to understanding yourself, laughing, and finding peace through freedom.

 

Do you have what it takes to start blogging? Why not start today? Put aside the inhibitions you may have had for so long. You can go to WordPress.com and start your free blog today! The audience will eventually come, but starting today is the first step you can take toward liberating both your thoughts and your ideas! For me, I have wanted to journal and blog for the longest time, and now I finally stepped to the plate. If you decide to start blogging, why don’t you let me know! Tweet me @DavidGoecke or post a comment.