Self-discipline is a powerful tool that can transform the way we live our lives. It’s the ability to control our impulses, emotions, and desires in order to achieve our goals and aspirations.
But self-discipline is not just about denying ourselves pleasure or some sort of punishment. It’s actually the complete opposite as it’s the ultimate form of self-love and self-care. Self discipline is self love.
When we practice self-discipline, we are taking care of ourselves in the long run, instead of just seeking immediate satisfaction. We are investing in our future selves, and showing ourselves that we are capable of achieving greatness.
In this article, we’ll explore the power of self-discipline and why it’s important to cultivate this skill in our daily lives.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, save money, or accomplish a major life goal, self-discipline can help you get there. Let’s dive in and discover how to harness the power of self-discipline for a happier and more fulfilling life.
What is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is the ability to control your impulses, emotions, and desires to achieve your goals. It requires willpower, determination, and focus. Self-discipline means making choices that are in line with your long-term goals instead of choosing what feels good at the moment. It means delaying gratification and being able to resist temptation.
Self-discipline is not a natural trait that we are born with. It is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. The more you practice self-discipline, the easier it becomes.
Additionally, self discipline is not about being perfect, but it’s about being intentional and making progress towards your big-picture goal or small goals.
In our daily life, it’s all about instant gratification aka the pleasure principle. Social media, food on demand, and having access to our favorite shows or video games continue to fuel instant gratification. And we aren’t saying that instant gratification is horrible, it’s just primed us to believe that everything is at our fingertips in a few minutes. We receive immediate pleasure (a dopamine hit) and do not have to demonstrate any self-control. This can sometimes even happen first thing in the morning when we scroll through our phones.
But what’s the problem with this?
Well, when our society is fueled by convenience and instant gratification, it may seem hard to wrap our heads around the concept of self-discipline. Now, we have to say – we definitely are not suggesting that you remove all forms of fun and convenience from your life but we want you to consider your life and where you may experience a lack of discipline.
If you are trying to achieve new goals, self discipline is one of the highest forms of self-love and it can help you accomplish some of the most important things in life. Aside from being able to achieve goals, we also want to share some other benefits of self discipline.
The Benefits of Practicing Discipline
Self-discipline has numerous benefits that can improve your life in many ways. Here are some benefits of self-discipline:
Improved productivity
Self-discipline can help you improve your productivity by allowing you to focus on the task at hand. It helps you avoid distractions and stay on track, which can help you accomplish more in less time. When you are focused, it’s likely you’ll yield better results.
Better health
Self-discipline can help you improve your health by making better choices. It can help you stick to an exercise routine, eat a healthy diet, and avoid unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive drinking.
Sometimes self-discipline is showing up each day no matter how long. If you want to build a new habit of walking every morning, you can ensure that you’re taking a stroll no matter how long. Even if it’s 5 minutes, you’ll begin to build positive habits.
Improved relationships
Self-discipline can help improve your relationships by allowing you to control your emotions and reactions. It can help you communicate more effectively and avoid conflicts. When you are able to control your emotions and have more self-awareness, you’ll experience positive change in your private life.
Increased self esteem
Self-discipline can help increase your self-esteem by showing yourself that you are capable of achieving your goals. It can help you feel more confident and in control of your life.
And all of these benefits help to create self love.
Improved mindset
While getting used to self-discipline may take a while, you’ll reap the rewards in the long-run. You’ll be able to have a deeper understanding of yourself and you may be able to approach challenges from a different view. If you believe this is where you may struggle – the mental aspect of discipline, here are some growth mindset hacks to help you on your journey.
How self-discipline leads to self-love
Self-discipline is the ultimate form of self-love because it shows that you care about your future self. When you practice self-discipline, you are investing in your future self, instead of just seeking immediate satisfaction. You are taking care of yourself in the long run, which is an act of self-love.
Self-discipline also helps you develop a sense of self-respect and self-worth. When you practice self-discipline, you are showing yourself that you are capable of achieving great things. You are proving to yourself that you are worth the effort, and this can help increase your self-esteem and self-worth.
Additionally, you’ll be able to learn more about yourself while you are on your way to your full potential. Achieving goals will mean so much more and you’ll make positive habits a normal part of your life.
But we’d like to stress again that it’s important to strike a healthy balance in your life. It’s in your own best interest to practice self-discipline but you should not rob yourself of your own happiness. When you start to implement new strategies and habits, start gradually.
