Start improving your life by practicing self-control more often! These are 9 good habits to build self-discipline in a world full of temptations, instant rewards and distractions.
That last piece of chocolate cake is just smiling at you, trying to seduce you like Mrs. Robinson. Your phone is burning a hole in your pocket, asking you to check your Instagram feed. After about 10 minutes you’re sitting there eating chocolate cake and mindlessly watching videos on social media.
If you recognize yourself in this, chances are you lack self-discipline or self-control at that moment. These two are closely related and represent the ability to resist temptations and the urge to do things just because you feel like it.
Now I know many feel there are people born disciplined and in control of their behaviour. But the truth is, we all are. This ability is in us. That is, we are all able to build self-discipline if we decide to. It’s not a lucky genetic mutation. It’s a skill. As with most skills in life, it all comes down to practice. And in general, when it comes to self-discipline, it’s about practicing avoiding distractions that pull us away from what we truly desire.
Therefore it’s no surprise, that self-control is the most important difference between people who achieve their goals and those who don’t. Some of the many benefits of being a disciplined person include increased motivation, better life satisfaction, improved mood and overall health.
To experience this for yourself, try to add some of these habits for self-discipline into your daily routine.
1. Fasting
To me, fasting is one of the best habits to develop self-discipline and to enhance self-control. It just clears your mind like no other and you become more focused, calm, resilient and alert.
Fasting is nothing new, all religions have been practicing it in some form for thousands of years and we’re just beginning to learn how beneficial it actually is for us spiritually and physically.
You can fast in many different ways to improve self-discipline. For example:
- Muslims have a full month of Ramadan fast where you don’t eat anything from dawn to sunset.
- Orthodox Christians fast by excluding foods of animal origin for 40 days before Easter or Christmas.
- Some people go multiple days without any food
- Others stick to intermittent fasting, where they don’t eat anything during certain days of the week or hours of the day.
Whichever way you decide to fast, make sure it’s something 1) you can do and 2) something that it’s from something that you’ll notice. (i.e. fasting from coffee when it’s not in your daily routine, won’t increase self-control).
2. Daily exercise
Waking up earlier than usual to go for a run or to a workout class may not be your dream, but it’s very rewarding. That’s why it’s one of the most important habits to help you build discipline! It takes a lot of self-control to not give up and to keep going. Especially on cold winter mornings. But once you resist the urge to stay in bed, you automatically have a great reason to feel proud of yourself.
However, if morning exercise is not possible, you can always change the time of day you allocate for your exercise. Just make sure you don’t skip it and let self-discipline guide you rather than laziness.
3. Refrain from things that are addictive by nature
Sugar, social media, and coffee easily get most people hooked, let alone drugs, alcohol, and gambling. Addiction is very much a long-lasting destructive complex brain disease, but it usually begins as a lack of self-control. Thus, it’s better to not start in the first place.
Practice self control with these things. I know it’s hard. But you know, as well as I do – once you have a little bit, you always want more. This process repeats with every addictive thing we get hooked on.
When you start detoxing from social media for example, you’ll probably want to look at your phone every 2-3 minutes. Decide to shift your focus to something that’s better for you. For example, the environment outside of your phone. Your pet, family, nature, hobbies or even cleaning your house…things that are actually rewarding and productive.
Once you get into the habit of saying no to addictive things repeatedly, you feel stronger and stronger and stronger.
4. Setting weekly goals and tracking progress
Be it for your business, your relationships, or your health, setting goals and following up on them is crucial for your personal growth and your self-esteem.
When your goals are related to things you care about deeply, self-control is easier to maintain. So set a few weekly goals that are important to you, commit to doing something about them and track your progress. This is one of the best habits to build discipline and to achieve goals.
5. Practice a sport
Practicing a sport is more than just working out. Whether it’s basketball, football, gymnastics, dancing, or karate – all sports require self-discipline and perseverance to excel.
If you manage to stay motivated and keep going even when you don’t feel like it over time, you’ll see a positive change not just in your sports performance but in your daily life.
Pushing yourself harder may lead you to develop endurance and resilience – two indispensable qualities that will help a lot in many areas of your life.
6. Face your fears consistently
Face your fears by leaving your comfort zone and exploring new territories. Staying in your comfort zone can also signal lack of self-discipline, because you’re not challenging yourself to grow.
Life is exciting when you’re facing your fears and exploring or learning something new. When we’re in an unfamiliar situation, we’re much more attentive and alert. In known settings, we tend to start slacking because we’re not expecting any surprises and our brains go to other places. Doing things that are familiar over and over again, will beg you to look for excitement in things that aren’t good for you. For example, the addictive things.
Facing your fears can have a positive impact on your self-confidence, making it possible for you to confront new challenges. It’s an exciting way to stimulate creativity and learn something new while becoming more adaptable.
7. Establish a good routine
Whether it’s going to bed at a certain time, finishing work earlier, or staying away from people who bring you down, it’s important to prioritize your well-being and to have boundaries.
Having a strong routine is essential not just for babies and young children but for adults too. You need to have time to work and be with loved ones, but you also need time to rewind, get some sleep, and recharge your batteries. A routine makes all of this possible and is the perfect way to reinforce your sense of self-control, especially if you have recently strayed a bit.
8. Stop procrastinating
Procrastination is the enemy of creation. Putting that tedious task off will do you no good. You’ll have less time to finish it, and in the end, you’ll be stressed out and probably won’t do your best.
This is a great opportunity to practice self-discipline! Whenever you feel like you’re procrastinating about a task, as it might be, just take action on it. Every time you do it, your self-confidence and your sense of self-discipline grows.
9. Practice delaying gratification
Similar to procrastination. First you do the work, then you can have some fun. That’s the motto. Sometimes this is extremely difficult, but delayed gratification is the solid foundation that keeps your sense of self-control intact.
Work hard now and reap the benefits and what you truly desire later. Example, instead of buying a fancy coffee everyday for a month, skip it and save that money to buy something you really wanted. It can be shoes, books, something for your loved ones, a vacation, who knows. You can make a great cappuccino at home, but since it’s not exactly full of nutrients, it would be best to just skip it.
Once you succeed, you’ll see the immense power you’ll feel. Get hold of your life, and don’t let bad habits and selfish people get you down. You can achieve much if you put your mind to it and engage in good habits that build discipline.