Are you the type who is often late to appointments, work, or other commitments and blame it on traffic? Or the type who wants to advance in his career yet gives in to the temptation of spending some of his free time on social media instead of taking an online course? If you are like this, that means you lack self-discipline. We are in a new year and we all have set new aspirations, new goals, and new plans but do you know that without self-discipline, those plans might not fall into place? Self-discpline is a must-have. It takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you soar to new and unimaginable heights. To be more disciplined, you need to develop skills through learning and training yourself to practice self-control until being self-disciplined becomes a habit. In today's blog post, I've rounded up steps you can take to build self-discipline in everything you do. Keep reading to the end. 

1. Decide what you want: A lot of ideas flow in your head and you might be clueless about which to implement. This is where the first step in improving your self-discipline comes in. With self-discipline, you get to organize your thoughts and figure out what you want, and decide what you need to do in each part of your life. Do you need to take a mastery class on that skill? Or do you need to learn a foreign language to increase your chances of getting a better job? Whatever it is, make a decision now, and then get started. This single act alone can change the whole direction of your life. Understand that you might have to endure temporary discomfort but it's always worth it in the end. 

2.Identify and remove distractions: Distractions are the enemy of accomplishment and discipline. One of the wisest things you can do to discipline yourself is to remove distractions as much as possible. If you know that social media has become a time waster for you, put restrictions on it, reduce your screen time, turn off notifications, or even delete apps that don't contribute to your goals or overall well-being. Do the same for tempting foods, distracting people, or anything else that is impeding your progress. Your environment sets you up for success. Lesser distractions, greater achievements. 

3. Have an accountability partner: Find someone or a group of people striving at achieving a goal just as you are. It doesn't have to be the same goal, the critical point is having someone you can give value and from whom you can also receive feedback. In the journey of trying to achieve something new, you might be blind to some factors that may impede your self-development and self-discipline. There are times you will know there's a need for a change and there will be times you are not mindful of the change needed. An accountability partner will help you identify the areas where you are in your blind spot. With your accountability partner, be honest about your progress, and stay connected regularly. Set daily, weekly, and monthly check-in appointments, and keep these sessions short and on-topic. You should also choose someone as interested in building self-discipline as you are. 

4. Write down your goals: A goal that is not in writing is not a goal at all. It is merely a wish with no energy behind it. Write down your goals, and think on paper or electronic devices. Make sure your goals are SMART-- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Take baby steps because they are easier to visualize and achieve. Reaching your smaller goals will motivate you to continue on the road to progress and accomplish your long-term goals. 

5. Know your "WHY": Knowing the reason why you want to achieve a goal will help you focus on the larger picture. Knowing your "WHY" is an essential method of instilling self-discipline. The stronger your reasons to reach a goal, the more likely you are going to stick to the plan to ultimately achieve it.  

6. Measure your progress: If you can't track your progress, you wouldn't know if you are succeeding or not. Determine the details of your goal, and decide what success looks like so you will know how to measure it. 

7. Keep practicing: You can only win if you don't give up! Self-discipline can take some people their entire lives to master, so don't beat up yourself if it's going slow at first. Keep at it. Your goals are achievable. Even when it seems overwhelming, take it little by little so that you can experience the feeling of success with those little steps. 

Conclusion

Self-discipline puts you on the fast track to achieving your goals because you are more focused on what's more important and less distracted by things that are in the way. Self-discipline reduces stress and anxiety that could have come through procrastination, wasting time, or not having a plan in place to follow. Be self-disciplined today as you can be rest assured of personal improvement in all areas of your life. 

Happy new year, Dear reader ?. Thank you for reading. Make sure to use these insightful tips in today's blog posts to get better this year. Don't forget to also like, comment, and share to someone who needs this ❤️.