Nike’s “Just do it” works until it doesn’t. When it doesn’t, hopefully this will help you.<\/p>\n
This article is built on the assumption that you know your Basic Purpose or at least have a goal in life that is one you consider worthwhile.<\/p>\n
If neither of those is true then it may not seem to matter what you waste your time doing as not much else is more important.<\/p>\n
In that case, before addressing self-discipline – the how – let’s establish your best why. Head over to my article on ‘How To Work Out Your Basic Purpose In Life’:\u00a0https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/?p=37862<\/a><\/p>\n Anything you do in life has various actions working on it: For progress to occur, the sum of Purpose and Drive need to be greater than the sum of the effects of Friction, Resistance and Distractions.<\/p>\n Organisation and systems reduce Friction, Resistance and Distractions.<\/p>\n Why This Article? A common answer is self-discipline. So I created this article to share what I have learned on the subject.<\/p>\n So let’s start by defining the ability we are improving.<\/p>\n Definition: \u201cSelf-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.\u201d – Elbert Hubbard<\/p>\n The two principle failures in self-discipline are: Carrying on doing something past when you should you no longer be doing it (doom scrolling past bed time) falls under 1.<\/p>\n Not starting to do something when it should be started (homework, work project) falls under 2.<\/p>\n Doing something with or to someone for whom it is inappropriate (being romantic with someone not your partner) falls under category 1.<\/p>\n So, now we have defined self-discipline, let’s look at what disciplined action is and what can derail it.<\/p>\n Making it Personal I thought about it for a second. Even though two people have called me the most disciplined person they have ever met, I said I wouldn’t mind improving my self-discipline further.<\/p>\n After all, I was getting to bed mostly between 10:30 and 11 pm rather than the 9 pm that would better align with circadian rhythms.<\/p>\n And I have a vibrating plate and mini-trampoline I bought for my late wife and never got into the habit of using after she passed 9 months earlier.<\/p>\n Systems and Routines I recalled a point system on a course I did that measured student production. 10 points per page read, 5 points per minute of tape listened to, 5 points per demo etc.<\/p>\n I wondered, “Why don’t I apply this to the different things that I want to incorporate into my routine?”<\/p>\n So I created a spreadsheet and listed 38 tasks with the objective of increasing the number of them I completed each day. I assigned a point value to each to place more emphasis on the high value or time intensive tasks.<\/p>\n For instance:<\/p>\n Pts Task Previously I did not have a list so was relying on randomly remembering to do each item as I went through the day. Bad strategy. No organisation. No system. Low task completion rate.<\/p>\n I remember a saying I heard many years ago, “The bluntest pencil is better than the sharpest memory.” The older I get, the more truth I find in that saying. A written system for tracking things hands down beats randomly remembering tasks!<\/p>\n Having a list I look at regularly through the day to check things off, it reminds me of the things yet to do.<\/p>\n Since creating this list I have been completing far more of those things I had previously let slip day after day.<\/p>\n The key point here is that what good intentions on their own struggle with, a system makes it far easier to accomplish. In fact there is probably a natural law something like, “The worst system, applied, is more certain of success than most people’s willpower.”<\/p>\n So a workable change in your operating basis is whenever you think the thought, “I need more self-disciple to do ___.” immediately then ask, “What system could I devise that would make it easier to do ___?”<\/p>\n Rewards and Penalties And, if you fail to do X in Y days, put Z amount in a donation box.<\/p>\n Habit-Stacking My most successful long-term application of this is my stretching routine. Because most of the stretches are horizontal I do those in bed as soon as I decide resting is over and am ready to get up.<\/p>\n I recently added three more activities to this stack. One is deep breathing exercises. I started doing them as I do my stretches. Zero resistance as I am already in exercise mode and zero reluctance as it costs me no extra time. Dead easy to add to my routine.<\/p>\n The other is the Zottman curls. As soon as my feet hit the floor I bend over and pick up the dumbbells. Again, no friction as the dumbbells are within reach.<\/p>\n The third is the 50 bounces on the rebounder. I aim to make them after the dumbbells on the way to the bathroom.