Swami Vivekananda (best known in the United States for his ground-breaking speech to the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions) was the biggest advocate for self-control and self-discipline.
He preached the importance of self-restraint as uncontrolled emotions and deeds wastes so much of our energy, shatter our nerves, hinders our thoughts, and we accomplish very little work.
He said, “The flow of this continuous control of the mind becomes steady when practiced day after day, and the mind obtains the faculty of constant concentration.”
All this sounds rosy but putting it into practice is a true challenge. We all want to accomplish great things in our life but a lack of self-discipline acts as our hurdles. We all have our lapses but there are ways to combat them!
So, here are some tips to hone your self-discipline!
#1: POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP
Our mind’s reward system influences our decisions at every step of the way. If we choose to cultivate a new habit, say healthy eating, we would only hold on to that practice if we genuinely experience the benefits of it.
Similarly, cultivating self-discipline takes lots of work and the true challenge is the fact that its results take longer to show. It is of paramount importance for youngsters to realise that patience is the way to go with this.
Taking small steps is will be a more sustainable way to progress as opposed to crashing into it all of a sudden.
#2: EGO DEPLETION
Our efforts and willpower are limited resource. This theory in the study of psychology states that our willpower is like a muscle; in that it can be both strengthened or fatigued. Over exertion can cause it to lose its strength; while minimal and progressive workouts and training will strengthen it further over time.
When you want to start a task or cultivate a habit, start small and work your way up. You could seek assistance from your private tuition teachers or online tutors as they will have the expertise and experience to mentor you about the ways in which this can be done in your own customised way.
#3: ACCEPT THE PROCESS
You are not a superhero; you’re an ordinary human being and so there will be times where you cannot stick to a schedule due to some circumstances or you just simply don’t feel the best to accomplish a task on your to-do list. And it’s ok to feel this way.
The biggest reason for people to drop out of a routine or start to become sluggish with their work is a lack of acceptance that there will be times when things won’t happen the way they plan for it to work.
Accepting the reality will be an effective way to find solutions to problems and it’s also the best way to maintain a positive attitude. We all have time when we feel emotionally unwell or physically unwell (or sometimes even both) which causes us to lose our rigour and motivation.
What’s crucial is for everyone to know when to take a step back to rejuvenate and refresh in order to come back to the tasks to conquer them later!
CONCLUSION
Self-discipline is a virtue that doesn’t come overnight; it requires effort and mental strength to cultivate a practice. If practiced long enough, it would become a way of life and beyond a shadow of a doubt, it will lead to great results in all aspects of your life!