6. Take Time To Visualize Self-discipline is like a muscle: The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. A starting point to get you unstuck is to take time to visualize how great it will be to get things done, imagine and paint a mental picture of the benefits and the sense of satisfaction you’ll have once it’s done. Keeping a broad vision of your goal or project in mind keeps you motivated. - Maria Pastore, Maria Pastore Coaching

1. 04/12/17, 16*4812 Ways You Can Develop Your Self-Discipline
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12 Ways You Can Develop Your Self-
Discipline
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Self-discipline is a regular challenge in any aspect of your life. You
may decide that you want to lose weight, set yourself up for
promotion, or simply work through a set of tasks faster than you
have previously. But good intentions only take you so far. No matter
how diligent you start out, you can easily find yourself struggling
and demoralized a few weeks into a new routine.
So how do you develop more self-discipline? Is it a matter of grit, or
are there ways you can make change easier to embrace? Members
of Forbes Coaches Council offer the following advice:
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1. Set Priorities
Before you can excel, you must be invested. To boost productivity
and focus, start each day by prioritizing tasks. Identify where your
efforts are best spent, then dedicate appropriate time for them. This
will ensure you don’t end each day feeling defeated because efforts
were wasted on low-priority items. Build self-discipline by
managing your schedule and controlling where you focus energy.
- Adrienne Tom, Career Impressions
2. Find An Accountability Partner
It can be a colleague, friend or peer. Make a shared document, then
track progress and give each other praise when warranted. Also,
make sure you hold each other accountable. Don't let excuses fly.
You will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you know
someone is going to check on you. - Maresa Friedman, Executive
Cat Herder
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3. Start With One Non-Negotiable
It's easy to want to accomplish a lot of things at the same time, get
overwhelmed and then judge yourself for not having self-discipline.
Even if you want to eat better, work out more, meditate — choose
one. Focus on that one thing and make it a non-negotiable. As you
begin to see results, you will find that it becomes a habit and you
can make something else your non-negotiable. - Tanya
Ezekiel, CareerCoach.com
4. Know Your Pain Tolerance
The root of self-discipline is overcoming the pain. Determine what
suffering you are willing to do to achieve your goal. Not all goals are
worth suffering for, and not all suffering yields results. Start by
asking,"What suffering am I willing to do today?" Be honest here:
We all have a pain tolerance. Honesty opens us up to finding ways
to achieve our goals that are within our limits. - Jennifer
Thompson, Deviant Thinking
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5. Be Consistent
If you make excuses — about your kids or having no time — you will
have neither self-discipline nor true happiness. So what's most
important to you? Carve out a time to do this, every day for a
month. Whatever it is, start small. Commit, no matter what: Do 10
push-ups a day or five minutes of meditation. The key to self-
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discipline is consistency. - Cha Tekeli, Chalamode, Inc.
6. Take Time To Visualize
Self-discipline is like a muscle: The more you exercise it, the
stronger it gets. A starting point to get you unstuck is to take time to
visualize how great it will be to get things done, imagine and paint a
mental picture of the benefits and the sense of satisfaction you’ll
have once it’s done. Keeping a broad vision of your goal or project in
mind keeps you motivated. - Maria Pastore, Maria Pastore Coaching
7. Understand Your Personality
Our personality traits make certain tasks energizing or draining. A
vetted personality assessment helps you understand triggers for
undisciplined behavior. Self-awareness not only helps you
understand how these situations affect your stress levels and quality
of life but also manage your natural reactions to achieve the best
outcome, even if that means hiring a workaround for what you hate
to do. - Judy Nelson, Judy Nelson Executive Coach
8. Focus On Power Of Choice
Self-discipline is easy when you focus on the power you have to
choose. When we exhibit behaviors that are not aligned with our
goals, we often overlook our power to choose and revert to our
default behaviors. Slow down and ask yourself what you are
choosing in each moment when you are working on greater
discipline. It's OK to make "off-course" choices sometimes, just
notice and learn from them. - Jenn Lofgren, Incito Executive &
Leadership Development
9. Eat At Regular Times
Low blood sugar often weakens a person’s resolve. Hunger makes it
difficult to focus, as the brain is not functioning to its highest
potential. It makes one grumpy, with a weakened sense of self-
control in almost all areas of life. Eating at regular intervals
regulates blood sugar levels, improves concentration and helps with
decision making. To have better self-discipline, fuel your body.
- Parul Agrawal, Viva La Coach

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10. Remind Yourself, So You Don't Forget
Developing more self-discipline typically involves beginning or re-
engaging in a new set of behaviors or a new routine. Write it down,
schedule it or create a visual reminder of what you're trying to
accomplish, so it doesn't slip through the cracks of your busy day.
- Lizabeth Czepiel, Lizabeth Czepiel, LLC
11. Set Reminders
Self-discipline is hard! To stay focused, keep your goals top of mind.
For example, if you want to start going to bed earlier, willpower
alone may not be enough to get you to shut off the next Netflix
episode. But setting a phone reminder for 10 p.m. with a message
related to your goal — "Go to bed so that you can actually enjoy
breakfast with the kids tomorrow!" — may get you to shut the TV.
- Jessica Glazer, Center for Creative Leadership
12. Ask 'What's Next?'
Define your 30,000-foot vision of where you want to be and when.
Working backward, break down the vision into very small steps and
start with the first "doable quickly" step. Ask "what's next?" then
move forward with the next "doable quickly" step. You will surprise
yourself with how much you get done using one small step after
another. Factor in time for mini rewards too, to keep you motivated.
- Sharon Sayler, Competitive Edge Communications