SELF-DISCIPLINE

SELF-DISCIPLINE is the ability to control yourself and to make yourself work hard or behave in a particular way without needing anyone else to tell you what to do. Exercising at home alone requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline.

SELF-DISCIPLINE is broadly defined as conscious control that is oriented towards successful outcomes by overcoming obstacles or impediments (Zimmerman & Kitsantas, 2014). One of the scientists at the forefront of self-control research, Angela Duckworth, defines it as “the ability to suppress prepotent responses in the service of a higher goal… and such a choice is not automatic but rather requires conscious effort” (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006, p. 199). 

In the context of school, examples of self-discipline might include getting yourself up and into class on time, paying attention in class instead of daydreaming or scrolling through social media, choosing to do homework over watching a TV show, or doing difficult assignments despite boredom and frustration (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006).

Self-discipline keeps you from eating too many chips after you decide to eat more nutritious food or it keeps you from using all your paycheck to buy unnecessary clothes. Self-discipline looks different for everyone—exercising control might come easier for some of us than others. However, everyone can learn to strengthen their self-discipline “muscles”. In this article, we will talk about self-discipline, how to develop it and how to use it to get what you want.

EXAMPLES OF SELF DISCIPLINE

Self-discipline includes many processes, such as planning, self-monitoring, and sustained effort (de la Fuente et al., 2020). As you can see, self-discipline is an important life skill that has implications in many areas, such as:

Healthy habits: Having the self-discipline to get enough sleep, eat nutritious food, and avoid bad habits, such as smoking, have great benefits for your mental and physical health.

Work: Self-discipline is important for work and career because it keeps you focused on reaching your goals, whether they are big or small.

Money management. Making wise financial decisions includes being self-disciplined with money.

Emotion regulation: When you learn self-discipline, you make an effort to express your emotions in healthy ways and learn how to cope with stressful situations or disappointments.

Time management: Probably one of the hardest things to do in our society is apply self-discipline to time management. But learning how to manage your time wisely can have positive benefits for your personal and professional life.

How to Develop Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is a skill and anyone can improve theirs. It might take a lot of practice and might require you to be patient and kind to yourself, but it’s not impossible. Here are some ways you could start developing self-discipline:

Be aware: Every day you make decisions about how you live: what to eat, when to go to bed, or whether you should send that passive-aggressive text. We can avoid temptations or give in to them. You could practice self-discipline by not buying junk food when you’re hungry, or you could practice it by not even going to the store when you’re hungry. The goal is to be aware of what works for you and implement those strategies regularly to create positive changes in your life.

Figure out your “Why”: Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, highlights that “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.'” When you find your “why,” or the reason why you want to do something, you can remind yourself of these reasons when things get difficult. This helps us sustain self-discipline even under duress.

Develop a plan: If you don’t know where you’re going, it might be easier to get sidetracked. If this sounds like you, you can create an outline of clear action steps you plan to take on a daily or weekly basis until you reach your goal. Whether you want to increase good habits and reduce bad habits or learn a new skill, creating a clear plan will help you get to whatever your definition of success is. 

Start small: The famous quote says: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.” Now that you have a plan, take a step. Start small. Don’t try to do everything in one week, as this can lead you to feel overwhelmed and might even cause you to abandon your plan.

Remove temptations: Removing temptations can significantly impact the likelihood that you’ll reach a successful outcome. In psychology, there is a theory called “ego depletion,” which highlights that willpower is a limited resource, and we only have a finite “reservoir” of mental resources to resist temptations. 

Try time-blocking: The Pomodoro technique, very popular among busy students, says that you should break up your work time like this: work uninterrupted for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break—each of these is a Pomodoro. 

Tips for Self-Discipline

If you are starting a journey to become more self-disciplined, you might be curious about what you can do to get better at it. Here are some suggestions you can try:

Keep going: Success is never linear or easy. It’s important to learn how to tolerate discomfort and learn from your mistakes. Just because you made a mistake does not mean you’re a failure or you can’t be successful—it just shows you an area of growth that can be used to your advantage. If necessary, adjust your plan, identify what needs improvement, and keep going.

Say positive and use motivating words: Repeating positive affirmations might help you stay optimistic and remind you why it’s important to do what you planned to do. Some affirmation examples include: “I have the discipline to accomplish my goals” or “I do what needs to be done, even when I don’t feel like doing it.”