6 Steps I Use to Build a Better Discipline (That Will Help You Achieve Any Goal)
Motivation helps you get started; discipline keeps you going.
Ana, please, can you pick all the breadcrumbs from the floor?” used to ask my Mum after lunch.
And she meant — by hand. Not a vacuum cleaner or a broom.
There were also some ground rules:
You can’t go into your day without making your bed.
It’s common knowledge you sit straight after school and do homework.
You can’t stop playing the sport until the season is finished.
I thought that my mum was unnecessarily harsh.
Now I know she taught me the most important human trait — discipline.
The most significant lesson from your character-building years is the ability to repeat the same actions until you achieve results.
Expect to struggle as an adult if you don’t have that conquered early in life.
But, if you have mastered that crucial skill, you’ll be able to put your shit together, no matter what. Stand up and grow stronger and more resilient, no matter what type of storm your life puts you into.
Motivation helps you get started; discipline keeps you going.
So, if you find yourself struggling to achieve your goals, you may think that the problem is a lack of motivation.
While motivation can help you get started, discipline keeps you going even when you don’t feel like it.
“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”― E. James Rohn.
We’re all wired into the habit of reading another great book to organise our life, but the truth is: that no book will help us succeed unless we build discipline.
Understanding the Difference Between Motivation and Discipline
To build discipline or work on it, you need to understand the difference between motivation and discipline.
Option 1:
You get up and think long and arduous to see if you feel like doing what needs to be done. It’s the drive or desire to do something and start your task.
The bottom line is — your emotions and feelings control you.
Motivation = feeling.
Option 2:
You get up and do what needs to be done because that has to be done, whether you like it or not.
That’s discipline, my friends. It's doing things again and again that you might not like at all, but you know will bring results.
The bottom line — you’re in control.
Discipline= habit.
Building habits = building your discipline muscle.
I’m not a big fan of self-help books. The tricky part is not discovering the changes you need but applying new knowledge to improve your life.
But if I had to choose one self-help book, it would be James Clear’s Atomic Habits.
He is damn good in teaching people how to improve performance in ANY field by implementing a routine and building habits = discipline.
What you repeatedly do (i.e. what you spend time thinking about and doing each day) ultimately forms the person you are, the things you believe, and the personality that you portray,
says James Clear.
But, hey, motivation and discipline are not mutually exclusive.
They work together to help you achieve your goals.
Motivation can help you get started, but it’s discipline that will keep you going, even when you don’t feel like it.
The Role of Discipline in Achieving Goals
Why is Discipline essential for achieving your goals?
Because it helps you stay on track and avoid distractions.
With discipline, you can create a plan and stick to it, even when you face challenges or setbacks.
You can break down your goals into smaller, manageable steps and work towards them consistently, beating overwhelm.
As you make progress, you can adjust your plan and keep moving forward.
Discipline also helps you develop self-control and willpower.
When you have self-discipline, you can resist temptation and delay gratification.
You can make choices that align with your long-term goals, even if they require short-term sacrifices.
This can help you avoid impulsive decisions that lead to regret or disappointment.
Discipline as a Habit
Discipline is not something you are born with but a habit you can develop over time. (That’s why my parents made me do tedious tasks repeatedly).
You can start by setting small goals and working towards them consistently. For example, you can commit to exercising for 15 minutes a day or reading for 10 minutes before bed.
Or writing 60 minutes on Substack/Blog/Working on your side hustle every day.
As you build these habits, you can increase the intensity or duration of your activities.
Practical Steps to Develop Discipline
Even the biggest winners and warriors probably weren’t born as discipline masters. They built up on persistence and perseverance.
Developing discipline is a process that requires consistent effort and practice.
A few things are crucial to add as you build your discipline: I’ve been using some of these for years to build my discipline muscle:
1. Set clear goals
Having clear goals helps you stay focused and motivated. Make sure your goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
No general goals.
NO: I’ll start writing on Substack.
YES: I’ll write ten articles next month.
2. Create a routine
Establishing a routine helps you develop habits that support your goals. It also helps you stay organised and manage your time effectively.
I’ve been experimenting with my routines as they change how my needs change.
Recently, I have worked on incorporating time blocking into daily life. Here is a free printable template for you to try.
My advice is:
NO: 2-hour complicated morning routine
YES: Keep it simple. Three steps to get you going in the morning is enough.
3. Eliminate distractions
Identify what distracts you and find ways to eliminate or minimise them.
NO: Remove everything at once.
YES: Remove distractions one by one.
4. Practice self-control
Self-control is a key component of discipline.
Practice delaying gratification and resisting temptations to strengthen your self-control muscle.
As an Orthodox Christian, religious fasting helped me immensely to build self-control.
NO: Have too many expectations from yourself.
YES: Use delayed gratification.
6. Reward yourself
Celebrate your successes and reward yourself for achieving your goals.
This helps you stay motivated and reinforces positive habits.
NO: Don’t give too many or too few rewards.
YES: Yes, you deserve rewards!
What next?
Discipline and consistency go hand in hand. Consistency is essential for developing discipline, as it helps establish habits supporting your goals.
Here are some tips to start building your discipline today:
Start small: Don’t try to change everything at once. Focus on making small, incremental changes that you can sustain over time.
Track your progress and celebrate your successes. This will help you stay motivated and reinforce positive habits.
Be accountable: Find someone who can hold you responsible for your actions. This could be a friend, family member, or coach.
Stay positive: Developing discipline takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you experience setbacks or challenges. Instead, stay positive and focus on your progress.
I hope you enjoy these productivity topics. Although this is not strictly related to content or marketing, I’ve experienced that once I built better discipline, my marketing results improved.
Let me know your thoughts on this article and my Work in Progress - Productivity segment. See you in the comments :)
Big hug
Angelina