<\/p>\n Friction There are various ways to address this form of friction, such as putting the object on a cart or trolly, putting plastic slider underneath it and dragging the plastic, putting rollers under the object etc.<\/p>\n There are other types of friction that slow your progress.<\/p>\n Foundational Friction items are Sleep, Food, Stress, Loneliness and Loss.<\/p>\n Staying up late or otherwise not being fully rested generates the friction of being tired and not being as productive the next day.<\/p>\n Lack of adequate nutriton and hydration has a counterproductive effect on thinking, energy and discipline levels. Ever notice how the hungrier you feel when you go shopping, the more junk goes in the trolley?<\/p>\n Stress leads to illness and accidents. Look at the source of stress and decide what you can do to be more at cause in the situation. If you cannot resolve it, drop me a line and I will direct you to a course I did that helped me.<\/p>\n Loneliness and Loss are demotivating. If you are lonely, look for someone to help.<\/p>\n If you have had a loss, go for a walk and look at things until you feel better. Do this daily,<\/p>\n Friction can also be time-consuming preparation activities or inconvenience in getting things together, not having the objects you need to do a job to hand when you need to start the task.<\/p>\n Like having to make your pre-exercise shake and gather your exercise gear and runners and water bottle etc. from multiple place prior to heading out the door.<\/p>\n Or having to make your pre-exercise shake then make your post-exercise drink when you return then your pre-bed drink later with the same ingredients. Easier to make them all at once so the two later drinks are ready when needed. Far less chance of forgetting them when they are sitting there looking at you!<\/p>\n Getting things prepared and ready and streamlining what needs to be done to get a product reduces friction.<\/p>\n It pays to identify where friction occurs in your life and organise to eliminate it.<\/p>\n As you go about your routine for the next week, be conscious of friction where it occurs and redesign your environment and routine to minimise friction.<\/p>\n Resistance External resistance can be an objection to the action, invalidation of your ability to do it, criticism of the timing of doing it etc.<\/p>\n Asking the person to not put up resistance can be helpful. If not, removing yourself from their resistance can be workable.<\/p>\n Internal resistance is considerably more complex and insidious. I will cover that in more detail later in Intention and Counter-Intention.<\/p>\n Destructive Distractions Time-wasting habits like mindlessly watching TV, scrolling social media, TikTok or YouTube reels.<\/p>\n Spending a lot of time at the pub drinking, gossiping with friends etc.<\/p>\n Each of these pastimes takes up time that, if devoted elsewhere, would improve a skill or help you make faster progress towards your goal(s).<\/p>\n Distractions also include a mobile phone that pings every time you receive an SMS, a post to your social media account, an email etc.<\/p>\n You can minimise this type of distraction by switching off notifications and setting a specific time in your schedule to read those notices.<\/p>\n So, here’s an exercise. Take five minutes and jot down the activities in your life that you would reduce or scratch completely if you were really dedicated towards achieving your goal.<\/p>\n Boosting Your Drive Level Why am I doing this?<\/p>\n For me it is to stay healthy and fit as I age so I can enjoy playing tennis and street cricket with my family on get togethers and not be suffering for three days afterwards.<\/p>\n I cannot maintain that level of activity being a couch potato, sitting in front of the TV\/computer all day.<\/p>\n So putting my focus on the end result I am wanting to create boosts my drive to get out and put in the effort to get there.<\/p>\n A valuable exercise is to pay attention to what motivates you and enter it into a book I encourage people to keep called “My Successful Actions and Wins”.<\/p>\n Any time you have a good win, identify what you did that caused it and write it up in your book. That prevents it from fading into the dim mist of forgotten memories.<\/p>\n Then, each month, pull the book out and reread it. You might be surprised at what you had let fall out of your routine.<\/p>\n Another thing that boosts drive when you are starting something like an exercise regime is to start small and build gradually.<\/p>\n This starting small does several things. It all but eliminates resistance – the contemplation of one pushup does not generate anywhere near as much internal resistance as the thought of starting with ten or twenty! – and it builds a winning attitude – you set a target and attained it!<\/p>\n And if you started with one it is super easy to double it the next day!