I’m among those who believe that success at the professional or personal level is not a question of luck: it requires work, training and skill to know how to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves. As an entrepreneur, or as someone who wants to press forward with a personal project, or lead a group of people, few things are more important than discipline.
As I have said on previous occasions, DISCIPLINE is what you have to do, in the moment you have to do it, whether you want to or not. Discipline begins with ourselves; we are in a world where information is increasingly accessible, which means the responsibility for a large amount of the knowledge we require falls exclusively on our own shoulders. Here I bring you five tips to strengthen self-discipline.
- Reprogram your brain
As Einstein said, if you want different results, you must do things differently. If we wish to change we must begin with our habits. In 1960, the psychologist Maxwell Maltz developed his 21 day theory, in which he explains that we should take 15 minutes each day, at the same time and in the same place, to form any new habit we want; and that it is necessary to continue this for 21 consecutive days. This leads to a perceptible change in people.
- Procrastination is your enemy
When we undertake an activity, task or job that we don’t enjoy from the physical or psychological point of view, we tend to put it off, whilst we do things that are less important. This happens when we have to hand in a report but we decide to “leave it for later,” because the house needs cleaning; or when we are exercising or dieting but we decide “not today” because it’s a friend’s birthday. There are multiple factors that lead us to procrastinate. Social media, a sense of real or imagined humiliation in certain situations, personal indecision, etc. We must be capable of detecting when we are procrastinating and focus on what is really important.
- Control your emotions
Human beings are governed by their emotions, and successful men and women know that “Whoever controls their emotions, controls their life.” Therefore, avoid making decisions when you are hungry, angry, over excited or feeling lonely. When we are in one of these states of mind it is very important to make an effort to be more focused than ever. It’s difficult to contend with our emotions, but by working at it we can avoid making decisions that we could regret in the future. So if you’re hungry, eat something; if you’re angry or overly excited try breathing, calming down and taking control of the situation; if you feel lonely try calling a friend and talking about your emotions. Taking control will allow you to more effectively undertake all your projects.
- Analyze and forgive yourself
Measure your performance by undertaking weekly, fortnightly, or monthly checks. Undertaking a new activity presents new challenges, and it’s normal that one day you might surprise yourself doing things the wrong way or not meeting deadlines. If this happens, don’t be disillusioned or believe you are incapable of reaching your goals. Analyze why you are failing and seek viable solutions that don’t generate excessive stress.
- Reward yourself
Nothing I can tell you will prevent you feeling fed up or tired now and again. Which is why it is crucial that you are capable of programming rewards that motivate you to continue pushing ahead. Reward yourself with a day off, an outing, or a short break. Reward yourself when you have made a gain, and work on your self-esteem and determination.