Do you want to learn more self-discipline to make your dreams come true? Learning self-discipline is easier than you think, and you don’t even need that much to get ahead
The lazy ones with self-discipline
I don’t think I have a lot of discipline. But when I say this to people, they say it’s false modesty.
Because how can someone with little discipline write regularly, eat healthy , exercise enough, develop courses, keep his mailbox in order and meditate regularly ?
I thought about it, and I came to two conclusions :
- Discipline is about doing things you don’t want to do . A lot of the things I do I like to do – so I don’t need discipline for it.
- Once you do something often enough, you form a habit . And habits are almost automatic. And because they are almost automatic, you hardly need any discipline.
And that is exactly where I am.
Stop doing things you don’t want to do
I am a star at this. I think life is too short to deal with things I don’t want to do .
Okay – I’m not doing the VAT return with a smile. And I am not fond of making the bed . But even with this kind of task, I do my best to make it less annoying.
- I streamline the VAT return process so that it becomes less tedious . I work with a checklist and because of that I am through it before I realize it.
- I use making the bed as a mindfulness exercise . I change the sheets in full consciousness. At the end I am happy with a crisp clean bed, and I feel nice and calm and happy.
And for the rest I am very critical about the things I let in my life. If it doesn’t make me happy, doesn’t help me toward my goals, or doesn’t bring me satisfaction, it’s going to get out of my life (or not come in).
My standard answer is no . And only if the activity can convince me of its fantasticness, then maybe it will be yes.
Habits streamline your life
It works like dental plaque – just think about it. If you don’t brush your teeth for too long, you get the jitters and you start brushing . The threshold at which you can no longer tolerate it is different for everyone. And you can train that threshold.
For example: if I don’t meditate for too long I get the jitters. So I’m going to meditate. I can’t help but meditate .
I get the jitters after a few days. And I’m working on getting them in just one day. Because I know – the more I meditate, the better my life gets.
Habits streamline your life. They ensure that you no longer have to think and feel no resistance. You just do it – because you’re used to it.
Building habits is one way to invest your willpower . For a few weeks, you use your willpower to push yourself into a new habit. And once the habit is ingrained, you don’t need willpower anymore.
Then that willpower is released and you can invest it in a new habit. And that works like a charm.
I’m a productive lazy cat
Really and truly. I would prefer to play games and laze about every day . But I can’t , because I have all kinds of fun things to do and because I get the jitters if I don’t do certain useful things .
