What do you think of when you hear the words self-discipline?
For me, self-discipline is a powerful tool. I use it to regulate my thoughts and actions so that I reach my destination. It’s a bit like sticking to a road map so that I don’t veer off-course.
The Route to Routine
By now you’ll know that one of the ways I “stick to my route” is via routine, which simply comes down to practice and repetition.
Establishing a routine is a bit like learning to drive a car. At first, you have to be super conscious of every step you take. But before long, the routine becomes automatic. That’s when it can really free up headspace and time, so that you can attend to what’s important to you.
B(u)y yourself time
Routine helps with time management, which goes hand-in hand with self-discipline.
Some of my time management tricks are to:
- Allocate certain times of the day to attend to emails
- Prioritize my to-do list – Worst first? Best first? Or time sensitive first?
- Set up my space to succeed – Having all I need at my workspace from the get-go.
- Take breaks between tasks – This is a biggie! It’s so important to rest your brain.
- Set a time limit for each task – This is vital for maintaining a fresh approach and not getting “saturated” by just one thing.
- Delegate, outsource or collaborate – We sometimes spend huge amounts of time on tasks that can be quickly resolved if we just ask for help!
Focus Dear Friend
We’ve all been there. You sit down to do some work and you hear your phone ping. Instead of getting stuck into work, you divert your focus and fragment your thoughts. Often, it takes great effort to get back into the headspace we need to be in, in order to get stuff done!
Self-discipline allows us to resist impulsive behavior and shelve temptations for after we’ve ticked off our to-do list. It lets us maintain a single point of focus, which is key to both drive and momentum.
Regarding mono-tasking, I love this story Arianna Huffington tells about her mother:
‘The last time my mother got angry with me before she died was when she saw me reading my email and talking to my children at the same time. “I abhor multitasking,” she said, in a Greek accent that puts mine to shame.
She believed that rushing through life was a sure way to miss the gifts that come only when you give 100 percent of yourself to a task, a conversation, a dinner, a relationship, a moment.
In other words, being connected in a shallow way to the entire world can prevent us from being deeply connected to those closest to us – including ourselves. And that is where wisdom is found.”
The top six tools I use to maintain focus and stick to my schedule are:
- Getting up 1h before my family, so I can have time to my morning routine for self-alignment
- Starting the day with a clear vision of the 3 priorities for the day (listed the day before)
- Turn off all notifications. Honestly, unless it’s life or death, it can wait.
- Say NO. Learning to say no allows us to protect our time by preventing others from forcing their agendas on us.
- Remove distractions. Put my phone on airplane mode (if necessary).
- Have regular breaks. Either go for a walk with your dog or sit in the sun outside or do some stretching exercises. Anything that feels good.
Self-discipline is the safety net that holds us in place and prevents us from falling to the wayside.
If you need advice and direction for forging self-discipline, feel free to reach out. Let’s chat.
Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/this-mothers-day-remember_b_5302860
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/don-t-miss-the-moment-a-tribute-to-our-mother/
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