Self Discipline IS Self Love

You want to make a change.  You want a different result in some area of your life.  You’re really excited and you can see yourself in 6 months with this change having occurred.

You’re motivated.  You have a plan.  But now it’s 6 months later and you didn’t follow through.  You didn’t follow through on this most important, exciting goal.

But why????

You might identify as a procrastinator.  You might have a list of reasons/excuses why you didn’t reach your goal. 

The answer is plain and simple.  It always comes down to self discipline.

Sometimes we make promises to ourselves and don’t follow through.

Imagine making a lunch date with a friend and just not showing up.  No call, no nothing.  You just didn’t feel like it in the moment, so you didn’t go.  The result is that your friendship would be wounded in some way.

Now imagine that when you don’t follow through on your own promises to yourself, it’s exactly like not showing up to lunch with your friend only your relationship with YOURSELF is now wounded.  Now imagine doing that over and over.  The compound effect of this can feel crippling.

The difference between motivation and discipline is that motivation is short lived and mood dependent.  Discipline is a decision to do something (or not do something) and doing that thing whether you feel like it in the moment or not. 

In order to have discipline it is helpful to think of your future self as already have done it.

Already written the book

Already lost the weight.

Already left the relationship.

Already raised independent self sufficient adults.

Already changed careers……..

The list goes on and on.  What’s on YOUR list?

Little steps compound into big results.  You want to workout?  Don’t make your plan based on your best day.  Make it based on your worst day.  On your worst day, you can workout for 5 minutes.  Do that consistently for a few weeks.  Then increase.  Small, incremental movement toward the goal will always result in lasting change as opposed to big changes that don’t last.  Those changes that are mood driven.

Are you someone who needs accountability?  Meet a friend at the gym rather than workout at home.  Get a coach who can show you your brain and hold you accountable to yourself for your decisions. 

Self discipline is self love because you make a promise to yourself.  Your past self, your current self and your future self.  Love yourself and discipline will feel light and free, rather than heavy and burdensome. 

Successful people are not smarter or wealthier.  They don’t have advantages that you don’t have.  Successful people are disciplined people.  They live from their future selves and don’t let everyday circumstances stop them from reaching their goal. 

Tell me what you’ve decided to be disciplined about.  What is your goal?  

Try this mindset shift and let me know how it goes!

With Love and Joy,

Sheila

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