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Know your strengths and weaknesses -

If you want to achieve great self-discipline, you must acknowledge your weaknesses as well as your strengths. We all have things we’re good at and things we’re not.

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Know your strengths and weaknesses -

Part of being self-disciplined is acknowledging the things you are bad at and actively working to improve. You cannot overcome your flaws and achieve your goal until you do.

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Know your strengths and weaknesses -

For example, if there is a particular admin task at work that you hate, be sure to put it at the top of your to-do list and tackle it head on when you’re fresh.

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Remove temptations -

The age-old saying “out of sight, out of mind” may seem cavalier, but it does in fact hold true. A great way to improve your self-discipline is to get rid of the things that tempt you the most.

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Remove temptations -

If you want to eat healthier, for example, get rid of all the junk food in your cupboards. If you want to improve your productivity at work, put your cell phone on silent or turn it off.

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Remove temptations -

It is quite simple really: the fewer distractions you have around you, the more focused you will be on working towards and achieving your goals.

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Set clear goals -

This one perhaps goes without saying, but self-discipline always requires a clear goal and an understanding of how you personally define success.

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Set clear goals -

If you don’t know what you are working towards, it's easy to get distracted and lose your way. Be sure to set that goal early on, and you will find it easier to exercise discipline in working towards it.

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Set clear goals -

A crucial thing to remember when it comes to setting goals is the importance of prioritization. It might help you to consider that having 10 priorities is the same as having none.

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Have an execution plan -

In addition to having a clear goal, it is important to have a clear execution plan. Try to create one that includes the time-bound steps you need to take to achieve your goal.

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Have an execution plan -

Breaking down your goal into bite-size chunks will make it more manageable, and you are more likely to stay on track.

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Have an execution plan -

You may want to create a mantra to help yourself stay on track and focused. This is a favorite strategy of successful people, as it helps them, among other things, connect emotionally to their mission.

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Practice daily diligence -

It will likely come as little surprise to learn that self-discipline is not a natural human behavior: it is learned. And like with any learned behavior, self-discipline requires practice.

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Practice daily diligence -

It is a good idea to practice your self-discipline daily as you would any other skill. For example, if you want to improve your productivity, try to work with no cell phone for two hours a day.

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Practice daily diligence -

Practicing your self-discipline on a daily basis will help it come more naturally to you and make it easier to resist those more powerful temptations that will inevitably come your way.

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Create new habits -

If you are looking to change your habits and lead a more disciplined lifestyle, it is important to recognize that this will not happen in a day.

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Create new habits -

Resist the temptation to try and change everything at once and focus on doing one small thing consistently and in a disciplined way.

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Create new habits -

For example, if you want to get fit but are not in the habit of exercising, start by working out for 10 or 15 minutes a day. Once you have worked this into your routine, you can expand the goal.

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Change your perception -

This might be difficult to believe, but there is great power in simply believing you can do something. The athlete who believes he can break a world record is more likely to do so than one who doesn’t!

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Change your perception -

The same goes for self-discipline. If you believe that your self-discipline and willpower are limited, you will likely never surpass those limits.

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Change your perception -

Instead you should persuade yourself that your willpower is unlimited. You will probably grow more, achieve more, and develop more self-discipline than you ever thought possible.

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Have a backup plan -

It is a good idea to have a contingency plan that details how you will overcome difficult situations that are likely to arise.

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Have a backup plan -

That is not to say you should have a plan B in case you fail to achieve plan A, but rather a plan that helps you deal with obstacles and stay on track for plan A.

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Have a backup plan -

Having a plan for how you will deal with obstacles allows you to work towards your goal with more confidence, and you will not have to deal with the stress of making a snap decision.

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Use a coach or mentor -

Really disciplined people embrace feedback. If you want to achieve expertise, it is important to engage a coach that will give you honest feedback, welcome or not.

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Use a coach or mentor -

Try to choose a coach or mentor who is unemotional and who will help you understand what you’re doing right while focusing on what you’re doing wrong.

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Use a coach or mentor -

It is important to recognize when you have a coach or mentor whose advice does not help you improve. Then it's time to switch and find one whose does!

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Be forgiving -

Important in the quest to build self-discipline and striving boldly towards your goals is the ability to forgive yourself if and when you do slip up.

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Be forgiving -

We are all human and even the most self-disciplined people will fall off course at one point or another. The crucial thing is how you react when that does happen.

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Be forgiving -

Don’t wallow in guilt, anger, or frustration. Instead, you should learn from your mistakes, forgive yourself, and keep moving forward.

Sources: (Forbes)

See also: Why and how successful people rise before dawn

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