Self Discipline – Who Wins?
Do What You Say You’re Going To Do
Remember the two ways you were disciplined growing up? The first was the “threat”. “If you don’t do your homework, you can’t go out and play.” The other one was a “reward”. “If you do your homework, we’ll go out for ice cream.” The end result in both cases was achieved because of the authority of the person in charge. Most likely, your teachers and parents got the results they were expecting.
As adults discipline takes on new meaning. It is not about omeone else threatening us with consequences or enticing us with rewards. It’s about taking responsibility for our own actions. No longer is anyone telling us what to do or how to behave. Being in charge of our own actions and results means exercising self-discipline. Being responsible is tough!
I once read that if you wake up determined in the morning and implement that same determination all day, you go to bed feeling satisfied. It’s true. The days I am conscientious about my eating, exercising, journaling, or completing my “to do list” I get into bed feeling terrific. When I fall short of what I told myself I was going to accomplish I end the day disappointed. Either way I have to take credit!
Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don’t talk back. We know how we feel when we honor the commitments we make to ourselves. We also know how we feel when we fall short. It was easier when someone told us what we had to do; it’s much more difficult to tell ourselves.
Think of the outcomes you could achieve if you exercised self-discipline NO MATTER WHAT! Suddenly you are in the drivers seat.
When you say “no” to behavior that takes you off track, you are saying “yes” to achieving the results you want. That’s powerful. By eliminating excuses to yourself and others, you are setting an example. The more determined you become to follow through on your decisions NO MATTER WHAT, the more self-disciplined you will become.
Self disciplined is strengthening. It’s empowering. It gets results. When we were disciplined as children, our elders won. Today, when we exercise our own discipline we win. Decide what you are determined to do NO MATTER WHAT, stay disciplined, and see for yourself how it feels.
