A New Year means a new you. We all have areas in which we can improve on. One of the ways we try to bring about those positives changes is by making our own New Year’s resolutions. Towards the end of January is when we find out if our New Year Resolutions were realistic or not. There is no need to beat ourselves over the head if we don’t remain consistent, but, of course, it is always better when we do accomplish a new goal. The key lies in practicing the art of self-discipline. Self-discipline means doing what you are supposed to be doing when no one is watching. This simply means to check up on yourself and to become your own teacher. Though difficult, there is nothing you cannot teach yourself to do. Our minds are the most powerful things we have, and we must take full advantage of it.
1. Catch yourself when you are derailing from your goal.
In my case, my goal is to save up money. I know that I only work part-time and have a limited amount of money I can spend on my expenses. Though this may be true, this becomes a form of excuse, and excuses are very dangerous. Why is that? Excuses are dangerous because they limit our ability to see beyond how much we are capable of. Precisely because I am a part-time worker. I must work towards controlling my spending habits. This does not mean I can’t spend money on going out with friends or treat myself every now and then. Though I might have $100 in my debit card, I know I cannot just go spending it away at the department stores. The key to being able to discipline yourself is understanding that we can be our own worst enemy.
2. Repetition
Repeat in order to create a habit. Repetition will make your mind accustom to what you need to be doing. The best example I can think of is with exercise. For example, I am someone who does not go to the gym or workout but I want to make jogging a regular part of my routine. We all know that for people who do not work out regularly, muscle cramps are a pain in the butt. After the first few days of aching muscle cramps, my instinct will be to throw in the towel. However, what I don’t see at the time is that if I keep pushing through those first few painful conditioning phrases, my body will be able to sustain so much more in the future. Like the body, our minds can also become molded. If we repeat what we want to become a habit, it will become easier to do.
3. Become someone who is teachable.
Like I mentioned before, we can be our worst enemy. I am definitely guilty of this which is why it is important that I emphasize this. It is easy to become stuck on needing things to be only one way. I am a fast learner, but I am also a bit of a perfectionist. This means that I am stubborn, I don’t want to make mistakes. What happens to someone who does not want to make mistakes, however good the intent might be, is that we don’t feel the need to learn as much. We need to approach our challenge with the same vigor and energy as we did the first time. Don’t think that just because you have over one year working towards you challenge that there is no improvement that can be done or new things to learn. The true accomplishment and satisfaction come in doing what you love and doing it well. Once you know and love to do whatever it is that you wanted to learn, you will only improve.
4. Keep everything organized.
There is no point in going towards a goal if you don’t have a stable foundation. For example, I just got my dream job working for Seventeen Magazine, and I have the perfect office cubicle with a window view of New York City. Each day I receive papers from my boss, coworkers, and other assistants. I am constantly busy during the days writing a blog post, articles and going to meetings to neatly organize my papers into separate labeled papers. After a month, I realized I missed three meetings, one written review my boss had requested from me and had forgotten to register for an important conference. At that point, I am required to speak to my boss about my latest poor job performance. Though at the time, we might be running late and don’t necessarily think we will forget, it is always better to just be safe. This means double-checking, at the end of each day, if there was anything that you could have misplaced. Make notes, a to-do-list, or even an Excel spreadsheet whatever it takes to help you.
5. Keep your eyes on the prize.
You can’t overcome a challenge if you don’t keep yourself motivated and encouraged. The easiest way to accomplish something is by constantly reminding ourselves why and how it is that we are going accomplish our goal. All this comes with focus. Our minds need to be set on our goal.
There is simply no other way to put it, discipline is truly your best friend when it comes to accomplishing goals.