10 Simple Habits to Build Self Discipline

Today, we are going to learn about 10 simple habits to build self-discipline. 

1. Empowering Choices 

There are many things in life you cannot change. You can’t change the way people perceive you. You can’t undo a mistake that’s already been made. But your choices are always in the palm of your hand. If you want to build self-discipline,  take control of your choices. You have the power to choose and create your own path in life. If you want to accomplish new goals or live a different lifestyle, it’s your responsibility to make those changes. For example, if you want to increase your productivity, you need to make positive choices that foster efficiency, creativity,  and concentration in your daily routine. 

But how do you empower yourself to make positive changes? How do you transform your lifestyle, your relationships, or your career? Every day, challenge yourself to make one unexpected decision. Eat something out of the ordinary. Drive a different route to work. Reorganize your morning routine. These unexpected changes remind you that you are in the driver’s seat. You and you alone control your choices. Sometimes, a small reminder is all it takes to stimulate a larger transformation in your habits or your lifestyle. Once you realize how much power you have, you can use that power to change your life for the better. 

2. Emotional Triggers 

Do you find yourself repeating the same bad habits? Do you fall into the same traps, day after day? To build self-discipline, you need to recognize the impulses and pitfalls that cultivate your bad habits. Take a moment to think about when and where you struggle. Do you spend too much money when you get excited? Do you lose control whenever you get angry? These situations revolve around an emotional trigger. An emotional trigger is a  feeling or a combination of feelings that cause an impulsive reaction. You may do things you regret. You may spend too much money. You may say something you don’t mean. Either way,  you’re doing something you don’t want to be doing. 

It’s important to recognize your emotional triggers before they impact your life. What makes you feel guilt, shame, or regret?  Where do your bad habits come from? These are important questions to ask yourself regularly. That way, you can identify your triggers and create a plan of action,  which is something we’ll talk about next. If you want to build self-discipline, start by finding your triggers. Reflect on recent moments in your life in which you lost control of your decisions. What do these moments have in common? If you look closely, you may discover one emotion that ties them all together. 

3. So-Statements 

Once you’ve identified your emotional triggers, try to understand how those emotions interact with your behavior. For example, when you feel sad, do you watch TV instead of doing your work?  When you get angry, do you raise your voice? From each of these scenarios, you can create something called a so-statement. A so-statement is a cause-and-effect exercise that helps you identify your destructive habits. A so-statements sounds something like this: “I  feel X, so I do Y.” Using our previous example, you might say, “I feel sad, so I watch TV”  or, “I get angry, so I raise my voice.” So-statements are simple exercises that anyone can perform, but they have a remarkable impact on your self-awareness. By acknowledging the areas n which you struggle, you can understand where your bad habits come from. 

4. If-Then Planning 

You know what emotions are driving habits and how your emotional triggers affect your behavior. So, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to change? Our next exercise gives you an easy and repeatable plan of action. Using your emotional triggers and so-statements,  you’re going to craft something called an “if-then” statement. An if-then statement sounds  like this: “If X happens, then I will do Y.” The goal of an if-then statement is to re-rout our emotional trigger. Instead of engaging with the same bad habits, you’re going to create a detour, which you can use each time those negative emotions creep into your life. 

For example, you might say, “If I get angry, then I will take three deep breaths.” Instead of raising your voice, like you usually do, you’re rerouting your emotions into positive d constructive action. Every time you get angry, you’ll know exactly what to do, and that gives you control over your emotional triggers. To build self-discipline, you can use if-then statements for just about anything. Use them to motivate yourself o accomplish challenging goals. Use them to overcome bad habits and create good ones. No matter what you’re trying to achieve, this exercise creates a bridge between your intentions and your actions. That way, you can actualize your ambitions, control your impulses, and accomplish specific, concrete goals. 

