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Gail Matthews of Dominican University of California found that simply writing down a goal increases your likelihood of achieving it by 42 percent.
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We’ve written about this before, but it’s worth repeating: Once you’ve decided on a goal, write it down. But as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.” Here are three tips for self-discipline training that’ll help you stay strong, and turn you into a goal-crushing machine: Let’s not mince words: It takes time and commitment to build self-discipline into your life, and you’ll inevitably encounter setbacks. How to build self-discipline in your life
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Think of them as two complementary forces, where willpower is self-discipline in action. So while willpower may be great (even necessary) for reaching short-term goals, self-discipline is the engine that will power your life and lead to long-term success. Self-discipline is about continual improvement training yourself to be better today than you were yesterday. Willpower is about controlling your impulses and desires, and saying “no” to temptation. Self-discipline, on the other hand, is a conscious, long-term decision to do what you’ve committed to doing, without allowing yourself to be distracted. They both require sacrifice and determination-and they’re both really hard to do! But there’s a key difference: Willpower is sudden and immediate it’s saying no to that piece of cake when someone offers it to you. Self-discipline and willpower (or self- control) sound like the same thing. Is self-discipline the same as willpower? As author Jim Rohn said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” It’s the path that leads you from where you are to where you want to be. If things go well, you may still reach them but at the first sign of friction, you’ll quit. Without self-discipline, your goals are at the mercy of your circumstances. It’s the voice that pushes you to keep striving (whether your goal is to be a better artist, athlete, entrepreneur, or friend) when you’d rather binge-watch the latest Netflix hit. to go to the gym, when all you want to do is roll over and go back to sleep. Self-discipline is the voice in your head that wakes you up at 5 a.m. Simply put, self-discipline is doing what you need to do, when you need to do it, whether you want to or not. What is self-discipline? And why is it important? Then, when unexpected events occur (as they surely will), you’ll have the strength to resist temptation and stay laser-focused on your goals-no matter what life throws at you. Along with creating a plan for what you want to achieve, there’s one vitally important skill you need to master: self-discipline. Despite all the disruption this year has brought, each new day is an opportunity to reset your outlook, recalibrate your aim, and try again.īut (and here’s the important bit) in order to succeed, something needs to change. Now you’re left thinking about what could have been- should have been-and wondering how you’ll ever reach those goals. But then (*waves arms around*) all this happened, and your plans fell by the wayside. Perhaps you set goals for 2020 way back in January you may have even created a plan for achieving them. With that in mind, this year certainly has been… interesting. Its lesson is that upheaval, conflict, and change in our lives can consume so much of our mental and emotional reserves that it can become impossible to focus on anything else. Clarke to Hillary Clinton, and while we might not be sure of its provenance, we all understand that it’s a curse, not a blessing. It’s a saying that’s been quoted by everyone from Arthur C.
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