5 Proven Methods For Gaining Self Discipline

There are many important qualities that can
contribute to a person’s achievements and
happiness, but there is only one that begets
sustainable, long-term success in all aspects of
life: self discipline. Whether in terms of your diet,
fitness, work ethic or relationships, self
discipline is the number one trait needed to
accomplish goals, lead a healthy lifestyle, and
ultimately, be happy.


According to a 2013 study by Wilhelm Hoffman,
people with high self control are happier than
those without. The study discovered this is true
because the self disciplined subjects were more
capable of dealing with goal conflicts. These
people spent less time debating whether to
indulge in behaviors detrimental to their health,
and were able to make positive decisions more
easily. The self disciplined did not allow their
choices to be dictated by impulses or feelings.
Instead, they made informed, rational decisions
on a daily basis without feeling overly stressed or
upset.



Despite what many may think, self discipline is a
learned behavior. It requires practice and
repetition in your day-to-day life. To improve
your own self discipline, test out these 5 proven
methods for gaining better control. This regimen
will help you to establish good habits, break bad
ones, and improve your control by making simple
changes to your everyday routine. Improved self
discipline will allow you to live a freer life by
helping you to make healthy choices, not
emotional ones. Give it a shot. Your happiness
will thank you for it.

1. Remove temptations - Self control is often
easiest when abiding by the old saying, “out of
sight, out of mind.” Removing all temptations and
distractions from your environment is a crucial
first step when working to improve your self
discipline. If you are trying to have better control
of your eating, toss the junk food. Ask your office
intern to leave you off of the daily lunch order
email. If you want to improve your focus while
working, turn off your cell phone and remove the
clutter from your desk. If you’re really having
trouble, download the SelfControl app on your
computer to block distraction websites -
Facebook , Youtube, even e-mail - for a set period
of time. Set yourself up for success by ditching
the bad influences.

2. Eat regularly and healthily - Studies have
shown that low blood sugar often weakens a
person’s resolve. When you’re hungry, your
ability to concentrate suffers as your brain is not
functioning to its highest potential. Hunger
makes it difficult to focus on the tasks at hand,
not to mention making you grumpy and
pessimistic. You are much more likely to have a
weakened sense of self control in all areas of our
life - diet, exercise, work, relationships... you
name it. In order to stay on track, make sure that
you are well fueled throughout the day with
healthy snacks and meals every few hours. I
personally make sure to always have some
almonds or Muscle Milk on hand. These snacks
ensure that I can get a dose of healthy protein
and fats throughout the day when needed. Eating
often regulates your blood sugar levels and
improves your decision making skills and
concentration. Allow you brain to focus on your
goals and priorities instead of on your growling
stomach.

3. Don’t wait for it to “feel right.” - Improving
your self discipline means changing up your
normal routine, which can be uncomfortable and
awkward. Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of
Habit , explains that habit behaviors are traced to
a part of the brain called the basal ganglia - a
portion of the brain associated with emotions,
patterns, and memories. Decisions, on the other
hand, are made in the prefrontal cortex, a
completely different area. When a behavior
becomes habit, we stop using our decision-
making skills and instead function on auto-pilot.
Therefore, breaking a bad habit and building a
new habit not only requires us to make active
decisions, it will feel wrong. Your brain will
resist the change in favor of what it has been
programmed to do. The solution? Embrace the
wrong. Acknowledge that it will take a while for
your new regime to feel right or good or natural.
Keep chugging along. It will happen.

4. Schedule breaks, treats, and rewards for
yourself - Self discipline does not mean your new
regimen needs to be entirely cold turkey, hard
core, or drill sergeant-like in execution. In fact,
giving yourself zero wiggle room often results in
failures, disappointments, and giving into your
old ways. While practicing self control, schedule
specific breaks, treats, and rewards for yourself.
Dieting? Designate Saturday as ice cream sundae
day. Trying to lose weight? Treat yourself with a
fancy massage after a month of gym trips.
Working on controlling your spending? Allow
yourself a $25 splurge at the mall on Sunday.
(Leave the credit cards at home, and bring cash
only). Self discipline can be hard. Reward your
effort.

5. Forgive yourself and move forward -
Instituting a new way of thinking won’t always
go according to plan. You will have ups and
downs, fabulous successes, and flat out failures.
The key is to keep moving forward. When you
have a setback, acknowledge what caused it and
move on. It is easy to get wrapped up in guilt,
anger, or frustration, but these emotions will not
help build improve self discipline. Instead, use
the hiccups in your plan as learning experiences
for the future. Forgive yourself, and get back in
the saddle ASAP. The longer you’re off your
game, the harder it is to keep going in a positive
direction.

Source: Forbes's magazine