Self discipline is all about control. Controlling your effort, attention, and your actions ultimately lead to self discipline. Those who have good self discipline are some of the most successful in many areas of life. They are those who can delay short term wants and desires and focus on long term goals. Those who have lower levels of self control and self discipline tend to spend money they don’t have, overeat during meals, and are higher risk for addiction. The ability to delay pleasure is essential for succeeding on long term goals.

We’re not as good at resisting temptation as we think.

A 2009 report determined that we’re not as good at controlling our impulses as we believe we are. The findings were compiled from four separate studies looking at impulse control regarding hunger, drug craving, sexual arousal, and for other vices. People who believed that they were good at resisting temptation were actually higher risk than those who didn’t believe they were so great. So we know that we’re not as good as we think at avoiding temptation.

Although this particular paper looked exclusively at visceral impulses, we can say the same thing when it comes to spending habits. We’re not as good at ‘not wasting’ money as we think. We’re not as good at controlling our diet as we think. This is why self discipline is so important. The ability to internalize your long term goals and develop the self control to get there is key to success. When we make small sacrifices, they all eventually add up.

Seven Simple Strategies for Self Discipline

1. Be Optimistic

The old adages about optimism are all a little more cheesy than they are true, but they’re all mostly true. Studies have shown that those who believe they will reach their goals, and in particular those who believe it will be easy, have a higher chance of achieving their goals. Notice the “simple strategies” in the title. Believing that the road will be easier than it seems increases likelihood of success.

2. Know The Impact of Self Control

Self Control is a limited resource. A 2007 study found that exercising self control lowers the glucose levels in your blood. This leads to a lower performance in sub-sequent tasks. The same study found that consuming a glucose drink, like juice or soda, eliminated the impairments brought on from the initial expression of self control. The study concluded that “A single act of self-control causes glucose to drop below optimal levels, thereby impairing subsequent attempts at self-control.” It’s important to know this so that you…

3. Avoid Guilt

Knowing that your body makes each subsequent expression of self control and self discipline harder than the last, it’s important to not let one mistake throw you off the wagon. Your body fights you physiologically and your unconscious mind is consistently urging you give into temptation by minimizing the impact of slipping. People often let one slip make it’s way into a second, third, and fourth. Don’t let yourself feel guilty when a mistake is made. Learn from it and continue moving forward.

4. Reward Yourself

A very strong way to reinforce your goals is to set milestones and rewards for reaching them. This is extra beneficial if the reward is somewhat tied to the goal. For example, a reward for losing 10 pounds is buying a net set of gym shorts or a new workout routine. Reward yourself for paying off your credit card by opening an investment account. If you can tie the reward into the work and the goal, your chance for success exponentially rises.

5. Set Negative Consequences

Just as rewards work, so do negative consequences. Studies have shown that self-imposed consequences encouraged people to achieve their goals. As non-groundbreaking as this idea is, it works.

6. Emotionally Invest Yourself

People are most committed to the things that they are emotionally invested in. Whether it’s work, family, church, yourself – whatever it is, you are not fully committed unless you feel an emotional connection.

7. Make and Reaffirm a Personal Commitment

Making a personal commitment to yourself is a great way to get started. You also need to consistently reaffirm the commitment to yourself. Keep asking yourself, “am I the type of person that does X,Y, or Z?” Consistently define yourself as an individual who commits and achieves your goals and you’ll be amazed how easy it becomes to avoid temptation.

These are 7 simpls steps to get started. The biggest thing that successful people do is the forgive themselves. Dwelling on mistakes is the easiest way to repeat them or find yourself falling off the wagon.

Roosevelt said “the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Get started, take action, and make sure to maintain your self discipline.

Thanks again for reading!
-Tim

Photo: Scarleth Marie, Faramarz Hashemi