“With self-discipline, almost anything is possible.” – Theodore J Roosevelt.
Self-discipline, as defined by many, is the willingness and determination to continue carrying out the tasks necessary to achieve what you want to achieve even after hardships and setbacks. Success, after all, is way more than luck and being at the right place at the right time. Sure, those things help too, but what truly shapes your long-term success is self-discipline. If you take a closer look at the people who are thriving in different spheres of life, whether it is health, business, relationships, education, or personal growth, you would find one thing in common and that is self-discipline.
While it may not sound as flashy or enticing as motivation, self-discipline is a quiet force that goes a long way. It is what keeps you going even when you don’t want to, and when no motivational talk is enough to persuade you to keep going. Let’s dig into why self-discipline is so important for long-term success and how it helps in just about every sphere of life –
Table of Contents
Big Moments are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Like we said before, long term success is less about those victorious big moments and more about consistent efforts that go into making your everyday routine successful. Like anyone else, when you think of success, you think of those big and joyous moments in life like landing your dream job, buying your first house or car, etc, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.
What we often oversee is months, or years of consistent efforts that went into achieving those goals that culminated into these big victorious moments, and if you think motivation can help you stay focused on your goals or help you stay consistent with your efforts, you may have been misled. Motivation is very short lived, and consistency doesn’t happen without self-discipline.
Being self disciplined enables you to overcome procrastination and laziness, and directs you to act now for your long term goals. It helps you re-evaluate your current game plan for the goals that you wish to achieve in the future.
Small Habits Help You Take Control of Your Life
Self-discipline is all about taking control of your actions, everyday lifestyle, and small habits. It isn’t about being productive all the time, working like a robot, 16 hours a day. NO. Instead, self-discipline helps you mold your habits in a way that you enjoy greater rewards in the long term.
Want to stay fit? Start with drinking more water and a few minutes of brisk walking. Want to save money? Choose not to jump onto the next good discount offer. All of these require small changes in your habits and a lot of control, which can only stem from self-discipline. A self-disciplined person efficiently takes control of his own life by consciously choosing the right path for life rather than an easy one. These choices could be as simple as waking up at the same time every day, regardless of which day of the week it is, and where you are, or choosing to abstain from smoking regardless of the cravings. Which brings us to our next point –
Saying NO and Choosing What’s Best for Your Future Self.
One major life lesson that you would learn in life is that you and only you are responsible for the quality of your life. Temptation is everywhere, mindlessly scrolling through social media, an extra hour of sleep, eating whatever and whenever you like, you will find yourself surrounded by tempting thoughts that sound fun in the moment, but are often unnecessary.
Self-discipline and control are in saying no to these temptations, no matter how good they sound.
Another aspect of self discipline is mindfulness. When you do things mindfully, you never run the risk of overdoing it, whether it is indulging in your favorite foods or vaping. Self-discipline and the controlled use of dry herb vaporizers can help you quit smoking and move on to healthier and safer options with ease. When used mindfully, dry herb vaporisers help people enjoy herbal relaxation and relieve stress. The key being “mindfully”.
Some people are taught self-discipline from a very young age with activities like making their own bed, doing things at a specific time, etc. But no matter when you start, it’s never too late to learn self-discipline. So the earlier you start changing your habits and adopting self-discipline in your lifestyle, the easier it will be for you. After all, it’s not about being perfect, but being aware and making the right choices that benefit your future self, even when the choice isn’t easy.
How to Build Self-Discipline in 5 Easy Steps
Now that we have discussed the “why” behind self-discipline, let’s discuss the “how”, because honestly, while self-discipline sounds good in theory, it takes a bit of effort to actually build it in your life without going bonkers. Here’s how you can do it –
1. Start small
Like they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t try to turn your life upside down in a day. Pick on habits and work on them. Bring about small changes that actually matter, like walking 10 minutes every day, or limiting your screen time.
2. Stick to a routine
Create a routine that not only works in your best interest but at the same time isn’t too daunting for you to stick to. Routines take the guesswork out of discipline, and when something becomes part of your daily flow, you’re more likely to stick to it.
3. Keep a track of your habits.
There’s no better motivation than looking at your own progress. So keep a track of your small wins, habit changes, and everything that you consider important through a journal or app.
4. Celebrate, but in a healthy way.
Reward yourself for the milestones, but make sure you don’t sabotage your progress for the sake of celebrating. A nice meal, a movie night, or even calming your nerves with your dry herb vaporizer could work well as part of your routine.
5. Stay on track
It’s okay to slip up sometimes and give in to temptations, after all, you are only human. Forgive yourself and move on. The goal is to try to be consistent and get back on track, not to be perfect.
Final Thoughts
Self discipline is a learned skill and not something innate. You learn to control, to be more disciplined, and make the right choices for yourself. All you need is the right strategy, a little practice, and consistency. It may not feel exciting or glamorous at first, but something that you need to understand about self discipline is that it creates real, lasting success.
Whether you are chasing a career goal, health goal, or trying to quit unhealthy habits and be a better version of yourself, self discipline will get you there. Not talent, not luck, not even motivation, but sheer determination and commitment to making some positive changes for yourself.
