In many ways, yes — self discipline does equal freedom.
Freedom from constant stress.
Freedom from laying awake at night worrying about the future.
Freedom from nagging to-do lists and angry bosses and co-workers,
And … freedom in the knowledge that you’re giving life your all.
But the question remains: How exactly does one define self discipline, and how can it be cultivated?
Can someone learn how to be more self disciplined? Or, is it something you have to be born with?
These are the ideas we’ll be focusing on in this article.
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How to Define Self Discipline
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, self discipline can be defined as “the ability to make yourself do something, especially something difficult or unpleasant”.
“Difficult or unpleasant” are key words here.
Why? Because having self discipline — the intrinsic motivation to do something — isn’t necessary for things we already want to do. For example, most of us don’t need self discipline to do things like eat a delicious meal or go out with friends. We are already motivated to do those activities because, well, they’re enjoyable.
But when it comes to things like studying, work, cleaning, planning, and paying bills … these not-so-fun tasks usually require self discipline. In other words, we need to push ourselves to get them done because it won’t happen automatically.
Who Needs Self Discipline?
Everyone can benefit from self discipline. But it is often the case that students, in particular, need to cultivate this ability. The reasons are manifold.
First, students are frequently young. And the younger you are, the more immature you are. You may be too young to see that whiling away your hours and days can have terrible consequences later in life, for example.
You also may just be getting to know yourself as a true adult. You’re not sure about your strengths and weaknesses yet. You’re experimenting with life.
Additionally, students notoriously have many hats to wear. You must be a learner as well as a worker (for those who have jobs). You will also be learning about starting and cultivating relationships (with friends, family, and romantic partners).
And finally, you’ll be setting off on your own. So, even things like keeping house and taking consistent care of your personal hygiene will be relatively new frontiers.
How to Integrate More Self Discipline Into Your Life
Whether you are a student or not, here are some tips on how to integrate more self discipline into your life.
Ask yourself where you need improvement.
Sit down with a pencil and paper and outline the areas you’d like to improve in your life. This will be different for everyone. Try to “aim for the moon”. Use stream-of-consciousness writing to detail your goals. Even if they seem lofty or silly, it’s important to get to the root of your aims.
Start by developing routines and rituals.
Now that you know what you’d like to improve, start integrating rituals and routines that will help you get there. Attaching rituals with good habits can provide “training wheels” for you as you strive to reach your self-discipline goals.
Keep goals short and simple.
Don’t come up with elaborate plans to achieve your goals. No matter how tempting it may be to tell yourself that you have to do X, Y, and Z, avoid this strategy.
Stick to simple, straight-forward goals. For example, if you want to start going to bed earlier, start with the time you usually go to bed, and tonight, aim to go to bed just 15 minutes prior to that time.
Take advantage of the fact that wins beget wins.
Self-discipline always takes on a snowball effect. That is, if you can get the ball rolling, so to speak, your results will compound with time. This is another reason to start small and go from there.
If you can tell yourself that you have the goal of going to bed 15 minutes earlier tonight, when you’re able to do that, you’ll get a dopamine boost. This dopamine boost can help you achieve your next goal, and so on, and so on.
Never Underestimate the Power of Self Discipline
It’s easy to assume that important abilities, like a strong sense of self discipline, will simply come to you as you age. But this is not the case, sadly.
Self discipline and other key life skills usually need to be cultivated. In other words, you need to set aside time to work on them.
If you have been looking for more structure and motivation in your life, self discipline may be the answer. Use the resources outlined above to help yourself grow in this important area.