Tips for developing self-discipline
Developing self-discipline takes time and effort, but it’s worth it and we’re here for it. Here are some easy ways to make the first step in adding self-discipline into your daily routine. Remember, even if you take baby steps, this is a significant act of self love.
Here are some tips for developing self-discipline:
Set clear goals
Having clear goals can help you stay focused and motivated. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, and achievable. If this is your first time setting goals, you can set a weekly goal. Or if you’re looking to swing for the fences, create a goal that will take 6 months, plan each step and go for it!
One unproductive belief about goals is that they need to be huge and take years. But in actuality, you can set any type of goal that you’d like. Even if you set a daily goal of saying positive affirmations in the morning, that’s a goal!
​As you start to set goals and make it a regular habit of upholding your commitment to yourself, you will feel comfortable adding multiple goals to your routine or adding significantly larger goals.
Create a plan
Creating a plan can help you stay on track and avoid distractions. Make a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. One easy way of holding yourself accountable is by using a habit tracker.
To create a great plan to accomplish goals, check out this guide.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness can help you stay focused and avoid distractions. Take a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness and clear your mind. Once you start to add mindfulness activities into your routine, you may not feel the need to instantly get instant gratification from external factors.
Use positive self-talk
Positive self-talk can help you stay motivated and focused. Encourage yourself and remind yourself of your goals and why they are important. This is one of the biggest keys for self discipline. If you are constantly bombarding yourself with negative self-talk, it will be very hard to stay disciplined for a long time. You are your own biggest fan and when you fuel your mind and your soul with positive words, you’ll show up as a happier version of yourself who can tackle any challenge.
Quieting the inner voice can be hard but it will give you the opportunity to practice some self-development. Using positive words and language can be an incredibly powerful way to inspire self-discipline.
Reward yourself
Rewarding yourself for your progress can help motivate you to continue. Choose rewards that are in line with your goals, like treating yourself to a healthy meal or buying a new workout outfit. In order to build up and create sustained happiness, you want to reward yourself. Celebrate all wins no matter how big or small.
Common obstacles to self-discipline and how to overcome them
Now that we’ve talked through the benefits and ways to add self-discipline into your life, let’s talk about barriers that may arise when you set out on this journey. Self-discipline can be challenging, especially when you encounter obstacles. Here are some common obstacles to self-discipline and how to overcome them:
Procrastination: Procrastination is a common obstacle to self-discipline. To overcome procrastination, break tasks down into smaller, manageable steps, and set deadlines for each step. Planning and creating a schedule is an easy way to overcome procrastination.
Temptation: Temptation is another common obstacle to self-discipline. To overcome temptation, practice mindfulness, and remind yourself of your long-term goals. It’s so easy to sit on the couch and scroll through social media. Remember that you’ve set goals for a good reason. To avoid temptation, make sure that you’re rewarding yourself regularly.
Lack of motivation: Lack of motivation can be a challenge when it comes to self-discipline. To overcome a lack of motivation, visualize your goals and the benefits of achieving them. Now, if you feel that you no longer are interested in your goals, change them! Sometimes we set goals and we decide to scrap them. When you are new to the goal setting process, this is very exciting. While it may not seem so, if you set a goal and realize that you’re not interested in that, then you start to learn more about your interests.
Why is it important to understand barriers when we start creating positive habits in our life? Well, the lack of self-discipline may actually impact our mental health.
The connection between self-discipline and mental health
Self-discipline can also have a positive impact on your mental health. When you practice self-discipline, you are taking care of yourself in the long run, which can help improve your mental well-being. Self-discipline can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by giving you a sense of control and purpose.
Self-discipline can also help you develop resilience and coping skills. When you encounter challenges and setbacks, self-discipline allows you to stay focused and find solutions. This can help you build resilience and develop coping skills that can help you in all areas of your life.
When we practice self-discipline, we can also create a more positive self-image for ourselves. We understand that we can count on ourselves and we become the kind of person we were meant to be.
Final Thoughts
Self discipline is self love.
Self discipline is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your goals and improve your life in many ways. Some may view it as the highest form of self love and self-care. By practicing self-discipline, you are investing in your future self and showing yourself that you are capable of achieving greatness. Developing self-discipline takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. With practice, you can become more self-disciplined and achieve your aspirations. While adding new behaviors into your life will be hard work, it’s one of the best ways to create a happy life.
What do you think? Is self discipline the highest form of self-love?