Thoughts on self discipline
Wouldn't life be so much better if you could be more productive? Productivity and happiness go hand-in-hand because you have to do something to make your dreams come true (unless you plan to win the lottery).
The easiest way to improve your productivity, crush procrastination, and stick to the long-term goals that you know will bring you happiness is to learn and practice self discipline. Self-discipline is the difference between the consistent effort that leads to success and the sporadic efforts that lead to disappointment. Self discipline will keep you on the path to happiness while others stray.
Self discipline can be negatively viewed as forcing yourself to do boring or difficult things, but self discipline is actually to help us achieve things that we do want to do. Self discipline is a powerful tool for increasing productivity, persevering through difficult circumstances or simply following through on a planned action or idea.
For some people, self discipline means doing your math homework before playing video games, or waking up early in the morning to run when you'd rather be sleeping. For the purpose of this article, I want to use the following definition:
Self Discipline is the ability to follow through on a predetermined plan of action.
This rather simple definition doesn't suggest at all that self discipline is a painful or unpleasant thing. Self discipline is nothing more than making a decision about what you want to do and then following through with that decision regardless of what else happens. Despite this, some people still wrestle with their own self discipline and have trouble sticking to a defined course of action. I want to offer a strong piece of advice, something I discovered when I was younger that helped me, and that I hope can help you wrestle your inner demons and achieve the level of discipline you want.
Every government has 3 branches, a judicial branch, a legislative branch and an executive branch. The legislative branch creates laws, the executive branch enacts the laws and the judicial branch judges whether or not a law has been broken.
Similarly, when you are planning an action, you think of something to do, then you do it, then you evaluate whether or not it was done. The reason for poor self discipline is that people mix up the three processes that go into forming a meaningful action. Starting to see where I'm going? Let me explain further with an example.
Kathy is trying to lose weight and wants to start eating healthier. She is invited to a local coffee shop to hang out with some friends. Once there, she sees all of the treats for sale and caves in, deciding to buy one. She later feels guilty about eating unhealthy food.
The reason that Kathy's self-discipline failed her is that her decision and action were too closely coupled. When an action is imminent, the cost/benefit of that action affects the decision, and the benefits of eating a donut (it is delicious) are more salient when the donuts are present.
Put simply, it is easier to say no to donuts when there are no donuts available. However, when there is a tray of donuts in front of you, it becomes more difficult to make a rational decision about eating the donuts that is in genuine service to your long-term goal of losing weight.
What should Kathy have done? The key is always to decide in advance. Like the legislative branch of government, make the laws for yourself, and when you decide on a course of action, become the executive branch and follow your decision like it was a law. Kathy should have said to herself: "Well, I know there will be donuts there but I am deciding right now that I am not going to eat one." Now, Kathy knows in advance that she will not have a donut and she will not have to make this decision when the donuts are presented.
This method applies to almost any situation that requires self discipline. Don't decide in the morning whether you will go running or not. Decide the night before, put out your running clothes or sleep in them and when you wake up, ACT AS IF THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
If you wait until it's time to execute the action to make a decision, that decision will be influenced by other factors and you will not make a rational decision. By making decisions beforehand, you guarantee that you will make a smart decision that takes into account your long term goals and happiness and has the best overall outcome for you.
Remember, a lack of self discipline means that you are making decisions when you should be taking action. Make a decision and stick with it. Act accordingly, and don't make any more decisions until you've followed through. Follow this advice, and you'll soon find that you can stick with any task.
The easiest way to improve your productivity, crush procrastination, and stick to the long-term goals that you know will bring you happiness is to learn and practice self discipline. Self-discipline is the difference between the consistent effort that leads to success and the sporadic efforts that lead to disappointment. Self discipline will keep you on the path to happiness while others stray.
Self discipline can be negatively viewed as forcing yourself to do boring or difficult things, but self discipline is actually to help us achieve things that we do want to do. Self discipline is a powerful tool for increasing productivity, persevering through difficult circumstances or simply following through on a planned action or idea.
For some people, self discipline means doing your math homework before playing video games, or waking up early in the morning to run when you'd rather be sleeping. For the purpose of this article, I want to use the following definition:
Self Discipline is the ability to follow through on a predetermined plan of action.
This rather simple definition doesn't suggest at all that self discipline is a painful or unpleasant thing. Self discipline is nothing more than making a decision about what you want to do and then following through with that decision regardless of what else happens. Despite this, some people still wrestle with their own self discipline and have trouble sticking to a defined course of action. I want to offer a strong piece of advice, something I discovered when I was younger that helped me, and that I hope can help you wrestle your inner demons and achieve the level of discipline you want.
Every government has 3 branches, a judicial branch, a legislative branch and an executive branch. The legislative branch creates laws, the executive branch enacts the laws and the judicial branch judges whether or not a law has been broken.
Similarly, when you are planning an action, you think of something to do, then you do it, then you evaluate whether or not it was done. The reason for poor self discipline is that people mix up the three processes that go into forming a meaningful action. Starting to see where I'm going? Let me explain further with an example.
Kathy is trying to lose weight and wants to start eating healthier. She is invited to a local coffee shop to hang out with some friends. Once there, she sees all of the treats for sale and caves in, deciding to buy one. She later feels guilty about eating unhealthy food.
The reason that Kathy's self-discipline failed her is that her decision and action were too closely coupled. When an action is imminent, the cost/benefit of that action affects the decision, and the benefits of eating a donut (it is delicious) are more salient when the donuts are present.
Put simply, it is easier to say no to donuts when there are no donuts available. However, when there is a tray of donuts in front of you, it becomes more difficult to make a rational decision about eating the donuts that is in genuine service to your long-term goal of losing weight.
What should Kathy have done? The key is always to decide in advance. Like the legislative branch of government, make the laws for yourself, and when you decide on a course of action, become the executive branch and follow your decision like it was a law. Kathy should have said to herself: "Well, I know there will be donuts there but I am deciding right now that I am not going to eat one." Now, Kathy knows in advance that she will not have a donut and she will not have to make this decision when the donuts are presented.
This method applies to almost any situation that requires self discipline. Don't decide in the morning whether you will go running or not. Decide the night before, put out your running clothes or sleep in them and when you wake up, ACT AS IF THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
If you wait until it's time to execute the action to make a decision, that decision will be influenced by other factors and you will not make a rational decision. By making decisions beforehand, you guarantee that you will make a smart decision that takes into account your long term goals and happiness and has the best overall outcome for you.
Remember, a lack of self discipline means that you are making decisions when you should be taking action. Make a decision and stick with it. Act accordingly, and don't make any more decisions until you've followed through. Follow this advice, and you'll soon find that you can stick with any task.
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