Just Do It! I can’t remember when I first heard this classic tagline from Nike… it’s been quite a few years. Comes to mind when I’m thinking about self-discipline.
So we have come to the conclusion that we need to eat better, lose some weight, exercise more, listen better, control our anger better etc. Dare to say that each of us has something that we would like to do better. Usually, identifying what we want to improve is easy. The hard part centers on the work which will be required in order to achieve our self-improvement objectives. One thing we need to keep in mind-without action on our part nothing will change, in some cases things could actually get worse.
You have probably heard the phrase, “mind over matter”. Once you have come up with your objective it is important to develop a plan as to how you are going to go about achieving it. I think this is an important step in helping us to avoid the pitfalls of failing to achieve our goal. It is important here to be realistic. For example, the stated objective of losing one pound a week versus losing 20 pounds over the next month is probably more realistic. It is better in my view to focus on longer term life style changes than shorter term fixes. I also think it is better not to try and focus on too many self-improvement projects at once. It may be better to prioritize what is most important and go from there. When it comes down to being successful, it is all about having the discipline needed to control whatever it may be that may be prohibiting you from reaching your goal. Assuming that you have a solid plan for achieving your objective, it then comes down to having the will to implement your plan.
Keeping track of your goal also helps to keep you motivated, especially when you begin to realize your making progress towards achieving your goal. Tracking is also important in regards to helping us to understand whether our plan to achieve our goal is a valid one. At times we may need to tweak our plan in order to achieve our objectives.. Self-improvement is a process. Living in a world where we have become accustomed to immediate gratification and the quick fix makes it challenging for us when it comes to working on longer term projects. This is where our discipline is really put to the test!
The reality is that goals can be achieved with the appropriate amount of motivation and discipline. The more we can discipline ourselves, the easier it does become to stay the course. We are creatures of habit. The better habits we develop, the more disciplined we become.
We just have to do it!