Self-Discipline
The Basics of Mental Toughness
by Raquel Torres
“SELF-DISCIPLINE IS SELF-LOVE. IF YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF. WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO DISCIPLINE YOUR BEHAVIOR.” W.SMITH
Why Should I Care about Building Self-Discipline?
- It reduces anxiety: when we feel in control of our own emotions and reactions, we can focus on what we need to do instead of worrying about what could go wrong.
- You’ll be happier: It gives us Satisfaction which is one of the key components of happiness, satisfaction is the state of being satisfied; contentment.
- You’ll be more resilient: Thet American Psychological Association defines Mental Resilience as: “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy or even significant sources of stress.”
- It increases your ability to achieve short-term and long-term goals: Having self-discipline means you can proactively remove temptations and avoid self-sabotaging behaviors. When it comes to studying, working, or managing money, you’ll be able to prioritize, focus, and work harder and smarter.
What Is Self-Discipline?
The word self-discipline is made up of two parts:
- The ‘self’ means you have the willpower to do these things on your own, without someone telling you to do them.
- The “discipline” means “training that corrects, the mental faculties or moral character”
“Self-Discipline is about leaning into resistance, taking action despite how you feel. Living a life by design, not by default. But most importantly, it’s acting in accordance with your thoughts – not your feelings.” Samuel Thomas Davies
9 Steps to Be Self-Disciplined
- Reframe discipline as a function of self-love
- Make discipline as a part of your identity
- Reflect this new identity in your environment
- Have a good system to start things
- Have a good method to sustain things
- Get out of your comfort zone
- Focus on what you can control
- Develop a growth mindset
- Track and celebrate small wins
- Reframe Discipline
- See self-discipline as a function of self-love.
- Be your own coach, cheerleader, motivator, rewire yourself talk.
- Tip: Express gratitude every day to cultivate positive feelings. When you wake up, list 3 things that you’re thankful for in your head.
- Make self discipline part of your identity
- Let go of the labels you use to describe yourself. The boxes you put yourself in influence the way you experience the world.
- Picturing yourself as lazy, weak, or impatient, can influence you subconsciously to believe that’s the sum of what you are. If you want to change your thinking, let go of those preconceptions.
- For example, if you don’t want to smoke and someone offers you a cigarette instead of saying “I am trying to quit”, say “Thank you, I don’t smoke”
- Train your mind to see the good in everything 24/7.
- Fake it until you make it to control the way you feel. If you want to become less shy, just pretend you aren’t shy. If you admire people who read a lot, start reading even if you aren’t super into it. Just jump in.
- Reflect this New Identity in Your Environment
- Keep your office, your home, and your tools in good shape. How you take care of everything in your charge reflects how you take care of yourself inside out.
- Keep your environments clean and clutter free.
- Start one space at the time, don’t try to change all in a day, week or month, slow and steady, little by little, everyday making a little area better, it doesn’t need to be perfect or fancy, just simple, clean and organized.
- Have a Good System to Start things
- Remove Roadblocks.
- If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
- Eliminate friction, have everything you need handy, ready and organized.
- You can write down a “to do list”, use sticky notes with daily goals, use an agenda or a mental vision of your tasks.
- Building self-discipline is a skill. And like most skills, it requires practice. So, enjoy yourself and remember practice makes perfect.
- Have a Good Method to Sustain Things
- Always apply the mantra “One step at the time”.
- Break “big tasks” in smaller chunks.
- Focus on tiny habits, tiny habits are behaviors that are easy to do. Doing one push-up. Drinking one glass of water, switching or replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
- Remember to schedule short breaks between tasks. This can help prevent burnout and maintain high productivity levels.
- TIP: You are unique, don’t compare yourself to anyone. Know your strengths, weaknesses, your priorities, your passions and YOUR responsibilities, we all have different life’s responsibilities and challenges.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
- Mental strength involves developing daily habits that build mental muscle or mental resilience.
- Build Mental Resilience is: The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress.
- Mental Toughness, refers to the ability to stay strong in the face of adversity; to keep your focus and determination despite the difficulties . A mentally tough individual sees challenge and adversity as an opportunity and not a threat.
- Focus on What You Can Control
Your mind, your actions, your words. “You cannot control what happens to you in Life, but you can always control what you feel and do about what happens to you.”
- Develop a Growth Mindset
- A growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset, involves looking at life with the belief that we can develop our character over time and learn from our experiences.
- Who we are is not a fixed and unchangeable thing.
- If we don’t like how we respond to things right now, we are more than capable of shifting who we are to respond more constructively to things in the future.
- When we encounter setbacks or challenges, a growth mindset can help us view these events as opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow.
- Celebrate Small-Wins
- Reflect on how each change you make influences your personality.
- Monitor and keep track of your progress as you work through the tasks. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
- Review and Adjust: regularly review your task list and progress. Adjust your plan based on priority changes, unexpected obstacles, or tasks taking longer than Remember, the plan should be flexible, dynamic and should serve your needs.
- Be patient with yourself and remember that every day is a new chance to be and do better.
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to
eat the biggest one first.” Mark Twain
Raquel Torres, MBA is a USAT Elite Certified Coach, Professional Triathlon Coach and Professional Triathlete. Raquel also writes blogs for several magazines and her team Athletic Mentors. Since May 2021 she contributes as a columnist with CNY Latino Newspaper. She shares true life stories with her experiences, also tips and tactics that helps anyone to be their best version. To read about her, head over to cnylatinonewspaper.com and search for her by her name. You can also send questions or comments about her column to the following email: raquel@athleticmentors.com and go to her website at www.raqueltorres.org
