How do you become disciplined?
We all see successful people and want to know what sets them apart from the rest. People who stay at the top of their business even in old age. People who have an impressive fortune and do not need anything. People who give themselves to different areas of activity and retain a passion for life.
How to be like them? Why does it seem as if everything is working out for them and not for us?
A major part of being successful in any endeavour is self-discipline. The ability to say no when others say yes. After all, life is a series of choices and decisions that shape its quality in the long term.
Unfortunately, we often ignore long-term goals for the sake of fleeting pleasures. For example, how many times have you had an extra cup of coffee, even though you wanted to save 50-100 USD? How many times did you go to the bar to relax while trying to save up for the trip? How many times have you thought about your dreams and favourite things while watching TV?
It's complicated. However, there are ways to help make it easier to work on yourself. You don't have to make the right and lasting decision every time. We just have to do it most of the time.
Use these three ways to develop discipline in yourself.
Council number 1. Eat 5 times a day, but cheat with one of them.
Proper nutrition is something that almost everyone finds with great difficulty. When we are tired, it is easy to eat something unhealthy, and we, for the most part, do so. You probably know that there are many diets and meal plans. You've probably even tried 90% of them, but we found a method that works smoothly in most cases. Eat regularly according to this plan to keep fit.
Eat five times a day, spaced by several hours between meals. The point is, 4 out of 5 meals are healthy food. No preservatives. Just vegetables, carbohydrates, protein, a serving of fruits or nuts. Add “healthy” starch occasionally, depending on your hunger. After that, during the fifth meal, stick to the same healthy dietary system, but slightly distort it by including a small bag of chips or some ice cream or something sweet that you really want at this moment.
If you spent the day according to these instructions, you ate 80% better than your usual diet. This is a better diet than most people. So, by committing a little deception every day, you continue to strive towards a healthier lifestyle.
Tip # 2: Spend Two Zero Days a Week
We all spend more than we should. Any irrational purchase can be justified by the fact that it pleases us at a particular moment. A really useful skill, however, is the ability to say no to purchases we don't need.
Try to do two "zero" days a week. Day zero is a day during which you spent nothing. Not for lunch. Not for tea. Not for soda. These are two days when you have no money at all.
This is a simple, at first glance, but difficult task to complete. It's amazing to realize how many accidental and unnecessary waste we make.
“I had a tough day. This coffee costs only 5 USD. I've done a good job and can afford it. "
The amount of money saved in this exercise does not matter. Even minimal expenses are taken into account. The point is to thoroughly understand how, how much and when we spend. This won't add up to a lot of retirement, but it will help you better control your lifestyle.
Such "zero" days lead to the adoption of balanced, deliberate parting with money. It is not about making a million-dollar fortune by saving money. It's about being your own boss.
Tip # 3: Read 30 minutes a day
Sometimes life picks up such a pace that we seem to completely lose the ability to remain focused on anything other than the task that is currently a priority. And in moments like this, we must maintain the discipline to continue to develop. True discipline is not the ability to do what is good, but the ability to do when it is very difficult.
Develop a habit of reading 30 minutes daily. It can be in the morning when you just woke up, or, conversely, reading before bedtime. Use 30 minutes to read material that will improve your knowledge in a specific area, teach you something new, and improve your lifestyle.
At the end of the month, this daily half-hour will add up to 15 hours of training that will enter your life and activity, making it more comfortable, productive and conducive to development. Time is the most valuable asset we have, so spend 1/48 of your daily wealth on something that can improve your life in direct progression. We promise that you will not regret it.
Last thoughts
Rigid self-discipline is an ideal to strive for. In practice, everything is much more complicated and it is impossible to always follow clear rules. But we hope that the tips given in the article will help you, at least, become a little more collected and make your life better. But for this, it is important to be consistent. Don't give up aspirations after a few days.
A long journey begins with small steps. Good luck with your trip!
