6 Ways To Be More Disciplined
You hear it all the time: in order to reach your goals you just need a magical unicorn element and you’ll be golden: DISCIPLINE. Oh sure, let’s just add that to an ever-growing list, right? After today’s post, we hope to change your mind about the art of discipline by breaking it down into a more digestible concept, not one that stresses you out and feels realllyyyy far away. Let’s go!
Use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method.
Author and motivational speaker Mel Robbins went from stuck and desperate to thriving and teaching others how to do the same. She introduced a simple concept to the world, one that even the busiest person can integrate:
Every time you start to do something, countdown from 5. About to hop in the shower? Countdown. Want a snack? Countdown? Craving that exercise class but exhausted after a long day? Countdown as you lace up your shoes. The goal of this method is to wire your brain to associate counting down with actually getting around to doing something and rousing yourself into action.
After a while, this will embed deeper and you’ll be able to apply it to that long list of things you’re not all that excited about (here’s looking at you, monthly bills). You can pick up her book to learn more, or try this simple exercise first and see what happens. It’s important to give it about a week or two of consistent practice.
Choose a hobby you genuinely enjoy and do it for 30 minutes at a given time each day.
Over time, you’ll discover if it’s truly something you want to do long-term, but that’s not the point: it’s to build a daily routine of doing something besides work, etc. Through trial and error you’ll find the things that bring you joy, and making time for them each day will help you reaffirm your ability to prioritize and get things done even when life gets in the way.
Find a goal worth pursuing.
Discipline starts and ends with the pursuit of a goal. We don’t have to be fortune tellers to know that if your goal can’t stand on its own, i.e. it’s not deep enough, it won’t last long. Motivation gets you started – it’s the ra-ra cheerleader as you approach the start. DISCIPLINE is what keeps you going when it’s cold outside, you didn’t prep a dang thing and you’re stuck at work starving, and even when you’re out with friends and your trainer isn’t there to remind you of your goal to avoid the wine (wink wink).
Make your goals deeper than “swimsuit season”. It’s okay to have that as a goal, but WHY does getting slim for swimsuit season matter? Often times it’s much more than that. Things like medication elimination, energy to play with your kiddos, not having a daily 2-3pm energy crash … the list goes on. So, what do you want to do? Are you willing to work for it even when the going gets tough?
Start small!
One does not run a marathon without first dedicating a lot of time to perfecting all aspects of its completion. It’s important to start small and build from there. What do you want to achieve? Break it down into smaller chunks that don’t feel as intimidating. The finish line looks REALLY far away when you’ve just started. Map out 3 of your goals. Example: want to get to the gym 5 days per week? Here’s what a sample plan could look like:
-Buy or dust off your workout shoes.
-Schedule your first class on the calendar and confirm it with your facility (*cough* Inspired Wellness in Sacramento, *cough*).
-Make it public: let your friends and family in person AND on social media know that you’d appreciate their support and accountability.
-Each week, commit to 1 additional day of exercise. Week 1 = 1 workout, Week 2 = 2 workouts … by week 5 the goal is to be up to 5 workouts!
-Plan a weekly non-food reward for sticking to the plan.
-Consider getting involved behind the scenes with your gym in some way to be inspired by the health culture and keep pushing on the tough days.
Let go of perfection.
There WILL be weeks where you feel like an utter failure. It’s okay. Move on and keep enjoying life. Our strength lies in our ability to keep going after setbacks. That is when we are really tested, so become a SETBACK MASTER by choosing not to get derailed more than 1-2 days at a time. OWN your imperfection. Rock it like a badge of honor and then get back to being the healthy, active, energetic you that feels on top of the world. Berating yourself does NOTHING – just keep moving … one foot in front of the other. When you accept that you aren’t perfect and that the same you who “falls off the wagon” is the same you who sticks to the plan like a champ, you can truly thrive and rise above the noise.
Indulge in non-food and free/inexpensive rewards for your discipline:
Some of our favorites include:
- Visit a local SPCA shelter and cuddle adorable animals.
- Take a long walk at a park or beach while jamming out to a song that makes you happy.
- Take a warm bath and use a DIY face mask.
- Practice on an instrument of choice.
- Read 10 pages from an inspirational book – at the library!
- Use YouTube to learn a craft or hobby.
You CAN do this. You’ve just got to break it down and not get overwhelmed by the daily minutia. It’s not easy, but it’s DEFINITELY worth it. If you’re craving direction and accountability to achieve your goals (who are we kidding – SHATTER your goals!), join us for Season 14 of our Get Fit Challenge. As of this post we’ve got 10 spots left. Go here to join us before we sell out!
Now, we want to hear from you in the comments: what do you want to get better at being disciplined about?
About Inspired Wellness
We are a wellness movement aimed at cultivating greatness in all areas of life. We believe that everything is connected and that having the body of your dreams shouldn’t come at the price of your mental and emotional health. You CAN have it all; you just need some determination, grit and the desire to truly change your life!
Catch us locally in sunny Sacramento CA inspiring lives at our wellness center with fitness, nutrition and lifestyle programs, or online doing the same thing with our new online training site + community coming soon!
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6 Comments
This is actually awesome and I needed this, this could be my magical discipline unicorn lol!
Haha I believe everything happens for a reason! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I soooooooooooo needed this right now. The past two weeks my “goal words” have been discipline and focus. The discipline to do something even when I don’t want to and the focus to use my time effectively so I can get more done.
I’m a part of an acting community and an awesome saying we use is to “Launch at 85%.” That way when you’re doing something new, you don’t set yourself up for devastating failure. 85% allows you to commit and experience the challenge, but without getting too discouraged with the struggle. It allows you room to succeed and room to learn. 🙂
I’m really working on being more disciplined with my time. I find when things get a little tough, I retreat to social media to distract myself. I’ve been experiencing a lot of frustration because I have an abundance of time but I’m “not using it effectively.”
Reading “When you accept that you aren’t perfect and that the same you who “falls off the wagon” is the same you who sticks to the plan like a champ, you can truly thrive and rise above the noise” really helps build me up! 🙂
Love this Millie! I am realizing that feeling disorganized is usually not planning and sticking to the goals we set (in all areas of life, not just wellness). I find when I stay disciplined at least 85% (love that) I am much less stressed because I have an agenda versus flying by the seam of my pants! Plus, doesn’t it just feel so dang awesome to prove to yourself that you are, indeed, a badass? 🙂
I love Mel Robbins. I read her book a year or so ago and have been utilizing this practice in my day-to-day life. I know it will definitely come in handy during this challenge. I love to find excuses for not doing things but I’m committed to making myself feel better and healthier so I can spend a lot more time chasing around my grandchildren.
I want to be more disciplined about working out. Not having excuses to skip a night, or two. Remind myself of how great I feel after working out.
A non food (or drink) reward is tough. I’ll have to give that some thought.