Self-Discipline: A Necessary Skill for Success

People might say many different things are the key to success.

Some might say it’s all about having a great idea and putting in the effort to make it happen.

Others might say that networking is essential, and you need to surround yourself with positive people if you want to be successful.

But one of the often overlooked yet essential things is self-discipline.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss what self-discipline is and how you can develop it to achieve your goals!

What does it mean to be disciplined?

The dictionary defines discipline as “training that develops self-control, character, or orderliness.”

Self-discipline is one’s ability to control their feelings and overcome weaknesses while pursuing goals or honoring commitments despite temptations to abandon them.

In other words, discipline is what provides the stick-to-it-ness to achieve success.

It’s the missing ingredient for many people who want to improve their lives but don’t move forward. 

Self-discipline is vital because it helps you:

• Stay focused on what you want to achieve
• Identify and overcome obstacles
• Avoid procrastinating
• Stick to your commitments

If you want to be successful, self-discipline is a necessity.

Becoming disciplined

Developing discipline takes time and effort. 

It’s not something you can develop overnight, but it is a skill you can work on daily.

Here are eight tips for how to become more disciplined:

1. Start with small changes: When you’re trying to develop more self-discipline, it’s essential to start small.

Trying to achieve too many changes at once will only lead to frustration and failure.

Choose one area of your life that you want to improve, such as your career, a relationship, exercise, or eating healthy, and focus on making small changes in that area. 

2. Be realistic: People fail to develop self-discipline because they set unrealistic goals.

If your goal is to lose 20 pounds in a month or go from junior recruiter to vice president of human resources in 3 months, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Instead, focus on setting small, achievable goals that you can gradually work toward.

3. Create a plan: Once you’ve decided what area you want to improve and set some realistic goals, it’s time to create a plan. 

This plan should include specific steps that you’ll take to reach your goal. 

For example, if your goal is to exercise more, your plan might involve going for a walk three times per week. 

4. Know thyself: How you learn, how you think, how you work, how you relate to others – these are the things that affect whether or not you become disciplined. 

You need to know your triggers and what gets in your way. 

Then, you can create strategies for overcoming these obstacles. 

For example, if you have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, set your alarm clock across the room, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. 

Or create imagery of your goals and why you want to accomplish them and plaster these reminders everywhere. 

Also, eliminate known temptations that will distract you and inhibit your success, i.e., foods, alcohol, or specific people or places.

5. Practice being uncomfortable: One of the best ways to become more disciplined is to practice being uncomfortable. 

Challenge yourself to do things that make you a little bit uncomfortable regularly. 

Over time, you’ll become more at ease with discomfort, and it will become easier for you to stick to your goals, even when things get tough.

6. Find a support group, mentor, or coach: It can be challenging to stick to your goals if you don’t have anyone supporting you. 

That’s why it’s crucial to find other people working towards similar goals. 

This could be an online community, a fitness class, or even just a group of friends. 

Alternatively, you can also find some support through a career or business mentor or by hiring a coach.

7. Remember perfection doesn’t exist: Perfectionism is a significant obstacle to developing self-discipline. 

You’ll never get started if you’re waiting for the perfect time to start working towards your goals.

Or, if you quit because you gave in to temptation, you’ll never develop the self-control you need to reach your goals.

That’s because there’s no such thing as perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and has setbacks. 

The important thing is to learn from these experiences and keep moving forward.

So instead of waiting for things to be just right, start taking action now and deal with the imperfections as they come.

8. Believe you can: One of the most important things when it comes to developing self-discipline is believing in yourself. 

If you don’t believe that you can become more disciplined, you never will. 

You need to have faith in your ability to make changes and stick to your goals. 

Only then will you be able to develop the skills you need to succeed.

A skill for success

Developing discipline is an essential step on the road to success.

To become more self-disciplined, you’ll want to make small changes at first, set realistic goals, and create a plan to achieve them.

Understanding your temptations and weaknesses will help you avoid or manage them effectively.

Find supportive people to help you along the way. And finally, remember that perfectionism is an obstacle to self-discipline, so start taking action now.

Self-discipline is a skill that can help you in all areas of your life.

Whether you’re trying to earn a promotion, improve a relationship, attain greater health, or reach a financial milestone, developing more self-discipline can make it easier to achieve your goals.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful outcome!

Next: 9 Great Money Apps to Help You Achieve Financial Goals