A new year always delivers a feeling of refreshment, of new opportunity and a chance to change, progress and grow. However, as much as we all set new year’s resolutions, even those with the best of intentions to fulfil them often fail – and unfortunately, the reason for this is often ourselves.
We all need self-discipline to see us through difficult situations and challenging circumstances, particularly when it comes to facing things that we find uncomfortable. It is not enough to possess good qualities. You need discipline to use those qualities and to take action toward your goals.
Self-discipline doesn’t mean you can’t be kind to yourself or act in your best interests, but it does mean that you’re able to hold yourself to account and challenge yourself when needed.
There’s no one-size-fits-all to self-discipline – a google search for ’10 things a girl wants and how to get them’ or ‘bold woman meaning and method’ simply won’t get you there. But small steps toward a bigger goal will; and here’s how best to tackle them.
- Decide EXACTLY What You Want – And Emotionally Connect To It
Visualise your end goal – the qualities you want to possess, the things you want to achieve, the way you want people to think of you. Set yourself exact goals and map out the path to getting there. There’s no expert method here or psychological theory to follow, but rather just working out your personal path in whichever way works best for you.
There will be lots of small steps you can take in working toward your end goal. Emotionally connecting and investing your hope, enthusiasm and feelings into the goal will help spur you forward in taking these small steps. Allow yourself to feel joy and power as you achieve each, and start each day reflecting upon how far you’ve come. Investing your emotions and hope into a goal makes you considerably more likely to hold the discipline and motivation required to actually reach it.
- Start Each Day As You Mean To Go On
Of course, it’s tempting to hit snooze and lay back for some more rest – and sometimes, you should – but starting your day the right way can have a huge impact on what you achieve during the waking hours ahead. Get up and at ‘em as soon as you can. This doesn’t mean you need to burst out of bed spritely at 5am (although the 5am Club book is a great read and comes recommended!), but it does mean that even just thinking positively and mapping out your intentions for the day can be hugely beneficial. Don’t be responsive and reactive in the morning, but instead create a morning routine you enjoy and stay in control of it.
- Schedule In The Significant Stuff
Even with a clear to-do list, somehow things can just end up being pushed back and left uncompleted, day-after-day. The key to actually getting things done is to physically book out the time in your day to do them.
Imagine your day as an online diary akin to that in an office and block out time to achieve each thing you need to. The Pomodoro Method suggests working for 25-mins with a single focus before taking a 5-min break and doing this four or five times before taking a ‘proper’ break. You’d be surprised how much you can get done in less than half an hour – so give it a try!
Single-tasking, that is, just focusing on one thing at a time (often a rarity for women), engages you better in each task you do; boosting productivity and allowing a better outcome. If you find you end up mindlessly picking up your phone and scrolling, try giving it to someone else for the 25-mins or locking it with an app such as Forest. It can be scary how much time with your locked phone adds up – but phew, will you achieve a few things!
If you’re in need of extra inspiration to buckle down and get stuff done, a quick look at some self-worth/confident woman quotes, interviews and excerpts can help. The time is now, so take advantage of the new year spurring new habits and get to it.
