How do you develop discipline, let alone belief in yourself while you’re at it? Here are 8 practical steps to start honing these necessary life skills today.
Why does someone possess discipline? Why does one person seem to have more discipline than another? Check out the below YouTube video link or keep reading.
We all have the same amount of time in a day, a week, month, and year. Yes, we were all given a different set of circumstances in life, yet, we even see those with incredibly difficult backgrounds and experiences rise from the ashes.
In fact, those that rise above the harshest of circumstances are respected and revered the most. It takes discipline and belief in yourself to have that level of tenacity and courage.
Life is a series of choices. Whatever your background, you can still choose to wake up earlier, you can still choose to be kind, you can still read a book at the library and learn something new. In other words, opportunities are teeming around us. It is a decision to train your mind to start seeing the opportunity in any given scenario.
By developing discipline, with belief in yourself, you can achieve what you most desire in life.
Let me spill a little secret.
Self-discipline is not something you are born with, it is something you hone; something you teach yourself, practice, and build up over time, until it becomes second nature. This is a good thing! Discipline and self-belief are trainable skills; something anyone, from any background or circumstance can learn.
Step One
It starts with identifying what habit you want to create discipline around; awareness of what it is you actually want to improve or change. Without an awareness of what you want to achieve or change, it will be incredibly difficult to move in the direction of your life’s desires.
If you struggle with clarity and identifying what you want, consider starting a journaling practice to reveal your inner most thoughts and desires. If you need guidance with journaling, learning about the different journaling styles available, and how to get started today, check out this post.
Step Two
Once you have identified what it is that you want to discipline, stop thinking and start doing.
We all at some point need to stop thinking – when, how, if, when, why, what, and just start doing. We can think ourselves in circles, justifying why we aren’t doing something. One can’t “think themselves to their goals”, one must eventually take some form of action. If it is a matter of determining what initial steps to take, outlining a plan of action, or confronting subconscious resistance or internal blocks, again, consider journaling for clarity.
Imagine a large rock on top of a hill. The challenge is, you need that rock to ultimately end up in the valley below. However, the rock will just sit there unless it is given an initial push. Once the rock is pushed, it can then start rolling down the mountain, in the direction of your goal, picking up speed, and gathering momentum. The first “push”, initial action, and primary step is the hardest part, but essential for goal completion.
Step Three
You create the momentum, with that initial action or push. Motivation does not fall in our laps. If you seek consistency in the direction of your goals you have to learn to initiate action.
Step Four
Become a person of your word to others.
For example, if you say you are going to do something and fail to follow through, the trust is broken. The next time you commit to the other person, that person will understandably believe there’s a small chance you will actually follow through this time around.
On the other hand, if you commit to another person – “I will do that, I will complete this, I will get this done by such and such date/time”, you are seen as accountable, trustworthy, and reliable.
When following through with others, trust, respect, and a positive reputation are gradually developed. It also feels good in one’s own being to develop trust and respect amongst peers. You become known as a “person of your word”.
Discipline is a reflection of one’s character.
Step Five
Become a person of your word… to yourself.
It is an entirely different ballgame when you commit to yourself and follow through. For example, say you want to wake up earlier during the week. Each morning comes and instead of waking up at that early predetermined time, you opt to hit the snooze button instead.
A decision is made to sleep in, instead of rising with the early alarm.
No one, other than you, is monitoring the choice whether or not to wake up early.
No one is holding you accountable, other than the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Deep down, there is a lurking awareness when one decides to not follow through with oneself. This leaves the person back at square one; not accomplishing the goal of waking up early and actively practicing a lack of discipline.
It doesn’t feel good to ignore our deepest desires. It may not be noticeable initially, but there is an inner knowing that we didn’t follow through with ourselves, which slowly chips away at self-trust, self-belief, and self-confidence in ourselves and the ability to exercise self-discipline…
Committing to yourself on the other hand is pure magic. If you can do this, you are limitless in your potential.
Step Six
Accept the fact that developing discipline at first is not going to be easy or a cake walk. Waking up earlier than usual is not going to initially feel familiar, because it is outside of your established comfort zone. In this example, maybe you would rather (in the moment) stay cozy in bed and sleep in. That’s why it’s called the “comfort zone” or the “familiar zone”.
However, we never achieve anything great or amazing within the comfort zone. So how do we get over that initial discomfort?
Step Seven
We accept it.
Let’s say you do follow through with our example of waking up early. Again, no one necessarily knows if you are following through with what you committed to yourself, only you do.
This is how you create belief in yourself, by following through on a promise you made to yourself. As the promise is honored, you start to develop self-trust, begin to place faith in yourself, and become a person of your word… to yourself.
If you do something you have committed to, but don’t feel like it, and you do it anyway… there is nothing more impactful to your confidence and belief in yourself.
How do you start developing discipline starting today?
Step Eight
Start small and build up.
Pick a discipline like waking up early and chip away at it. If you wake up at 10 am each morning but you want to wake up at 6 am – start the first week by waking up at 9:30 am, the next week at 9 am, and going backwards incrementally.
Change doesn’t have to be abrasive or “overnight” to achieve success. It may not be comfortable at first, but it can be incremental, which makes it “doable” and all the while developing self-belief – because you are essentially proving you can do it.
Small steps are more manageable and easier to accomplish initially, instead of going straight for the bigger goal.
The world’s highest achievers started somewhere. Take small steps today and take bigger steps as you learn to develop self-trust.
What small step can you make this week to start honing your discipline muscle, while developing belief in yourself?
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