How to Develop Better Self Discipline

I took my first yoga class is 2005. I was miserable! I was out of shape, and had just started exercising again. Because of my dance background I always considered myself to be pretty flexible but going to yoga was like a slap in the face. The instructor kept adjusting me and telling me I was doing the pose wrong, my muscles were screaming and I was so aggravated that the “old people” in my class could do more than I could….But I stuck it out. After all, it would be rude to leave in the middle of the class…Then a funny thing happened, I felt amazing! I couldn’t believe I made it through the class. So I went to the next class and the next. It wasn’t that I loved yoga per se, but I loved how it made me feel. I felt accomplished.

That’s the thing about self discipline, it never feels good in the moment but it is ALWAYS worth it. Fast forward to 2014 yoga and exercise are a staple of my daily routine and are nearly effortless. But it would have never happened if I haven’t stuck with it.

Successful people have the self-discipline to do things they don’t want to do and they do them even when they don’t feel like it. Rory Vaden- Take the Stairs

It’s funny how we lie to ourselves about what will make us happy. We tell ourselves that instant gratification like eating extra dessert, buying something on a credit card or skipping our workouts will make us feel better. In the short term they may, but what’s the true cost to these bad decisions over and over? Are endless indulgences worth costing you your future? Make no mistake about it- healthy people workout and eat mindfully, wealthy people work smart and save more than they spend, and happy people invest time in their relationships. There is no short cut to success, and telling yourself anything different will only hurt you in the long run.

5 Things to Remember When You Feel Like Giving In

1. You will never regret doing something, you will always regret skipping it. Have you ever actually regretted going to the gym? Have you ever regretting skipping dessert? Regret sucks, is it really worth it?
2. How you do something is how you do everything. Self disciple is something that follows us through all aspects of our lives. Cheating yourself in one area will only self you up to cut corners in other areas. Again, is it worth your future?
3. You can always take the intensity down, but you must keep doing something. Aiming for perfection is a great way to set yourself up for failure. Smaller, more consistent steps in the right direction are better than aiming for something that is impossible for you to maintain in the long run. Start small.
4. Change only gets harder if you give up or give in. Your habits will make or break you and the longer you keep your bad habits in place, the harder they will be to change. You cannot go back and change the past, but you can start now and do the best you can. It’s your choice.
5. Nothing in life is free, there is a price to pay for everything you want. The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that everyone else has it easier. There is always a price to pay for what you want in life and no one achieves long term success without paying it. There are no quick fixes, decide what you want- decide what you need to get there and do it.

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