Developing discipline is empowering. You may be thinking that it is very limiting.
This thought has probably been reinforced by previous attempts you’ve made in changing your bad habits.
Think back to when you made a change in behavior that was successful. How did you feel?
When you overcome obstacles in your path, and accomplish something with consistent work, you feel like you can do anything.
Lack of Discipline
When you are not self-disciplined, you often do not accomplish your goals and feel like you are not worthwhile.
You tend to put yourself down more and in general have a more negative outlook on life.
You may set yourself up for health issues, in particular those related to obesity, or have trouble in your relationships with friends and family.
For example, have you ever tried to lose weight, but then all you do is think about food, and end up eating everything in sight?
Success is Empowering
Successful people do not get there just because of luck.
They make goals, plan how to achieve them, and then develop the discipline to accomplish those goals and plans.
They do fail, they do have obstacles, they may even modify the goals or go in a different direction based on working on those original plans.
If you want to succeed, you need self-discipline.
You may want to get rid of bad habits like smoking, gambling, and overeating.
How about forming good habits, such as exercising, reducing clutter, reading more books, watching less television, or saving money?
You can accomplish these habit changes if you focus on one or two at a time, and consistently act on those goals over time.
One is best, though if you are trying to lose weight, you may find it better to combine dietary changes with exercise.
Instant Gratification
The biggest obstacle to discipline is not lack of willpower, but a desire for instant gratification.
Especially in modern society, everything seems to be focused on having things done quickly.
People eat instant oatmeal or cold cereal instead of having a cooked breakfast.
You grab a burger at a fast food restaurant instead of bringing a healthy lunch to work.
Television commercials tell you that you can have this or that right now, if you pay by credit card.
The problem with that of course is the interest you later have to pay on those purchases.
You can improve things where you are not in debt, are healthy and fit, and have stable relationships. But it will require giving up instant gratification, and adopting self discipline.
It will not always be easy, but you will find it quite empowering to achieve your goals for a better life.
How is Discipline Empowering You?
Losing weight and exercising are obvious goals that we all want to a achieve at some point in our lives.
But what about other areas of your life?
If you’re a small business owner, you might want to set goals for bringing in more clients and increasing your revenue.
It isn’t enough, either, to know what you NEED to do, you need to make a plan and then follow that plan.
Take blogging, for instance. You probably know that if you blog on a regular basis, you will increase traffic to your site.
If you optimize your blog posts, you’re more likely to get a targeted audience to come to your site. When they come to your site, they’ll buy from you.
Where does discipline come in?
You will feel empowered if you set up a plan to follow certain activities that will move you n the direction of increasing traffic.
The discipline is in the development of a habit, a good habit. Good habits feel empowering.
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