When people consider the word discipline and what it means, they often have a sense of dread. Many people associate this with arduousness and suffering. While discipline does require focus and delayed gratification, the results can change your life. You do have to get out of your comfort zone and sacrifice sometimes, but it’s worth it when you reach your goals.
How do you relate to discipline? Do you consider yourself a disciplined person? What feedback would your friends and family offer? When you set goals, do you trust yourself to follow through and stay on track?Some strategies that can help with discipline if really want to achieve your goals include:
– Who are you doing this for? Is it for yourself or others? If you’re doing something that others think you should do but you’re not personally invested, it likely won’t stick.
– Manage your stress. If you are in an acutely stressful period like a divorce or job loss, it’s much harder to practice discipline. Address your mental and emotional needs first before setting goals.
– Get support. Are there people who have achieved these goals already? What did they do? What worked? How did they navigate setbacks? Trust that people want to help and see you succeed.
One caveat about discipline is that any strength overdone becomes a liability. Rigidity around goals can cause suffering for you and those around you. Only you can determine this. Check in with yourself to see if the discipline you’ve chosen to implement is uplifting you or not.