Discipline is Freedom
It took my a while to get my head around this and to actually see and then test out how this plays out in my own day, world and life. Many of you know Stephen R. Covey is one of my great teachers and he wrote;
"the undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions".
And for me, it makes sense. Self discipline is about doing according to what you think instead of doing according to how you feel. Its kind of like when the alarm goes off and you need to get up and exercise as this is the only time in your day where it can happen. Sure bed is cosy, warm and the place where you want to stay for a little longer, but with discipline you can be exercising in minutes and giving yourself that great sense of wellbeing and day by day satisfaction that you are taking responsibility and contributing to a long and healthy life. There's alot at stake here. Self discipline is sometimes about sacrificing the short term, the here and now feeling for what matters most in life.
OK, I know that self discipline is not a strength for everyone and my secret is that right now in my life I need more of it so hence I am researching and writing this post. And I have discovered that self discipline can be developed. And here are some ways that you might like to explore to increase your self discipline. Good Luck.
1. Awareness
You need to be aware of what you are doing and what you aren't doing ie your behaviour. You need to know this as without awareness there is no way that you can consciously change your behaviour. You need to be aware that you are constantly checking your emails to bring in a more disciplined action like checking them each hour. Its critical to develop your awareness so you can catch yourself before you start an undisciplined behaviour.
2. Courage
You need courage to pursue, it takes time and energy to discipline yourself. And it can be extremely difficult to exercise self discipline. You will effectively go against your moods, passions and appetites to exercise true self discipline and this will take alot of courage. There might even be some pain involved. Persevere and stick at it and remember to celebrate your wins.
3. Knowledge
Ahhh, this should really be Number 1, this means acting, behaving, doing according to what you have decided despite your feelings or how you feel when you are in the moment. I was at an afternoon tea recently and had made a commitment to self to eat 2 things from the shared table. Ohhh this was diffcult, so many beautiful home made treats staring up at me where ever I looked and if this wasn't bad enough people were taking the food around and offering and saying eat up there is lots here! Ahh this is a great test as you have to decide what behaviour best reflects your vision or goals and then stick to this as closely as you can. The self in self discipline is self explanatory!!
4. Commitment
Write up your goals and make a commitment to them. This is powerful and I love writing things down to cement them in my thinging. However, it is essential that you make an internal commitment as well. This means making a pact with yourself that you are going to follow through, ie you are going to do what you say you are going to do. You are going to be true to yourself. And this feels great when it happens.
5. Positive Self Talk
And the best is last. Self talk is a great tool if it is within your control. Positive self talk is a wonderful supporter and acts almost like your own very peronal cheer squad. They have to be loud enough for you to hear them and positive enough for you to take notice. I often talk to myself - give myself positive feedback, reassure myself and when struggling with self discipline encourage myself to keep going.
And here is a great quote to finish on
"The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret."
Regards
Jo
