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The Key To Self Discipline
Steve Gillman
Self discipline starts with the ability to control your behavior.
That means motivating yourself to do what you need to do,
and stopping yourself from doing things that are bad for you.
The "ability to control" is just the start, though, and real
discipline is when you have trained your mind in such way
that you consistently get the behavior you want.
Discipline may appear to be a problem of willpower. However,
this implies just pushing ourselves harder to do things, even
when we feel miserable, or fighting temptations. It's a good
recipe for stress and disappointment, but there are better
ways to a disciplined life.
Self Discipline Tips
Have you ever stayed up all night talking about something
interesting? Then you know what power the mind has over the
body. Sleep can be put off when we are motivated by a passionate
discussion, and it doesn't take much willpower to keep doing
something when you are enjoying it. That gives us a key to
self discipline.
Try to enjoy what you are doing and be energized. Your willpower
goes up and down with your energy levels, so play energetic
music, move around, laugh, and look for the interesting parts
of whatever project you are working on. Once you identify
your best energy boosters and motivators, make a list, and
train your brain to use them whenever you need discipline.
Make things easier on yourself. If you feel stressed when
you think about doing your tax return, for example, don't
think about it! Just lay out the forms where you can work
on them later. Later do just one form, and then another. Whatever
the task at hand, you can find enough motivation for some
small step. Start training your mind to take that step as
soon as you think of it, and the next steps become easier.
Self Discipline And Self Awareness
What if that cake calls to you. Sometimes it's hard to resist
temptation, right? Willpower is a nice idea, but here is a
simpler solution: stop standing in front of the cake! It is
an easy lesson to understand, so train yourself to apply it
habitually. Don't keep beer in the house if you don't want
to drink it. Don't go alone to the bar if you want to maintain
a faithful marriage. Just stay away from people that lead
you to trouble.
Discipline doesn't mean being immune to temptation. Go ahead
and develop the willpower to say no, if you can, but why not
also have the wisdom to avoid temptation? Know where your
resistance is low, and don't put yourself in those situations.
Does this make more sense than fighting useless battles with
yourself?
Fighting feelings is a losing battle. It's far more effective
to learn about yourself. How are you energized and motivated?
Where are your strengths and weaknesses? Learn about yourself,
and start using what you learn to make the behaviors you want
easy. That's the key to self discipline.
Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related
topics for years. For more on How To Increase Brain Power,
and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts,
visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com
Article Source: www.easyarticles.com
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