Waking up in the morning can be a chore. So can making your bed, exercising, cooking, reading and other things in life that, in the long run, are really good for you to do; however, these things take time and take effort, and they all have one thing in common; They require discipline.
Lately, I've struggled with taking the lazy train to life. I've slept in longer than I've wanted to, making getting to work on time stressful, I haven't exercised in who knows how long, and I can count the number of meals I've cooked for myself over the past month on one hand. Needless to say, I'm not happy with where my discipline level currently is, so to celebrate the New Year and New Year's resolutions, I've come up with a few keys to help myself get back to being the disciplined person I like to be. Maybe you'll find them helpful, as well.
1) Set a Schedule
In order to start practicing discipline in your daily routine, you have to set a schedule and start at the basics. Whether you're looking to eat healthier or start exercising regularly, it's important to set aside some times throughout your day to do these things. Even if it means just waking up 15 minutes earlier to make a fresh salad to take for lunch, rather than hitting up Taco Bell at noon, setting a schedule and planning a head is a key to start living a more disciplined lifestyle.
2) See Discipline as a Means to Dreams
We all have goals, whether it's to complete an 'Iron Man' Triathlon or just to simply wake up by 8 a.m. every morning. Goals come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing all goals have in common is that they all require discipline. If you want to accomplish something, it's going to take effort, and odds are, it's not going to happen over night. View discipline as the helpful means to your dreams. Without it, it's unlikely those dreams will unfold, and you can bet that anyone who's doing what you one day dream of doing got there with lots of time, effort and discipline.
3) Start Small
Disciplining yourself isn't easy. If it was, it wouldn't be called discipline. If you're looking to start making improvements in your life that require discipline, start small. Don't set yourself up for 'failure' by promising to do a lot of life changing things all at once. Start with something basic, like exercising twice a week, and build up some victory confidence, and then move forward. It's easier to practice discipline with a winning attitude, rather than a losing once. Take the small victories and go from there!
4) Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself
Like all things in life, sometimes there's failure. Pursing discipline is no different. There are going to be days when things don't go according to plan and that the discipline you're chasing after turns into a touch of laziness. When that happens, don't let it get you down. No ones perfect, and we all need rest. If your pursuit of discipline takes a trip on the lazy train for a day, don't beat yourself up. Get back on track and pick up where you left off. Don't give up and don't ditching your discipline.
With the New Year approaching and everyone starting their New Year's resolutions, start a simple one for yourself; Look to live a more disciplined life in at least one area you want to improve on. For me, it's going to be getting my butt out of bed before the sun comes up. Will it happen over night? No, but that's what discipline is for. Good luck on all of your New Year's Resolutions, and feel free to share some below!
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: Discipline is the means to dreams.