How to Gain More Self-Disipline

What is Discipline Mean?

Having discipline is the ability to overcome base motivations or wants and picking instead the course of action you know is right.  When you want to do something but you know you shouldn't you have to stop yourself and overcome that urge.  As you get older it is more important to have discipline when is comes to yourself.  This is similar to self-control since that takes a measure of discipline to have as well.  This is a learned skill or trait where you have to train yourself to overcome emotion, desire and wants to take the proper course of action or make the right decision.



The Advantages of Self-Discipline

Avoid Irrational Decisions: Lets face it, if you make decisions based on emotions and snap decisions you wont get far in life.  Take a minute to calm down and think about what you are doing.

Stay Focused on Important Tasks: If you have a task that needs to be done, especially if it's important than all the better.  Focus and get it done.

Perseverance Through Difficult Times:  Staying disciplined and focused on what you need to do will help you plow through difficult times in your life be it with family, friends or life in general.

Help You Stay Healthy: Discipline is one of the most important traits to have when trying to lose weight or get in better shape.  It will help you keep a schedule for the gym and help you stay away from unhealthy foods.

Accomplish Your Goals: Most goals in life require effort and commitment.  You most likely have to overcome obstacles as well.  discipline will be require to continue on and stay focused on your goals.
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Discipline is money in the bank. A real friend, true strength. ~Henry Rollins

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Risk and Reward

Many times people gain self-discipline through someone else or something else that forces them to.  A job that carries a lot of responsibility is a good example.  People working the job may be treated strictly and harshly but the job is just that important.  Lesser people would just say screw it and more on but what if the job paid a lot of money.  At this point you are balancing risk and reward.  If you want to stay and make the good money you have to be far more disciplined and follow instructions to the letter or lose the lucrative job.  It teaches you the risk of slacking off vs. the reward of being better.  After you come away from the job you start to become more disciplined in normal life.

The same holds true for the military.  Discipline is a key component of service.  If you often wonder why soldiers are forced to march in formations and do all those other exercises like turn, march, stop, pivot, march, turn.....  It's to teach discipline and get the soldiers used to following orders.  Follow orders or get out or follows orders or people will die.

How to Gain More Self-Discipline

Ok, so what if you were never in the military or had an important job.  How do you just develop self-discipline.  Discipline can be learned but over a certain amount of time.  If you fail to stick to something such as staying away from ice cream than try again.  Try again right away.  It's important not to give up. Bare in mind the consequences of your actions if you fail or deviate from your path. Being motivated by the negative consequences isn't a bad thing if it helps you.  You should also be motivated by the positive outcomes as well since they could be great.

Take a minute to think about that angry email you want to send it could have far reaching consequences for you.  Wait until you calm down and your attitude may change.  If you are in a serious argument with someone pause a couple seconds to think about what you want to say.  Name calling in a conversation will get you no where.

With every situation there is a positive and a negative outcome and you should think about both, they will both motivated you to stay true and on the right path.  Many decisions will leave you thinking "Well, I guess I have to do this." or "This is what has to be done."

Tips to Remember

• If you fail, try again right away with any task you set yourself to

• Always keep in mind the risk and reward for each decision

• Understand how important the task at hand is and why you need to do it

• Try not to give up on the task at hand when it becomes difficult

• Start with small tasks and build to more difficult and complicated ones 

Final Words

Having self-discipline is a life skill that can separate winners from losers.  In this day and age you need it to survive, thrive and become a better man.  Not everyone can join the military to learn it so the man of tomorrow needs to learn the skill for themselves.