Table of Contents
Self-Discipline and its necessity
Have you been struggling with your indisciplined behavior which spoils your reputation everywhere you go? Are you someone who always struggles to finish your work on time just because you get easily swayed away by distractions? Do you struggle with concentrating on anything particular for too long- an hour-long class or a lengthy presentation maybe? Do you just give in to every whim and fancy of yours without fulfilling your daily goals? Have you always had a habit of burdening others with the work that was meant for you? Well, if your answer to all these questions is a yes, then it’s high time you buck up and start working on yourself and most importantly, your self-discipline which needs immediate attention. As much as we would want to deny it, self-discipline is the key to success. Abilities, talent, dedication, intelligence, and buckets of other such qualities are very essential indeed, but the very accompaniment of self-discipline is the cherry on the cake.
Acting along the line of your thoughts, in a rational manner, where the mind enjoys an upper hand, is what we conventionally mean by self-discipline. When your actions remain neutral to your emotions, society would call you a self-disciplined individual. Some people are disciplined right from childhood by virtue of their education or background, but most people are not and most of the time, situations and the environment you grow up in are also potentially responsible for that.
Do not worry. Self-discipline is something that we believe can be achieved and mastered over time.
Following are five exercises that will massively help you build on your discipline:
Find the reason to be disciplined
The fact that humans are rational beings separates their identity from other creatures. Man is driven by reason and reason only when it comes to embracing something unpleasant. So, finding the reason to be disciplined would be an amazing start to your journey of becoming disciplined. WHY? Figure out the why and things will fall in place. Try writing it down on a piece of paper and stick it somewhere near you- your room might be an ideal place. Suppose, becoming more disciplined will help you exercise more and achieve your fitness goals or it will help you get to work on time, make you smoke a little less, or save you the dark circles of a late night Netflix binge- whatever it is, try to remind yourself regularly what is it that you are so relentlessly working for.
Meditate
If you weren’t yet aware about this, there you go. Meditation stands out as one of the best and most effective techniques of accomplishing your goal of achieving unflagging self-discipline. A good ten minutes of meditation everyday can help you connect stronger to your soul, focus on your thoughts and detach yourself from the perpetual hustle and bustle of the world. Meditating may seem like a waste of time to many but the entire process, if performed diligently, would fetch magical results in boosting your-self discipline after a month. Go for it today!
Morning Pushups and workout
That last drink’s crucifying hangover or working on your presentation till 2 in the morning might entice you to stick to bed till there’s just that little time to make it to office or college. But please do keep in mind that getting out of the bed early enough to spend 10 minutes on push-ups, a quick warm up, or a heavy cardio is actually very necessary and an integral part of binding yourself to the domains of discipline. Not to mention, you are very much stepping out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself against your will right at the beginning of the day and this will act as a tonic that will help you slay through the latter parts.
Get into a habit of making your bed
This might feel utterly silly to contribute to your self-discipline but you should still do it. It’s hardly a matter of 5 minutes. In spite of relying on your house helps or your mothers for doing your bed, do it yourself every day. The aim is to start the day with some productivity and thus it’s fulfilled; first thing in the morning you do your bed and step out of your room. The concept of discipline is attached to very small, everyday activities and once you start doing them, you grow a habit that automatically improves your self-discipline. So, the next time you come out of bed, do not forget this.
Restrict distractions
Distractions and self-discipline are mutually exclusive terms.
The day these rectangular gadgets called smartphones made a place in our hands, distraction has been like second nature to everybody. It’s like that active volcano from which the molten lava of distractions never stops flowing. And then there are other things such as computers and play stations. These are the principal elements of distraction that surround you almost all the time. However, if you are rigorously into practising self-discipline exercises, you will have to stay away from distractions as far as possible. Turn off your phones while working or block and silent notifications, do not succumb to those irresistible desires of checking that new text message, they won’t fetch you anything, your focus on your work would. Avoid getting distracted by social media at least when your work requires undivided attention.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
Practicing self-discipline exercises does not necessarily mean giving up on the pleasures and emotional spheres of life. Just like your diet plans have cheat days, you have to understand that no matter how much you try restraining and binding yourself, no matter how focused you are on your resolutions of achieving discipline through these exercises of various kinds, all days are not the same and you will falter. All you have to do is embrace those imperfect parts of your journey and not be too strict with yourself.
Download the latest version of the Evolve App to perform journeys like ‘boost your productivity’ and ‘create strong personal goals’ that will also help you master self-discipline.
Also Read: Are Self-control And self-discipline Identical?
Damayanti Dubey is a final year English major at Loreto College, Kolkata. She is a writer by passion and loves to indulge in languages, especially English, Bengali, and Urdu. She aims at exploring all of their intricacies and nuances. Damayanti is a disciple of Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty and is a national scholar of Indian classical music. She has always believed that a sound mind, free from the clutches of regressive and negative thoughts is the key to living a healthy life and makes efforts to promote mental wellness through the power of her words.
Damayanti believes in thinking beyond boundaries.