5. Short-Term Control

Many people struggle with delayed gratification. For example, we struggle to control our relationship with television, video games, and social media. If you’re like most people, you may not know how to put your long-term goals in front of your short-term desires. Luckily, there’s one easy habit you can use to strengthen your self-control. Pick something you really enjoy, like a TV show or a video game. If you chose a TV series, force yourself to watch only one episode each day. If you chose a video game, play only one hour at a time. No matter how badly you want to watch the next episode or play another game,  challenge yourself to control your desires This exercise teaches you to manage short and long-term rewards. By waiting a week in between episodes, you’re building patience,  self-discipline, and mental fortitude. Over time, these changes will impact your life on a larger scale. You can moderate bad habits. You can prioritize larger goals. Above all, you gain control over impulsive, short-term desires. And that is an invaluable skill. 

6. Self-Monitoring 

Self-control isn’t black or white.  You may avoid something one day…and engage the next. You may stay disciplined for a couple hours, then surrender to temptation. Even if you stay disciplined for just fifteen minutes, that is a step in the right direction. You’re still earning 15 minutes you otherwise would have wasted. To build self-discipline, practice appreciating your progress. Recognize and reward yourself when you overcome obstacles you’ve never overcome before. You may fall short. You may not maintain your self-control forever. But every bit of progress counts. So, keep track of your improvements, no matter how small. Not only does your  progress show you how well you’re doing, but it’s a greats source of motivation,  pushing you toward a more disciplined lifestyle 

7. Ego Depletion 

When you’re learning self-control, where do you start? What bad habits should you address first? If you want to build self-discipline, it’s important to be patient with your new lifestyle. Just because you’ve decided to make changes doesn’t mean those changes are going to happen right away. 

This is a trap many people fall into.  They want to change their lifestyle, so they try to discipline every aspect of their lives. They change their exercise routines. They work for hours and hours. They start a dozen new habits, and they get rid of a dozen more. The problem is… you only have so much self-control. When you run out of willpower, you may experience something called ego depletion. In other words, you lose control of your desires, and your healthy habits fall by the wayside. To make the most of your self-control,  prioritize the things that matter most to you. Pick two or three areas of your life where you really want to improve. By narrowing down your options, you can focus your willpower on the activities that matter most. 

8. Placebo Willpower 

Here’s another big problem many people face. They want to change. They want to build self-discipline, but they don’t believe in themselves. They might say, “I have no  self-control,” or, “I can’t stop myself.” But these negative phrases will instantly destroy your willpower. Self-control doesn’t exist unless you believe you have it. You need to have faith in your ability to overcome personal obstacles,  resist temptation, and make good decisions. If you’re convinced you have no control, guess what? You’re right. You have no control. But if you maintain a can-do attitude, you’re capable of anything. Because belief is half the battle. 

9. Narrowing Motivation 

Do you ever think about your goals and wonder, “how could I possibly do this?” Many people worry about how they will accomplish a goal without asking why. Before you pursue any challenge, ask yourself, “why is this goal important to me? Why do I want to invest my time and effort into this opportunity?” The answers to these questions will motivate you to move forward. Your “why” is the reason you do what you do. If you want to build self-discipline, you need to find your “why.” Why does this matter to you? Why do you want to create healthy or positive habits? Don’t waste your time worrying about how something will get done. Because where there’s a will… there’s a way. 

10. Learning Forgiveness 

Self-criticism is the enemy of self-control.  It’s almost impossible to build self-discipline if you don’t like, support, and  empower yourself to succeed.If you’re the kind of person who heavily  criticizes your mistakes, it’s time to learn how to forgive. I’m not telling you to let yourself  off the hook. I’m telling you to stop trying to rewrite history. What’s done is done, and no  amount of regret is going to undo your failures. 

Instead, try to forgive your shortcomings  and learn from your mistakes. Examine each failure as an important lesson, and  let those lessons influence your future success. It may take three or four tries until you find  what you’re looking for. You may fail again; but each time you fail, forgive yourself;  otherwise, you won’t have the confidence or the courage to try again.