What do you think of when you hear the words, âIron Disciplineâ and âUnwavering Willpowerâ? Superheroes? Some guys at the gym? A trusted Mentor?
Such qualities of great strength, endurance and self control can often seem out of reach. It might seem as if itâs something others are able to achieve, but may be too hard to find for ourselves. If youâre looking outside of yourself, you may struggle to find what youâre looking for, because those qualities come from within.
Think about all the times you said things like âI need to drink more waterâ, or âI need to do more reading.â While these issues can feel more like mild irritations than wider life issues most of the time, theyâre all reflective of one thing: your self-discipline. Essentially, itâs the continuation of good, healthy habits that ultimately improve your life. Put it this way, when life is running smoothly: work is flowing, youâre not making silly mistakes and you feel positive within yourself and your relationships – everything is the culmination of self-discipline.
Each time you put yourself in a position to win, youâre profiting from all of the previous times youâve shown a sense of self-discipline. Without that trait, itâs easy to slip up and break a disciplined streak. The only person who can hold you accountable is you, potentially causing self-deprecation to creep in too. Itâs important not to let that happen.
The other day, I struggled with self-discipline.
I warred with myself, negotiated, revisited arguments, made imaginary pro and con lists, and eventually realized that no, I could not get out of my daily workout.
This happens pretty much every day, actually.
5 oâclock rolls aroundâââmy designated time for exerciseâââand I start to wonder: do I really need to do my workout today? What if I only did half my workout? What if I went for a walk around the block instead? What if I did some light stretching instead? What if I just stayed on the couch eating potato chips instead?
