How Does Discipline Help You Reach Your Goals?

I talk a lot about goal setting and how having goals helps you achieve success. But one thing that usually gets skipped over is how being and practicing self-discipline will certainly help you make changes (for the better) in your life in many ways. When you make up your mind to be disciplined you will see it works to improve the quality of the many parts of your life, at the same time.

So, how does discipline help you reach your goals? Discipline helps you channel your time and effort in the most constructive manner possible. It will surprise you how much you will be able to get done in a short time when your efforts are channeled in a methodical manner. Discipline will allow you to better manage your time and reach your goals.

When you include the practice of self-discipline into your life, your persona will change gradually. You’ll weigh each option more carefully and ensure that you are completely focused on what you are doing. Your decisions will be based on whether your actions will hurt you or help you.

You’ll be less likely to sacrifice what you want most for what you want now. This will help you reach your goals faster since you’ll be getting out of your own way and it’ll automatically improve your productivity at work too.

When your productivity yields positive results, you will feel more confident and be motivated to do more. Your outlook will become increasingly positive. If you’re someone with low self-esteem and low confidence levels, introducing the practice of self-discipline will certainly give you more confidence and boost you sense of self-worth.

When you discipline your mind, you will be able to execute your efforts in a organized manner. When your efforts are directed in an efficient manner, the end result is that you achieve more by doing less.

You’ll reach success faster with less effort. So many people do the ‘Cha-Cha’ dance when trying to achieve something. They take two steps forward and then two steps back.

One good example is with weight loss. There are people who will slog it out for an hour on the treadmill. Once they reach home, they’ll eat two slices of cake and call it a day without realizing that what they just ate undid their entire workout.

The reason people give in to temptation is a lack of discipline. The instant gratification of eating the cake makes them forget the body that they’re desperate to get. Self-discipline will keep your eye on the end goal. Suddenly, the slices of cake will become obstacles to your progress and you’ll realize it!

By staying focused you will be able to accomplish a lot. When you are able to see your efforts translating into results, a sense of accomplishment will rise within you.

You will start believing in yourself more and will trust yourself to see a task to its completion. Your confidence levels will improve tremendously and will have a positive effect on the quality of your work. This will make you feel good about yourself. See… it’s amazing how discipline can lead to happiness. It’s akin to medicine that cures you of your illness and makes you feel good.

Discipline also creates more balanced individuals. You’ll learn to have a level head and not fly off the handle unnecessarily. You’ll not immediately react to a situation, without considering the pros and cons of each decision.

Your conversations with others also will be more measured. You will be trusted by others to stay calm and make an informed decision. This trust removes unnecessary troubles, friction and/ or misunderstandings in your relationships with others.

When your reactions are controlled, the chances of you wreaking havoc in a relationship are slim. Once again self-discipline saves the day.

As mentioned earlier, when you practice self-discipline, you will be an unmovable rock of calmness in all situations. You’ll tackle any situation in a systematic manner. This automatically improves your mental clarity.

How so?

Let’s assume that you are in a chaotic situation. When your mind is not disciplined, you’ll be all over the place. There will be thousands of thoughts crossing your mind at the same time. You may end up reacting, without actually thinking it through.

Your mind will be clouded by the emotions and anxiety and you won’t be able to think straight. On the other hand, when your mind is disciplined, you’ll be able to assess the situation in a calm and composed manner.

By approaching the situation at hand in a orderly manner, you’ll be able to break it down into smaller more manageable components and the solution will reveal itself to you. This mental clarity is a result of exercising self-discipline and reigning in your scattered thoughts. Your focus determines your reality. Discipline gives you that focus.

It’s interesting to note that your attitude will slowly start to change when you discipline your mind. Your outlook will become more positive and you’ll appreciate life better. Where people see clouds, you’ll see the silver lining.

An attitude of gratitude will rise up within you without you even realizing it. The calmness and composed thoughts in you have created a positive mindset that’s a very powerful weapon in the darkest of times. This weapon was carved and molded in your self-discipline and it will always serve you well when times are tough.

When you learn to appreciate even the smallest of things around you, you’ll find happiness in whatever you do! You don’t need external stimuli to keep you happy. You will feel contented and happy, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Self-discipline is extremely crucial when you are trying to fix your life by getting rid of your bad habits and addictions. Unless you learn to control your mind, you will not be able to resist bad habits. It’s a constant battle between the spirit and the flesh. Make no mistake about this.

They often say that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. As a result, most people cave in to their negative habits and addictions. It just seems too difficult to give up smoking or the drugs or the gambling. Whatever your vice is, shedding it will always be a battle. Discipline will give your flesh the strength it needs to fight the addictions.

If you are trying to fight off procrastination, you need to discipline your mind first. This is because procrastination has got more to do with your mindset. The sooner you discipline your mind, the sooner will you be able to limit your tendencies to procrastinate.

Hence, disciplining your mind is the first step before you attempt to let go off any habits. When your mind is disciplined, you don’t need external motivation to stick to your schedule.

The same applies to whatever habit you’re trying to break. There will be struggle and it’s inevitable… but discipline will keep you going through the hard yards till you see the light at the end of the tunnel. And you WILL get there!

Self-discipline isn’t just about breaking addictions. It’s also important for incorporating good habits and practices.

For instance, if you are trying to start a diet, you need self-discipline to stick to the diet, no matter how tempted you are to eat out.

Similarly, when you are trying to start exercising, you need the discipline to stick to your schedule every day without skipping workouts. Discipline provides a sense of direction which will help you stay on track!

When you learn to discipline your mind, you will most certainly be able to regulate your stress levels, due to the following reasons:

You will not panic at the outbreak of any situation. You will assess it with a calm and patient mind. This prevents you from hastily reacting to the problem at hand without much thought.

This will automatically regulate your stress levels. In fact, there will be fewer things that will stress you out!

With self-discipline, you’ll be able to practice meditation regularly. This is another way of regulating your stress levels easily.

With self-discipline, you will be able to approach any situation with renewed positivity. This positivity will help you find solutions to your problems quicker. Faster solutions = less stress.  

Self-discipline will definitely improve your mental health, by not just regulating your stress levels but also by keeping your mind calm.

When you’re are disciplined, both physically and mentally, you will not expend your energy on things not worth your time! By channeling your energies in the most productive manner, you will accomplish a lot within a given period of time.

This will give you a sense of accomplishment as well as motivation. This motivation is enough to sustain your energy levels for a longer duration of time.

Similarly, when you engage in healthy habits, such as healthy eating and regular exercise, your energy levels will soar. You’ll also save energy by not fretting over inane issues.

Self-discipline can improve the quality of your health in the following ways:

The above benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. You may experience many other benefits, as a result of practicing self-discipline. It is important you practice discipline, if you aspire to grow professionally as well as on the personal front and lead a healthy lifestyle.