“All success begins with self-discipline. It starts with you” – Dwayne Johnson.

Self discipline has started to become a big part of my life! Before, I was lazy and always tired but not anymore! Allow me to explain…

Motivation is garbage.

Up until last week I relied on motivation to make my dreams come true. Truth is, motivation is garbage. If motivation is a key to success why does it never appear in the hour of need? The reality of course is that you only feel motivated to do the things that are either fun or easy to do. In order to reach your goals you will have to do things that you find difficult, scary or uncomfortable. It’s called self-discipline. Which leads perfectly on to my next point.

Self-discipline is not a punishment

Now we know that motivation is not the power that drives you to your goals, we can talk about self-discipline. Let’s just start with saying that self-discipline is absolutely not a punishment to yourself in anyway, though it may feel like it sometimes. It is actually the thing that brings you to what you want. But what is self-discipline? Well, self-discipline means having the ability to control your feelings and overcome your weaknesses, a little more helpful than motivation right?

Lady sitting on the beach with a sign that reads "this is my happy place" and "life's a beach"

I watched an interview with Mel Robbin, and she was talking on the topic of finding it hard to do simple and mediocre tasks to improve her life. One example she used was how she found it so hard to get out of bed in the morning without pressing the snooze button. Mel would go to bed feeling positive and like a new person telling herself that she will get up when her alarm goes off. Seven hours later it’s no longer a good idea and the button has been pressed. She later watched a NASA shuttle takeoff with the traditional countdown, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. It was in that moment she figured something out. The next evening she set her alarm for the same time, when morning came her alarm began to ring. Mel wakes up, counts down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and gets up.

Collage of Mel Robbin, a shuttle taking off and an alarm clock

The self-discipline wasn’t the moment she got up, it was the moment she disciplined her feelings and emotions to make a good decision.

Why is it so hard to do the little things to improve your life?

This is a question I have asked myself many times and after a watching a lot of TED Talks and YouTube videos I think I have the answer. It starts with something subtle that most of us naturally ignore, it’s a habit that we all have but yet no one is talking about it, hesitation. Let’s say you have an incredible idea for your group project at university, but instead of saying it you hesitate. That hesitation sends stress signals to your brain, waking it up, and protecting you from being hurt. It’s in that moment your brain talks you out of presenting your idea and returns you back to your comfort zone. Think about a moment in your life where this has happened, think about who was making the decision at the time. Was it you? Fear? Or perhaps it was worry? Remember, discipline your emotions to make good decisions.

a two picture collage one picture with a grey window from the view of the bed. The other a picture of a dog in a swing with it's tongue out.

We are going to end today’s post with five tips on how to help you get on your way.

  1. The next time you feel negative feelings, acknowledge the feelings, process the feelings and replace the feelings with positive ones.
  2. Don’t drown yourself in positivity. Build it up, being positive becomes a way of life but it takes time.
  3. Be your own source of happiness, do not rely on other people to make you happy.
  4. Meditate often. This will help with processing negative feelings and creating positive ones.
  5. Don’t wait for motivation, find it yourself.

Thanks for reading!