How to learn self-discipline? Advice from top leaders

We can understand self-discipline as striving to achieve the desired result regardless of all sorts of discouraging internal factors (e.g., self-doubt, lowered mood) or external factors (e.g., failure to get a promotion to a higher position). In the following article, we will present 5 tips on how to learn self-discipline. These tips come from people who have achieved the expected success.

How to learn self-discipline? – table of contents:

1. Find the area you are most passionate about
2. Nurture “the pain of self-discipline instead of the pain of regret”
3. Set simple habits for yourself
4. Don’t be afraid of mistakes
5. Exercise self-discipline like a muscle
6. Striving for better self-discipline – summary

Find the area you are most passionate about

It is much easier to build self-discipline in ourselves when it concerns an area that is close to us, arouses real emotion and we care to develop and succeed in it. This is confirmed by the words of presenter and billionaire Oprah Winfrey, who said: “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

So if you’re having trouble with self-discipline, start by thinking about what it might be due to – there’s a good chance that you need to look for another area in your life that will become your true passion. In such a situation, you will very quickly see how much easier it is to devote yourself to something you care about most in life, and that the constant work to achieve success is no longer such a big challenge.

Nurture “the pain of self-discipline instead of the pain of regret”

Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker, said ” the pain of self-discipline weighs only a few grams, while the pain of regret weighs many tons. It means that what is more important is not what we gain from becoming more self-disciplined, but what we lose when we don’t achieve a goal. This approach is in line with what we as humans strive for every day in terms of avoiding feelings that are unpleasant for us. So if motivating ourselves with possible benefits doesn’t work, we can try to think more about the consequences of a lack of self-discipline and observe the effects of this change.

Set simple habits for yourself

The third tip comes from American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Robert J. Ringer, who stated that “success is a matter of understanding and religiously practicing certain simple habits that always lead to success”. What habits will work for you must be discovered on your own by testing various options – including daily planning (which facilitates acting in an organized manner), long-term planning, taking care of yourself (in terms of movement, healthy eating or getting enough sleep – which translates into a better mood that promotes self-discipline), doing the most important things at the most productive time for you, reading motivating items, etc.

What’s more, it’s a good idea to set small self-discipline goals at the beginning, and then strive to make them a habit. In this way, achieving more results – building more habits – will come more easily.

You can employ dedicated tools to organize your time and plan your activities. The most popular function is the to-do list available, among others, in the Firmbee system, where you can write your responsibilities and resolutions in the form of notes, tasks, events, or meetings, and determine their statuses and priorities. In addition, when completed, you can mark each item as “done,” which will further motivate you to stay more productive and self-disciplined.

Don’t be afraid of mistakes

This tip is given to you by British entrepreneur and billionaire Richard Branson in the words ” making mistakes and experiencing problems is part of the DNA of every successful entrepreneur and I am no exception in this regard “. It is crucial to realize that we cannot blame others for our failure the moment we are aware that we lacked self-discipline. So we should think in such a way that we are responsible for all of our choices in life, and mistakes and failures are there for us to learn from and build even more self-discipline.

Exercise self-discipline like a muscle

At the very end a tip not from one of the top leaders, but from psychologist Daniel Goldstein, undoubtedly worth remembering: “I think self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes”. If you want to become more self-disciplined, you can’t expect to achieve it in a week. It is also not worth giving up. It is essential to try again and again, even if you have already failed a couple of times to achieve the expected goal – without giving in to doubt, reluctance, or confusion. Over time, everything will become easier (including persevering in your resolve in pursuit of your goal) – just as it becomes easier to do more repetitions at the gym.

Striving for better self-discipline – summary

“Our lives will always be a constant struggle between the life of ease and its momentary rewards…. and the life of discipline and its more meaningful rewards”- such words spoken by Jim Rohn brilliantly illustrate the best effect that comes from constantly striving to improve your self-discipline. Try doing it according to the tips outlined above from top leaders, and you will undoubtedly see that you are much happier with the results of your daily work. All you have to do is take the first step and persevere in your resolve, with constant thoughts of the result that awaits you at the very end of the road.

If you like our content, join our busy bees community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok.