How to Build Self-Discipline

2Pac had a great line “B****es do what they can, Real Ni*** do what they want”

It may be a bit hostile, but such was his life. The point is he was a big proponent of that philosophy. Self discipline is the only thing we really need to learn. With it we can pretty much do anything we set our mind to. Anything at all.

http://yinvsyang.com/

Great article!

BTW….great post!

Although this mind not be the best mindset, I write down how I feel after I’ve done something like go to the gym.

So for example say i haven’t been in a while, once I’ve been I feel better in so many ways. I write them down so I can look back at it when I feel like not going and realise how much better it is for me.

That is all the motivation I need

[...] How to build self confidence  [...]

Great Article, although I have accomplished many of my goals, waking up early is still a challenge. The earliest I have been able to do is 6:30am. I believe I could use the hour and a half if i do 5am.

Just downloaded the ebook a Year of Change, and I am loving it!!!

“You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” – John C. Maxwell

Interesting….
I can’t argue with what you say… but…
Will it last? Will it endure? How long can you keep control until you low your guard?
The difficult thing about self discipline (at least in my case) is that it feels like something I should force myself into it.
Of course I can do it. I’ve done it many times (diets, exercise, etc.). The problem is that in the long rung I will inevitable slip.
Why?
Because you can force yourself out your balance only for period of time.
And that’s it. You can’t keep a sustained effort indefinitely.
The moment you relax, you naturally return to you point of origin
The solution is obviously changing your “point of balance”. Changing your habits instead of forcing yourself not to follow them.
That of course is very challenging path that will require lots of self discipline, at least at the beginning.

Peter, I love your points on internal coaching. It’s something I do daily.

Marc

Great post, Peter…

I agree with Mariano with regard to striking balance. Self-discipline and self-motivation can be quite hyper-intentional, yet floating around like a leaf in the wind may be equally harmful.

I do believe, however, that you make a case for balance within the frame of what I refer to as “mind vs brain.” Over the course of time, the will of the mind can overcome the desires of the brain. Forming good habits takes time and attempting to do this quickly may be self-destructive, and you do a good job of saying this.

We each have a certain potential and we can not reach it with out some form of self-discipline. Success is no accident. We simply need to find our own balance to find it…

Kent

You must have a strong enough reason to commit to the change. For me, I was a nondrinker till age 30 (due in large part to my dad’s alcoholism and others of my family’s alcohol and drug problems). My big reason beyond my own health was to be a shining example to my 3 younger sisters. Unfortunately, by age 30, I found that being the teetotaler actually alienated them — and most of my peers. So, when my first boss at a law office insisted I take a shot of Stoli as part of an initiation ritual upon hiring me, I decided it was time to break my life-long habit. During the next 10 years, imbibing helped grease the wheels of social and business exchanges (including with my sisters), so I had no reason to stop. However, since last year, when I began my blog, I have been wanting to cut back and possibly quit alcohol altogether. It’s expensive and the fuzzy mindset it gave me was not what I wanted anymore — though it was very useful whenever I needed to relax from a day of legal work in a corporate environment.

I had been trying ever since I quit law last October to stick to a healthier diet, regular exercise, and less alcohol. All with minimal success. Finally, I decided to try a water fast. I successfully fasted for 10 days, followed by a 5 day post fast (which I chronicled at http://shanelyang.com/2008/07/03/fasting-log-day-1/ ). But, the real trick would be to maintain my amazing results (20.40 lbs. lost in 15 days, no alcohol, and only raw food for 5 of those 15 days). Since I no longer was trying to be a role model to anyone, I had to find a different, sufficiently important purpose to keep to the habit of not drinking alcohol and of eating more raw foods despite the many temptations all around me. Then, it came to me: Treat my body like a temple. Now that is the type of all important goal that can sustain me through any temptation. Why treat it like a temple? Because it is the vessel that can extend my life to 120 years if I thus treat it — and to also cleanse it periodically with water fasts 1 – 2 times per year. : )

6. Consistency

Good post — excellent points! I have to say — I couldn’t agree more that commitment is key!

Excellent primer on self-discipline.

To Mariano’s point, I’d like to offer another angle to look at it.

Self-discipline is an ability to control your behavior.

That’s it. Simple. Yet, most of us don’t feel that we own our behaviors. We feel out of control, that we can’t subject our own actions to our conscious minds.

When you define self-discipline that way, then the common equation that binds self-discipline to the ability to stick some rigid regimen disappears. Of course, self-disciplined people can stick to rigid structures. But when you gain true mastery over your own actions, then you don’t need some set of rules or protocols to decide how you act. You don’t let any other entity beside your conscious mind to drive your actions, except for carefully chosen habits that you either leave in or instill in your system. This creates the sense of freedom Peter is talking about. You are finally free to decide exactly what to do with yourself. You’re not enslaved to some habits that you can’t unlearn or emotions that you can’t suppress.

Mastery over your own actions can be practiced and cultivated by challenging yourself to a certain routine, like exercising and diet. The more victory you experience over other forces trying to control your behavior, the more you trust your consciousness to control your actions.

Besides, habits can be formed even around things you initially think are hard to do. Let’s say you commit to running 5 miles a day, though you can barely run 1 at the beginning. You have a hard time keeping up the habit in the beginning. But as you subjugate your body to your will and keep up the routine, the routine of running 5 miles start becoming more comfortable than not running it. You’ll start feeling odd, like you’re missing something, on the days you run. At this point your action is not so much a fight of laziness vs. will. Actually, doing it will seem normal and easier than not doing it.

ari

The statement “Discipline is a dirty word” is such a true statement for so many people. It is like a muscle. The more you work it, the better it gets!

I agree with the notion of consistency. My first admonition to myself when I need to sit down and write (every day) is always: Turn the f*ck up.

Discipline all begins with writing things down and analyzing them.

Thought provoking Peter, thanks. Perhaps this relates to the Self Coaching trait but I think one of the keys is ‘wanting’ to be self-disciplined rather than ‘needing’ to be self-disciplined. In other words I really believe you have to acknowledge up front that self-discipline has benefits for you and therefore seek to achieve it. For that reason I love the quote you noted – ‘the price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret’. That’s my motivator.

Simon

Hey Peter, I just love the quote you have here “the price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret” and not to mention, the picture of the guy you posted on this post…LOL….it’s a sure motivator for discipline!

Great read. Some times discipline is just a matter of getting it done kinda thinking. Just get up and go for it.

Great post…
Thanks.

Hey Peter, Very Very Good article. I so agree with what you said that “Discipline is freedom.”

-Harish

[...] Clemens from PickTheBrain Wrote this Great [...]

Did you know that Stephen R. Covey is also a Latter-day Saint a.k.a. “Mormon”? He wrote a fantastic book called The Spiritual Roots of Human Relations that I highly recommend. I was 12 when he was on Oprah discussing First Things First and I was taking notes, drawing out my 4 quadrants on a paper.

Shanel Yang, that’s exactly why Mormons don’t drink. Our health code is about treating our bodies like temples.

I found your story very interesting. I decided not to drink for the same reason you initially did. And all these years later, knowing myself better, I KNOW I would become an alcoholic if I took it up. I think that’s a perfectly legit, respectable reason to mention to anyone who’s trying to initiate you with alcohol or who thinks you’re just trying to set yourself apart as “better” in some way. I’ve never felt uncomfortable being the only person not drinking. With enough confidence and acceptance of other people’s decisions, I think any non-drinker can blend into a drinking situation.

(Sorry, I’m posting this twice because I just noticed the REPLY option! OOPS!)

Shanel Yang, that’s exactly why Mormons don’t drink. Our health code is about treating our bodies like temples.

I found your story very interesting. I decided not to drink for the same reason you initially did. And all these years later, knowing myself better, I KNOW I would become an alcoholic if I took it up. I think that’s a perfectly legit, respectable reason to mention to anyone who’s trying to initiate you with alcohol or who thinks you’re just trying to set yourself apart as “better” in some way. I’ve never felt uncomfortable being the only person not drinking. With enough confidence and acceptance of other people’s decisions, I think any non-drinker can blend into a drinking situation.

This site is very motivating, at a time when I need it most. The key here is to create a schedule and stick to it, no matter what (unless in case of life threatening emergency of course).

Christie
http://tinyurl.com/6mox33

“The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret”.

Wonderful! Who is the author of this quote, or is it unknown?

I’m a big believer in building the trait of self discipline. Very solid article. Thanks.

Robin Sharma uses it all the time and attributes it to a friend – name escapes me.

Cheers

Yes, Robin Sharma made me aware of the quote. He attributes it to the motivational speaker Nido Qubein.

Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who can stick to anything for a long time.. And it works only when we are obsessed with, in this case self-discipline, or anything else for that matter.. turn into neurotic being

…It doesn’t mean, we shouldn’t pursue the self development path, but adding a little of self awareness doesn’t hurt…J

Perhaps, it will work well as a guide for parents on bringing up their children in this manner…

Also, I’ve practiced self-discipline for many years, such as diet, working out, and even though it didn’t stick totally, that is it didn’t become my second nature, some of it remained with me, and grew to be automatic.

Strong motivation is a key. But when motivation is gone, the old self is back, nevertheless, with some updates J

People often say, “I do what I want to do”, but do they really do what they want, or is it just some sort of programming? Are they really free? Self discipline is a way to get out of being programmed. It develops more awareness of one’s thoughts and state of mind, as well as builds the ability to make decisions based on reason, not just emotions, and to follow them through.

Self discipline is the way to freedom from negative habits. It awakens inner strength and power, and has nothing to do with being rigid, callous or lacking happiness. Any kind of success requires self discipline, be it success at the job, making money, achieving goals or improving relationships.

Actually, it is not so difficult to develop at least some measure of self discipline. You can find a few simple exercises, which can be practiced any time of the day, at the following address http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000006.htm

[...] 1. Pick The Brain has a great post about self-discipline: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/self-discipline/ [...]

Great post. I have four words that can help sum up some of this message:

live in the moment.

Barbara

Excellent article – I especially like your “Courage” segment. I find myself constantly downplaying any achievement and not feel any satisfaction from it. I don’t like admitting that something is difficult for me to do. My motto for so long has been, “life is easy – everything is easy”. Some part of me still believes it…I think I just formed a cockeyed way around with semantics. Life is easy, I can do anything, I just lack the drive. Of course that means the things you lack the drive to do are difficult…but you get the idea. Heh, I could convince myself of anything – so it’s definitely nice to read something like this – Thanks – Excellent post.

[...] How to Build Self-Discipline [...]

Great and inspiring article!

[...] Posted By Peter Clemens On July 29, 2008 @ 6:00 am In self improvement | 36 Comments [...]

TL:DR

Please note that FranklinCovey just launched a new website and the Mission Statment Builder mentioned in this article has moved to: http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources.

[...] How to Build Self-Discipline [...]

[...] How to Build Self-Discipline [...]

I agree live in the present moment.

Self discipline is not a natural thing. It is the result of a man made modern lifestyle. You will never see an obese kalahari bushman yet this person has no self imposed discipline – indeed they cannot even write. They also do not sit down and study music or hunting skills yet they have them because they are in harmony with their environment. They “listen” to their feeling of hunger etc and respond appropriately. This comfortable safe man made environment is not natural and the imbalances are seen everywhere – it is a failed and dying system that is now turning on itself. The best self discipline can do for you is speed up this process of destruction and if you are fit you may be the last left to turn off the lights. Better to spend your time coming to terms with what death is – fear of death and avoidance of pain is the cause of all the ills of modern man. What you resist persists.

Great article! So true and well written.

Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed it

[...] July 29th, 2008 by Peter Clemens Print This Post [...]

Great read. Some times discipline is just a matter of getting it done kinda thinking. Just get up and go for it.

Cool article.
With the progress we’ve made in the developed countries comes a lot of unnecessary substance that leads us to excess.

[...] Getting in the habit of using self-discipline so you can accomplish what you need to and have plenty of time left to do the things you want to [...]

[...] 原文：How to Build Self-Discipline – PickTheBrain [...]

[...] 英文原文：http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/self-discipline/   [...]

Self-awareness is the starting point for all change. If you want to change the way you create your life, begin with awareness. It is an important tool for attaining clarity in all aspects of your life.

You have to focus on your strengths and qualities instead of paying too much attention on your weaknesses.

Do what you love to do and be the best at it.

Thank you, you saved my life!!

I tell people all the time they don’t have to get old, but most wont take the steps to help themselves.

They lack discipline!

A very logical post, live long and prosper.

Jesus is the only way, Jesus saved me two years ago, dont ask how

[...] nozīmē būt brīvam” (Peter Clemens) – brīvam no pārlieku lielas apetītes, garastāvokļu maiņas un mirkļa emociju uzplūdiem. [...]

[...] 褪墨上有一篇如何能够自律，是翻译自PickTheBrain。但是我还是觉得这篇文章说的比较浅，没有能够指导实际行动的东西。最后终于找到Steve Pavlina在2005年关于Self-Discipline的系列文章，觉得不错，笔记摘要于下。 [...]

Awesome post! I agree with you 100%, conscious awareness is a huge tipping point!

AJ Kumar

[...] Do These 8 Patterns Of Limited Thinking Apply To You? How To Stay Motivated Without Wax & Wane How To Build Self-Discipline 3 Strategies For Radically Better Decision Making Finding Bliss: How To Reverse Engineer Happiness [...]

Thanks Peter Clemens !

A rare advocacy for Discipline. Very much needed in these days of blind licentiousness all in the name of ‘Individual Freedom’ ?!

‘Reign-in to Free-Out’ says an old Indian-Asian Wisdom.

do the best thing which is truth.

[...] Boost your self-discipline so you can accomplish what you need to and have plenty of time left to do the things you want to [...]

[...] Para visualizar, clique aqui. Para visualizar a versão traduzida para o português, clique [...]

[...] você, tem autodisciplina? Recomendo-lhe a leitura deste artigo (aqui para os desprovidos de conhecimentos em inglês): vale a pena aprender um pouco mais sobre o [...]

I’d love to be more self-disciplined.

However, don’t we all have a Devil sitting on one shoulder, urging us to follow our heart’s desires…telling us it’s OK if we slob out and don’t achieve?

Every time we determine to do something, it’s there, whispering, making us faint-hearted. We can knock it away once, twice, three times even, but the b*gger keeps coming back!

How do you ever get rid of the voice tempting you to take the path of least resistance? Being strong, being determined, being strong-willed, day after day after day is only for the likes of Clark Kent isn’t it?

As others have mentioned, too much self-denial, too much restraint (like dieting) can often lead to bingeing…breaking away and enjoying all the slobbish behaviour we are trying to stamp out.

How do you develop that mind-set that determines you take the right course of action – always? Do you have to be a saint to acquire such a strong will?

We can not all be perfect. There are no absolutes such as “completely self-disciplined” or “complete lack of self discipline”. There is a continuum which we all lie and the goal is to move along gradually to where you feel you need to be. I think consistency is a HUGELY UNDERRATED element of self-discipline.

Also remember 4. Courage. Nobody is perfect and I am certain some of the greatest people had some problems with self-discipline, so develop a selftalk that is positive, optimistic and enthusiastic

I agree with Pete: Self-discipline is pretty much the only we need; everything falls in place with self-discipline.

Peter Clemens article How to Build Self Dscipline serves as the much needed ‘recknowing’ for the current times which having gotten more and more ‘amoral’ is fast
heading towards a dangerous state of ‘morbidity.

A cautious reminder – both to oneself and
the others that a lack or a lacunae in the due
degree of ‘self discipline’ would inevitably
lead to a sure censuring – reprimand and even a possible punishment
from the society at large – was in fact quite a common text of ordinary conversations till about the decade of Seventies …. But thereafter it got out of vogue as it went getting accused as some ‘moral threatening scuffling individual freedom’ etc… and the society went about ‘mutually sanctioning social indiscipline and that eventually has led to all sorts of personality disorders.

Self-knowledge grows as you subject your life to examination. Listening to your own speech, reflecting on your own thoughts, looking at your own actions—these are the processes by which you master yourself.
You shape your philosophies and yourself by observing and striving to understand the events of each moment. A focus on virtues to attain and vices to forego is crucial. – Paul

i love your infomation on self discipline. I would like to use some of this material in a video im teaching. I wanted to make sure it was ok first.

[...] How to build Self-Discipline [...]

I was swindled on usfreeads by some jerkwad using a mobile account. Jerkwad was speechless when I got her addy info and paid a visit lol!

Phone Search

no no no, it’s all wrong. have you ever thought that maybe our brains aren’t good at holding commitments? i bet none of your readers are happy about their self-discipline, before or after reading this article. perhaps the solution should be using external material for holding commitment. like to do lists but even cleverer…

These are great suggestions but often people fail to follow a discipline because they let their mind drift and they lose focus. The first step I would suggest is to discipline the mind so that it stays focused on what you want to achieve and doesn’t get distracted. This is easier said than done, but like any discipline it comes with practice and requires that you track your thoughts everyday. You can find more at http://www.affirmationsforpositivethinking.com – there are articles on how to direct the mind and subconscious mind.
Once the subconscious mind is disciplined and your mind is focused on what you want – following your discipline becomes almost automatic. Sure there are actions to follow and you have to have the courage, commitment and awareness to get through some of the challenges, but without a disciplined and focused mind, the rest is pointless.

it’s like running a Business, every little choice crates a bigger/better life in the long run

Very glad to find so many approve of the merits of self-discipline and so many more want to pursue the same. Peter Clemen’s good words have gone further !!

yes..I like this article..most of us have no discipline..

I can’t agree more!!

I just found your blog today. It’s great by the way. =) Tons of useful info for all levels of self-improvement.

I thought your post was spot on.

Just remember that before you can sit down and write out your goals and really take control of your self-discipline you first have to see there is need for a better system, or way of getting things done. After that, its need, want, will, and action.

One another note, Greg mentioned that Self discipline wasn’t a natural thing etc.

I would have to disagree.

I think self- discipline dates back to even when we were cave men. The difference between the (modern man) and the (kalahari bushman) in my opinion is a matter of more and less (respectively) things to disrupt them.

Doesn’t the kalahari bushman know that it is time to go and hunt? Do they not know that it is time to sit with family and eat what they have gathered? Some might argue that this is not self discipline but personally I think its just hard to be disciplined with all of the distractions in the modern world. For the kalahari bushman I would say that life is its own form of self discipline.

On http://www.pluginid.com/5-things-ive-learned/#more-2819 there was more then one article on how taking out just a few things we do everyday that arent needed helped with getting what mattered done.

Dont productivity and discipline go hand and hand?

As far as the whole – prepare for death thing. We are all going to die. Shouldn’t we do it on our terms? Doing as much as we possibly can that makes us happy and productive.

“What you resist persists.” That’s exactly why you should embrace the changes in discipline. The changes in lifestyle. The changes in Outlook that can better your life.

What you resist persists, but what you embrace changes everything.

Self talk is harmful?

It’s all about the discipline in life. Without it, there would be chaos. Think about it, how many times have you thought about just taking something? Self discipline kept you straight. Great post here.

it would be discipline for me to check emails once everyday

Very good, I completely agree.

I found this article to be well written AND inspiring!!

I like it well talked out too. im 17 years old and I never knew how important discpline was. I like the quote at he end too “The pain of discipline is less than the pain of regret” makes sense and im sure the steps will help me build my own self disipline thanks and good job.

This article helped me a lot. I actually took notes and I’m going to try to exercise these practices and much as possible bit by bit. Thanks for the piece of mind.

Great article regarding self-discipline. It takes self-discipline to do what you are doing. I took a leap myself and chose to start my own website recently.

Thank you for living your purpose.

Until next time…

Jesse

great article thanks much!

I study personal development everyday of my life and I must say that you have nailed it with your entire breakdown on the essence of self-discipline.

If only more people would dedicate as much time to improving themselves as they do to complaining about others the world would be all the better for it!

Really nice writing and insight!

I believe it’s all about what matters to you. Human always tend to find their own comfort zone, and thats where emotions and feelings comes to play a part, as they direct us to where our comfort zone is. There’s nothing wrong to be in this comfort zone, as it might give happiness to the individual, which might be what he is looking for.

Self-disicipline is the harder thing to do, of course. You are forcing yourself to step out of this comfort zone, and do something that is against your own level of comfort.

The 2nd option is of course what I want to be, like most of us here. I know it’s arguable, but sometimes reality just bitach on your life. In my case, I’m in the military now, and my comfort level has already dropped significantly since i entered here, and i am still pushing myself to be discipline in my business. The largest challenge now is to fight against the new lifestyle, and the new environment that i have.

Mariano, despite agreeing with some of what you wrote, have you ever tried to “force yourself out your balance ” for a period longer than 90 days? It seems that if you manage to do that, whatever your are doing become “routine or normal” hence your attitude changes and you won’t need to force yourself any longer.
Exceptions happen in case of addictions…smoking, drinking etc….but even in those cases the first 90 days are the hardest…

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by TheEmperfect: Self-discipline involves acting according 2 what U think verses how U feel in the moment. http://bit.ly/1Ytiz9...

[...] Apparently, I’m not the only one.  Peter Clemens, in his post on self discipline on Pick The Brain, quotes Steven Covey as saying “the undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and [...]

[...] written self centered piece of BS I wrote as an intro, serves the purpose of the today topic: Self discipline. All I needed to know about discipline, I learnt it from sports. And never was a jock, but a [...]

[...] originally posted here [...]

Positive Thinking plays a major role in all personal development including self-discipline!

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[...] am on April 27, 2010 | # | 0 How to Build Self-Discipline [...]

my paradigm just shifted and i felt it. thank you for the great article.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

there is a book called core desires. it covers this issue in a very realistic aspect. i believe it is written by john c. maxwell. I would like to say i enjoyed the topic and found it to grant me a sense of immediate action towards anything i felt needed to be addressed. at least the ones i felt i could and should improve on. I would just like to note one main point. I will keep this as simple as possible. the word “train” is very important. it takes time to train your dog to play dead and roll over. it takes time to train a child to ride a bike or tie their own shoes. it takes time to train yourself to be a doctor a wrighter a teacher. time and traing are the true keys here. patience is a virtue. people who are looking for something over night are those that will not find the success they are looking for. if you first try and fail do not see this as failure but as a step forward towards training yourself into self disipline. you know where you want to go but are you willing to do the work. TRAINING yourself to be a better person wont happen overnight. i know my dog did not roll over even after numerous attempts but he rolls over on command now. remember “train yourself” it is a process.

I feel somewhat better after i read this article.it’s very nice.I like it ?but, I’ve a residual doubt?is self discipline is necessary for every human.

This article comes at the right time for me! Thank you very much.

Kavish from Mauritius

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

Awsome Piter…. Thanke you

That’s absolutely right. I’ve tried to quit smoking like 10 times.
Everytime I start with fresh courage and enthousiasm.
ut after e few days i kinda “forget” why I am quitting.
It’s like I lose the drive to quit.
How do we deal with that?

[...] you’d like to have now in order to save money to pay more on a credit card bill. This takes self-discipline.  Perhaps you may see the need to exercise more, but you do not really want to. To increase this [...]

sounds great

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

That is the most intellegent analysis of a situation I’ve read in a long, long time. Have you discovered any techniques for changing your fulcrum point?

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

I think that it has to be something that you really want to do. Make sure the goal is worthwhile and break the it down into small managable tasks.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

I agree with Mariano: “Will it last? Will it endure? How long can you keep control until you lower your guard?”

Rephrasing what Mariano says, at the initial stage of change, we use self-discipline, courage, dogged determination, to change, until we have internalised the new routine. Whatever is internalised becomes second nature and we do it because it is now in our nature, not because of grim determination.

Just wondering if the picture of the man doing pushup with his fists is Peter?

In the 1970s, with the Bruce Lee kungfu movie craze, young men like me decided to learn to do pushups with our fists. At first it was painful, but after practising for several months, it became just another routine, like cycling or threading water.

Today, I can still do 10 pushups with my fists even though I haven’t done it that way for decades.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/self-discipline/ [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

Great article! Besides self-disciplne, what do you think about external sources of it? For example having a coach or something that pushes you to do things you need to do instead of the ones you want to do?

How to self-improve fast, You will have times in your life when you will feel like you’re the most unattractive person to walk the Earth. You will need somebody to pull you aside and say – you will not reach higher with your hands in your pockets. You can set many records, if you do guarantee yourself that you will do what you promise yourself, and listen to your dreams, to self-improve faster.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] Clemens has this great post on his blog PickTheBrain.com:  – “Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you [...]

Great post. I love this line: “Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment.”

A person who lacks self-discipline is a fool. I highly recommend this book: “Self-Discipline in 10 Days: How to Go from Thinking to Doing” by Theodore Bryant. This book is more a workbook with exercises than a treatise. It walks you through the fear types that hold us back and teaches you how to overcome them at the moment when action is needed. Take it on faith and just do the exercises.

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Self Awareness is highly crucial in this process. Too bad its often overlooked as it may hold the key to your ills.

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This has been a great experiance – finding this site. On the subject of self dicipline I can’t help but think of my father – one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever known and two statements he told me many times. “The only person who will ever stop you from having (or doing) anything in life is yourself” and “Your mind is both your greatest asset and your worst liability”

Matthew Kosvic

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Much needed article..
To Prewesh.. to break the habit of smoking.. i have a few suggestions..
I’ve not been a smoker but i broke my terrible coffee addiction successfully..

1)First, get rid of all the cigarette packs lying around your home, workplace, garage, any other places you frequent….most importantly the stores from where you purchase the cigarette packets.
2)Next, start hanging out less with the after-work crowd, or colleagues with whom you tend to smoke…
3)Then fix a day when you will smoke the last cigarette… say 5 days from now….make an announcement… or write it somewhere prominent.. in your house/office…
4)Let D day come… and keep your mind focussed on staying away from cigaretted for 24 hrs…. stay away from all people, places and things that can make you slip…
5) At the end of the day reward yourself with something good, a good dinner or something…
6) When you start missing it then think of all the ways smoking has ruined or reduced the quality of your life or will in the future – the expense, stained lips and teeth, effect on your lungs, reduced stamina, effect on your self esteem, possibly strained relationships .. etc etc… learn to HATE a cigarette… make yourself despise it and its effects…then it will become easier as you go along..

Good luck.. Take it one day at a time..decide to stick it first for 1 day, then 3, then 7, then 14, 21, 30.. so on… you can do it… you CAN DO IT and you WILL!!!

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

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Great article Pete; you got it right, without self-discipline, we are slaves of whatever the mind desires. It is also crucial, not only to attain our goals or objectives, but also to experience that gratifying inner feeling.

why is that most, if not all, articles on self discipline start with the author relating to the reader, “For example, it is only in the past two years that I have trained myself to wake early.”, then there is “here’s my solution, followed be the same thing in every article, “commit to it!”

If i could commit to it then i wouldn’t be reading articles on the internet.

lol

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I agree with the above posters. Self discipline is one tough thing to do.
Terry from How to lose weight fast

I would like to add how self-discipline helps to be a human.Self-discipline should be considered as a type of selective training such as:

creating new habits of thought, action, and speech toward improving yourself and reaching goals.
Self-discipline can also be task oriented and selective.
View self-discipline as positive effort, rather than one of denial.

[...] I don’t like the fact I may have to sleep less to make things work, but as someone said, “The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.” I don’t want to this to get in the way of accomplishing my dreams and [...]

Great article. I ran a couple of marathons it took a lot of self-disipline to complete just the training required. However after this I was so conditioned and so proud of my accomplishment I succeded in every part of my life. I started getting awards at work like employee of the mounth, superviser of the quater it was the most happy I had ever been. I have to say the self-disipline I got in Marine Corps boot camp tought me that if I wanted something no matter what bad enough. I could have it. So yes its hard butt well worth it.

Peter clemens, the article tat you have written is good with lots of information. I am trying your steps for sure. Thanks a lot

wow this was really helpful! I can’t describe how glad I am! thank you soooo much!
this was amazing!!!

I couldn’t find contact information, but appears the article was copied over at:

http://actioncoach.com/How-to-Build-Self-Discipline?pressid=1184

Might be good to contact Mark and let him know to remove it. Always a sign of a great article

I really like this article.Yes it’s true that self-dicipline has a big impact in achieving one’s goal. I’ll try to put an effort to practice on the five traits mentioned above.Thanks a lot:)

This makes me inspired! I like it too..its good to know and realize if we set our mind to a goal for us to do the thing continously in focus. Doesn’t it take self-discipline to build up self-discipline? And if I don’t have any, how can I use what I don’t have?

[...] with temp­ta­tions, dis­trac­tions and neg­a­tiv­ity, it can be an uphill bat­tle to find self-discipline and a pos­i­tive atti­tude.  I’m not alone in admit­ting that my 2011 health and exer­cise [...]

Πάρα πολύ ενδιαφέρον αρθρο.Το προτείνω ανεπιφύλακτα

Great info about self discipline. I look back at times in my life when I was most disciplined and they were definitely the most productive. Here’s an interesting blog post about a scientific experiment with 4-year olds and marshmallows, their ability to not eat the marshmallows, and how their lives turned out down the road. Interesting thinking around self-discipline: http://bit.ly/dQw7wM

Fascinating. Breaking down self-discipline to a five-part process reminds me of another interesting post, here: http://blog.wealthhabit.net/2011/02/in-1972-stanford-psychologist-named.html

Maybe the guy in the picture should have had more self-discipline when he got that tribal tattoo.

I like this article and it helps me to improve my activities and the 3rd point impress me much

I like this article and it helps me to improve my activities and the 3rd point impress me much. Thank you

Hello,

You know, I was looking around some blogs regarding self discipline. I was seeking motivation from someone that would actually understand or have experienced what I am going through right now, and this is exactly what i was looking for.

Thank you for the article.

C.

I appreciate you taking time to write this very informative
article, after going running! You have a very different
perspective and it actually allows readers to visualize and put
the pieces together (little by little) to make
changes. Very positive, was inspired.

I got to thinking that certain decisioms are easy because we’ve built in a ‘default’ position about something. Example, it’s always been my position to not pick up hitch-hikers, so when I see one, I don’t even have to consider it. You can apply this to self-discipline. In order to grow my business, I need to be prospecting every day. But let’s face it, you get swamped sometimes, and it’s easy to put off cold-calling for a day or two. So I made it my ‘default’ position not to leave the office until I’ve done some prospecting every single day, from making a call, writing a newsletter, sending out a mailing or something else that will bring me closer to a new client. This removes all rationalization when it comes to the activity in question. No matter how busy or tired I am, it’s unthinkable to go home before I’ve made that call or sent out a letter. Your post here reinforces that idea for me. I should apply that same technique to other things I need to do, like getting regular exercise!

Another blog about discipline:
http://online-guitarlessons.net/how-to-play-guitar-discipline-and-motivation.html

It deals with discipline in playing the guitar, but the concepts are general applicable imo.

kindly i like this article and i do appreciate it makes me more inspired.i was looking around some blogs regarding self discipline but unfortunate i get it good

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[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

I liked this quote: “Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment.” That is the truth, mind over knee-jerk reaction. Think it over. The mind is powerful if we will just use it.

yea it can be because you might be puttiing your self down when you talk to yourself about something.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

Good stuff you have here, I was going to mention this to a good friend of mine

I am agree

I am agreeeeeeeee

yessssssssssssssss

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

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I knew you would find this interesting …love you

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[...] full question included some references to online articles that summed up the two ideas. How to Build Self-Discipline, fron Pick the Brain, makes a great argument for self-discipline as the tool that keeps us moving [...]

[...] full question included some references to online articles that summed up the two ideas. How to Build Self-Discipline, fron Pick the Brain, makes a great argument for self-discipline as the tool that keeps us moving [...]

[...] full question included some references to online articles that summed up the two ideas. How to Build Self-Discipline, fron Pick the Brain, makes a great argument for self-discipline as the tool that keeps us moving [...]

[...] full question included some references to online articles that summed up the two ideas. How to Build Self-Discipline, fron Pick the Brain, makes a great argument for self-discipline as the tool that keeps us moving [...]

[...] full question included some references to online articles that summed up the two ideas. How to Build Self-Discipline, fron Pick the Brain, makes a great argument for self-discipline as the tool that keeps us moving [...]

I think tonight has been my revelation…. at 2am it dawned me that I have no self-discipline!! I find this article and the stories are a perfect match of my daily life!

I know I can’t live like this anymore!! I have SO MANY talents & I’m to afraid to reach out and have the courage to persue any of them OR have the discipline to work towards them!

This article seems very helpful & may change my life hopefully! I need change REAL bad!

It took me some self discipline to write a comment when all I wanted to do is browse and scan.

As Dr Robert Schuller said one time “Inch by inch anything’s a sinch”. And self discipline is one muscle that’s worth exercising and as Plato once said “The first and best great victory is to conquer self”

Be Free, its where dreams come true!
Sean

i realy liked the way i felt after reading this article. i felt all this while i had nothing to loose if only i was self disciplined and confident. i nw realise that the hardest thing to do is to believe, after that acting afterwards would be much easier. thanks alot

Very Nice artical.. I Plucked a right chord by reading this…

my first step was posting this comment..now im going to clean my room…study for my text..finish my resume..and stay off twitter..all you have to do is start. thank you.

Fine I’ll do my friggin book report…

AMAZING work .

thanks for sharing these tips. Deeply and very well explained .

I totally understand how you feel. I’ve been getting myself back on track this year. I’ve lost 30 pounds and I am working to lose 15 more. I’m back in school and I am going to make sure I use the talents that I have. I watched this video of Will Smith on youtube where he talks about how to create your life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfWGoLj1JCM&feature=player_embedded

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WOW, same here.

Great article and thanks for the link to the will smith youtube clip.

I also recomentd:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/06/self-discipline/

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Great article! Got me feeling so inspired. Its so easy to give into your emotions and needs when at the end of the day your happiness depends on the discipline you use to achieve those goals you have. Once you’ve achieved them through being disciplined you’ll be a happier more fulfilled person. Knowing you’ve done all you possibly could. Not by being lazy and a procrastinator!

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline This entry was posted in Health. Bookmark the permalink. ← Hello world! [...]

You need to have self discipline is you want to achieve something. So many people don’t know what they want from life. So, being or not being disciplined is not an issue for them at all. The just go through their Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday…
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[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

I love the picture you used. It is energizing.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

Thats all good. but its alot harder if you dont know what you want in life.

I do not know. I dont think there is anything- I would of realized it by now. Money is not that important to me. Nothing interests me to study. girlfriend or future wife…- meh. etc etc.

Therefore I have to ‘come up with’ discipline to avoid consequences like bad health. ummm do this consistently?…- I’m Doomed. Really… no information can help me.

really useful…… thanks for the article

This is the key to success, it’s easy to say but can be difficult to put into practice, I know I try every day to achieve the self-discipline needed to work on a personal project rather than find anything to distract me.

I have always known that i lack selfdescipline.This has open my eyes thanks

Great article. Doing what is right even when you don’t feel like it at the moment. If I follow this one tenet, I will be able to achieve anything I want…

Thank you

I have always had a problem with Self confidence and what not and i feel that it has to do with my early childhood. These problems are becoming more and more apparent so now i feel like i must face them and conquer them and this article is rigth just do little things to make you feel better about yourself like a basketball game its not about the 3 pointers its the quick 2 pointers that win the game.

saaame

Yes! Very well said! It’s great to see people out there saying what they feel instead of tiptoeing around.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

Same here

This a great article because i never knew about certain facts about self-discipline and u know this has always being my problem.I gat to work on it.tanx a lot,u r a blessing.ibdee24

[...] Share them with us within the comments.Don’t Forget To Follow Us On Twitter!Related Articles:How To extend Self DisciplineHow To Motivate YourselfRead More… [Source: MedWorm Tags: weight loss] This entry was posted [...]

[...] found an article on the blog Pick the Brain that talks about just this thing … how to be disciplined.  Peter, the author, shares some [...]

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

This is exactly what I needed to hear. I have been putting off way too many thing. For example a boyfriend which I need to let go of, I need to go back to school . Overall I just need to be more serious .

[...] is defined “acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment” (pickthebrain.com) Couponers have the self-discipline to cut their coupons, organize their lists, shop around for the [...]

thx for giving dis tips……..

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I enjoy talking to myself. I have some phrases thatkeep me motivated and disciplined in the face of challenge.

One of the things I struggle with is geting up early. This is an area of self discipline that I have been working on for quite some time. Will try out the other tips you shared.

thanks a lot for a great piece of counselling for self discipline  

Discipline is highly adapted by enviromental influences  & relationships. A person like me who not only lives in a junk area and who does not have friends or any relationships discipline becomes near impossible.

Also, I think discipline should be fortified/replaced with the positive rather then just trying to discipline yourself by not doing the negative , it’s like trying to not think of a pink elephant within the next 5 seconds, always fails from my experience.

Self discipline can take a while to control but the rewards are great.

Self discipline can take a while to control but the rewards are great.

ok, great we have to change our self in to disciplined

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a good article and practical too!

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Awesome article!!!!

I have been working on discipline and self-motivation and come back to this article quite often.

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Ah yes, the self talk.  What stories do we tell ourselves and how useful are they?  If I tell myself that discipline is impossible for me, then I am probably right.   But if I change my story to something that serves me better it could change my life.

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After learning self-discipline, life becomes soooooo much easier, you can do anything and be really good at it. But it is fuck hard to master.

that is so true, and it’s how im changing myself now

The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.

change my life

My mom is making me copy this entire article on paper…

This is a great article.  I can remember many instances in my life where I was punished physically, mentally, and monetarily by not being disciplined.  When you talk about pain of regret, this punishment is true pain of regret. 

There are lots of tidbits in this article that can help one develop self discipline.  However, I still think we all operate on different circadian rhythms, don’t you?  My experience is that my circadian rhythm is very difficult to change.  Do you think it is possible to change one’s circadian rhythm?

Lizbeth

This is a great article.  I can remember many instances in my life where I was punished physically, mentally, and monetarily by not being disciplined.  When you talk about pain of regret, this punishment is true pain of regret. 

There are lots of tidbits in this article that can help one develop self discipline.  However, I still think we all operate on different circadian rhythms, don’t you?  My experience is that my circadian rhythm is very difficult to change.  Do you think it is possible to change one’s circadian rhythm?

Lizbeth

November 20, 2011
I’m Paul and I promised myself I’m gonna start jogging daily for 30 minutes starting tomorrow and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to achieve my ideal body 4 months from now.  If you can remember me, you may check my result by sending me email at paulbern007@yahoo.com
Thank you for this article. It reminded me of my military training which I’ve long forgotten.

What incredibly useless drivel. The key to self- discipline is commitment? You might as well say ‘The key to self-discipline is self- discipline.’ Are you a con man or just an idiot?

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If it was that easy for someone to accomplish all that they desire, wouldn’t you think more people would take heed. In the perfect world or for the perfect person this is the blue print for success at whatever one wants. In the real world the distractions that come with living makes these simple tasks feel impossible. I am struggling with self discipline but with articles like this it reassures me that I can overcome the odds. Thanks

I’m one of those people, too. I’m more of a night person than a morning one. Recently, I’ve been naturally waking up earlier than usual because I’ve been sleeping earlier. Makes sense. Also, I’ve been focusing a lot more on what I eat. Eating healthy and vitamin enriched foods truly make a difference. So, try not to stay up late and get things done earlier.

[...] How To Increase Self Discipline [...]

Great Post! I’ve found that a little self discipline goes a long way. Thanks, Matt.

For many years I suffered from an illness called procrastination! To read an excellent post like this has helped me to stay motivated! Thanks

Great building self discipline  is not easy for me it take a time to have that kind of body because i love eating foods, sweets. honestly im kind of lazy doing exercise but i want to be fit. i try to follow this thanks for sharing it

Self-Knowledge, Conscious Awareness, Commitment to Self-Discipline, Courage and
Internal Coaching are all to a tee. To have the best success, start with the first, Self Knowledge and when you can honestly say you’ve achieved that, go on to the 2nd and so forth, before you know it, you’ll be there. It actually took me many months from an unhealthy over-weight person to a healthy fit person I am now. This does work!

hello i am really bless with this word of yours may GOD continues to bless u people. i am valdo_fon@yahoo.com, i will love you people to be my mentor, coze i have so many problems just becoze of lack of indiscipline,THANK GOD I MEET U PEOPLE.

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Great article, some really good points made here!

http://www.awfullyfabulous.com/

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Finally an article that makes sense.  Instead of saying “I am going to lose 10 lbs…or I am going to quit drinking…” it would be better to approach it as “I am going to be in control!”   Thanks for the article.

This post has inspired me to go to the gym in the morning,  I know it will do me good!!

[...] psychological factors, and the most important may be self-awareness. Thankfully, there are lots of resources and literature online for most of us who need some direction or [...]

The five pillars of self-discipline are: Acceptance, Willpower, Hard
Work, Industry, and Persistence. If you take the first letter of each
word, you get the acronym “A WHIP” — a convenient way to remember them,
since many people associate self-discipline with whipping themselves
into shape.

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[...] acting according to what [I] think instead of how [I] feel in the moment “². However, if my purpose is unclear then discipline will struggle to [...]

Wouldn’t you say that “Commitment to self discipline” in itself requires self discipline? This segment is a bit of a gimmick and does not provide a real insight on the matter being discussed – more like an infinite loop. 
The rest of the article, however, is quite well written. 

I love it. A lot of us forget what it takes to have discipline at all in our spoiled lives in a modern world, but this article brought back a reality check for me and a good one at that. Thank you!

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Thanks for your article. I definitely need a guide like this one. I have to improve my self-discipline a lot more.

http://www.sukitama.com

superb….very nice article

started out liking this. Many helpful points. By the second point, I’m thinking “I know my behavior is undisciplined or on wouldn’t have found this page.” 3rd point your a flower child and everything is Rosie. by the end I’m thinking your gay. Might want to rephrase some stuff.

This is very helpful, along with all the other information here.

If anyoneone can benefit from this, it’s us older guys, as we tend to loose 2 of the 5.

how?