Out of all the things a person can master in their lifetime, it can be pretty challenging to master self. Self-mastery can be difficult for a number of reasons. It involves taking a close look at yourself and your natural tendencies. It involves denying your wants in order to accomplish a greater purpose. Discipline is essential for long-lasting and sustainable success. If you’d like to see your life go to the next level and overcome your own personal faults, there are a few ways to harness self-discipline.
1. Develop a Morning Routine
The way you start your morning can really set the tone for the rest of your day. A wise person once noted that if you take a look at a person’s daily routine, you’ll be able to easily see if they’ll be successful in the long run. To get a good start on the day, try waking up early. Before your mind can really process what it’s doing, go exercise. Many of the most successful people exercise in the morning. Meditate or do some sort of spiritual practice in the morning to center your mind. If you struggle with negativity, listen to positive messaging in the morning. Consider writing and speaking positive affirmations on a daily basis. It’ll get you in a positive frame of mind for the day. Be sure to sit down and muddle through your to-do list. Think of all the things you need to do and jot them all down. Once you have everything down on paper, you’ll be clear on what you need to do.
2. Start Small
Developing discipline is no easy feat and you shouldn’t start with a really hard routine. That’s a sure way to fail. One of the best ways to start is through pacing yourself with baby steps. If you find that it’s easy to succumb to laziness, start by conquering ten minutes. Once you’re able to sit down and work for ten minutes, you’ll see how quickly the time passes. You’ll also take note of what you were able to accomplish. Add on another ten minutes to the timer. Continue taking consistent steps toward your goals. The more you continue to pursue these goals on a regular basis, you’ll be able to build confidence in yourself and discipline your mind to stick with a task.
3. Keep Learning
No one wakes up with all the answers. One of the best ways to grow is through education. Education expands your mind and your perspective. No, this doesn’t mean it’s time to enroll in classes at the local university. Education comes in many different forms. You can pick up a few books on discipline and learn from the experts in that way. Find a few good podcasts that talk about self-mastery and productivity. If anger is your kryptonite and you tend to explode on people, take in information that shows you how to deal with it and master your emotions. Listen to the podcasts while you work out or during your morning commute. If there are meet-ups, conferences or online classes that focus on how to develop discipline, make the investment and learn through these opportunities. The more you immerse yourself in the study, the more likely you’ll gain information that you’ll eventually apply to your own life.
4. Get an Accountability Team
If you want to get far in life, you’ll need accountability. If you look at all the great athletes, speakers and musicians, they all have coaches, mentors and trainers to help them along the way. If you struggle with an addiction and are trying to break out of that habit, a good accountability system is vital. When you have people you have to accountable to, they’ll help you see your weak spots and how you can make them stronger. They’ll also show you how to get through some of the times when you’re tempted to give up and quit. When it comes to accountability, there’s strength in numbers. Don’t be afraid to open up about struggles with an addiction like alcohol or pornography or to seek help through resources such as AA or porn addiction therapy. More people struggle with them than you realize. Find trustworthy people who are willing to walk with you in your journey.
These four elements are crucial parts of any person’s mastery journey. As you develop a sense of discipline, you’ll naturally conquer your personal faults. As you transform into a better version of you, understand that you’ll always evolve. Self-discipline isn’t necessarily a destination as much as it is a journey.