Self-discipline is the ability to get something done or take some action no matter what emotional state you are currently in. I am going to explain to you how to build up your self-discipline the way that Steve Pavlina does.
Building up your SD (self-discipline) is like building up a muscle. You have to train yourself little by little to keep growing. Everyone has a little bit of SD (like occasionally working out or going for a walk) but that is the same as lifting 3 pounds.. it will not make you any stronger. If you want to develop more SD then you need to push yourself to the limit, just like you build muscle by working out until you are sore. The more frequently you work out, the faster you will build muscle too. If you can train yourself to make SD a habit, you will see far greater changes than if you train yourself only every once in a while.
The way you train yourself is with goals. Think of smaller goal as lesser weight and larger goals as heavier weight. If you start to lift 700 pounds on the first day of working out, you will surely fail. However, if you lift maybe 30 pounds or even 10 pounds if that's as much as you can, then you will keep getting better and better. You cannot set 20 goals right after reading this and expect to follow through with all of them tomorrow. You need to set high goals, but ones that you know you can manage.
Another thing you must do to enhance your SD is to only set goals when you know that you are going to completely follow through with them. One way to do this is to write down the only goals you are sure you are going to accomplish, maybe on a special notebook or pad. This way, you can condition yourself to know that you must complete any goal that you write down in that notebook.
Lastly, you should make the goals definite and precise. Set specifically what you want to archive and when. Also know how you will know when you achieve it. For example, instead of saying: I will start to work more, say I will work 8 complete hours without distraction for 30 days. Then you can work on what else you want after that.
Self-disciplining yourself is the first step toward self-improvement, since our natural way to behave is to be lazy and not change. SD requires constant change, and after you form it into a habit, you will wonder how you every managed to live life being so lazy. =)
To your development,
Sean Golden
Labels: goals, self-discipline