UrbanSpeaker

The Zen Of Self-Discipline

November 30th, 2008. Published under UrbanSpeaker. 9 Comments.

Discipline is often seen as being chained to a task, doing it against your will, but really discipline is freedom. Stephen Covey wrote, “the undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions.”

I’ve missed posting for a few days, and justified it by thinking that I have other things to do, I have nothing to write about, and a slew of other, slightly legitimate, reasons. Basically I didn’t feel like publishing anything.

The goal of being self disciplined is: Think, don’t feel.

All these are simple examples of tasks you do, but you know better. In my life, I have always struggled with self-discipline and found it difficult to stay focused and see a project through to completion. There are 6 points to staying self-discipline, but even keeping to these guidelines requires a bit of self-discipline.

1\\ Self Knowledge
What this means, is that you behave in a way that you have decided to be best for yourself, not what you feel or may believe is best at the moment. Often it is important to keep in line with your Personal Mission Statement, which just a printed list of “I Will…” statements summing up your goals, long term and current.

2\\ Self Awareness
A major part of learning self-discipline is being aware of your actions and when you are being undisciplined - ie. biting your nails. If you never recognize it, you’ll never repair it. It will take time, but eventually you will be able to stop yourself before you even start to lapse back into a lack of discipline.

Then you will be able to make every action in accordance with your set goals.

3\\ Self Commitment
For any task, commitment must be serious and internal. You can just write them out, otherwise you will be ruled by emotions, and once those fade you will struggle to finish what you started.

Writing down your goals is still very important too, they say what is recorded and measured can improve.

4\\ Self Talk
Some people think internal coaching is just “talking to yourself” and is not useful. I believe it can help encourage you to focus on your goals when you are slipping. Self-talk has the power to reinforce what you decided to be right previously.

“The price of discipline is always less then the pain of regret.” Repeat this quote, write it on the wall, say it to yourself, burn it into your mind, live by it and it will change your life.

5\\ Courage
Don’t be fooled, self-discipline is not easy. At times, when you would rather sleep in then get up, it can seem impossible. “Moods, appetites and passions” are difficult to fight, but over time you will gain practice. As you gain small victories, look to the sense of achievement gained from those to fuel yourself in the future.

Photo by: Joe Shlabotnik