<\/p>\n Adding more on a gentle gradient helps the same way. I built up to doing 2,100 dips and pushups one night by starting small – 5 dips and 5 pushups on each of 21 park benches – and adding more in small increments till I built to 100 dips and 100 pushups on every bench.<\/p>\n Remember the old saying, “Rome wan’t built in a day.” Despite what we see presented on media, huge gains, massive improvements and remarkable results rarely, if ever, happen quickly. They are usually built on constant attention to doing the basic fundamentals consistently well over a period of time.<\/p>\n That ‘overnight success’ was often 20 years in the making.<\/p>\n Buddy Up If you are a person who does this best with company, look in your circle – or further afield if necessary – for someone with similar aspirations.<\/p>\n Jogging is the activity that comes most readily to mind. I often see people jogging together. Now that I think about it, nowhere near as many as I see jogging solo. Interesting.<\/p>\n Accountability Someone who has already accomplished what you strive to achieve knows the road you will travel and helps you plan for and counter the obstacles that resist forward progress.<\/p>\n I read that a high proportion of Olympic athletes have a close family relative who was also an Olympian.<\/p>\n
\n– your Purpose that initiates it
\n– your personal Drive level that carries it forward
\n– Friction that slows progress
\n– Resistance that opposes progress
\n– Distractions that take your time and attention away from higher priority activities on your Purpose<\/p>\n
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\nI have a friend who runs a Life Improvement Centre. I told her I would do some surveys for her to find out what people are interested in improving. So I’ve been out and about asking people what they would most like to change or improve about themself.<\/p>\n
\n1. doing what you know should not be done and
\n2. failing to do what you know should be done.<\/p>\n
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\nOne person flipped the table on me after giving their answer and asked me what I would most like to change or improve about me.<\/p>\n
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\nI looked at the B category priority actions I recognised should be in my daily routine but were not yet and realised I needed to get organised and provide an increased level of importance to them.<\/p>\n
\n100 Resistance workout
\n80 Endurance workout
\n10 10 minutes on vibrating plate
\n5 50 bounces on rebounder
\n3 10 Zottman curls w\/8 kg load
\n10 20 minutes red light therapy<\/p>\n
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\nTo follow on from the point system I used to incorporate the B category items in my daily routine, one thing you might find useful is to set up a Rewards and Penalties structure. If you do X by Y date or a certain number of times reward yourself with Z.<\/p>\n
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\nOne very successful action is to take a new activity you want to incorporate into your routine and schedule to do it immediately after an activity already cemented into your routine. This is called Habit-Stacking.<\/p>\n
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\nFriction is generated by things that do not permit as fast a rate of progress as would be possible without it. The form of friction that comes most readily to mind is that caused when you push a box or other heavy object along the floor.<\/p>\n
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\nYou may encounter resistance, internal or external. It pays to take a moment to try and predict what resistance will occur and what actions you can take to bypass, reduce or eliminate that resistance.<\/p>\n
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\nAs well as Friction and Resistance, other activities, not core to your Basic Purpose, can serve as distractions, pulling you away from investing the time to achieve your goals.<\/p>\n
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\nWhen the thought of heading off with 30 kilo of weights on my back on a blustering, cold morning or worse, after dark at 7:30 pm in winter, leaves me lacking enthusiasm, one thing I find useful is to stop thinking about the effort and focus on the product.<\/p>\n
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\nIn my personal development I have – perhaps overly so – relied on improving myself to be as competent and independent as possible. While this suits my personality it may or may not suit yours.<\/p>\n
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\nAs well as providing guidance, a good mentor also introduces an element of external accountability to provide increased incentive to follow through and accomplish set targets.<\/p>\n