Look in the mirror and answer yourself honestly: Do you have self-discipline? Many of us strive for things within our reach—better health, a happier life, earning more money. If you have a goal, and a plan to achieve that goal, the only thing standing in your way is…you, and the self-discipline required to execute your plan. Here’s an example:
• Goal: Earn more money
• Plan: Write a detailed business plan with tasks required to achieve better results
• Execution: Make time to work my plan every day, consistently!
Simple, right? Not so much. The execution is where we often fall short, and can be due to a lack of self-discipline: I’m too tired to go to work early. I didn’t have time to make those extra calls today.
Self-discipline requires you to focus on your purpose—what you really want. And it also requires a focused practice. A recent Forbes article offers six strategies to help increase self-discipline:
1. Acknowledge your weaknesses (uncomfortable making cold calls or speaking to a crowd?)
2. Establish a clear plan
3. Remove temptation when necessary (social media, office distractions)
4. Practice tolerating emotional discomfort (getting past rejection)
5. Visualize long-term rewards
6. Recover from mistakes effectively
Does your lack of self-discipline keep you from achieving what you want in life? If so, look in the mirror and take back control, one step at a time.
