Drawing on Self Discipline

Saturday, I was back in corner room, the one with the computer cursor blinking and the desk piled with three-week old newspapers and bill statements and books and my calendar book with dates already filled in for November.

I was in the office, where I’ve been every weekend for nearly two months. Working on my book.

My husband and daughter are headed to the swimming pool. I’m not. I’m kinda bummed about that.

I do love the work. It’s meaningful and challenging. And, at exactly the same time, there are days when I’m exhausted and burned and I don’t want to do it – at all.

I’m not asking for sympathy, because I know you have these moments (weeks, months) too, where you are doing what needs to be done – because it also matters to you – instead of what feels easiest or most fun at the time.

Maybe, you’re training for a marathon, but would rather not go running in the rain. Or, you’re gearing up for a work presentation, but don’t feel like doing it after the kids’ bedtime.

How we handle those moments goes a long way toward determining how we’ll live our life and what we’ll accomplish.

Bigwig researcher Kathleen Vohs found people with greater self discipline tend to be healthier, wealthier, happier, and more likely to accomplish goals. No big surprise since perseverance despite set backs is a biggie when it comes to meeting goals.

But, while using your willpower can strengthen your self discipline skills, pulling from it too hard for too long, can also deplete your reserves. This means, the more often you push yourself to do what’s difficult, the more likely it is that you’ll reach a point where you just decide to blow it all off.

It’s tough in the temptation-filled culture, NOT to turn on the T.V. for example after a hard day at work. It’s becomes harder NOT to eat the pizza, when you’ve spent months turning down the junk. And, after working every weekend, it’s difficult not to just give it up for a Saturday of college football and couch sitting.

Know your avoidance tactics, and well, avoid them.

Part of developing self-discipline is to pay attention to those feelings – and see them coming before they derail your duties. Start by recognizing your M.O., the little tricks you use to avoid getting the job done.

If you’re one of those who does excessive research, that’s a way of avoiding the work. Facebooking, emailing, surfing – chip away at our self discipline too. And, how many times do you get up to get coffee, when you’re supposed to be pounding away on the keyboard?

Hold yourself accountable for these little time-wasters. Put a plan in place to cut the hijinks.

Know the one thing you need to do to be successful today.

Before you even go into the office, know one thing you need to accomplish before you can be done for the day. Then, sit down, focus on that one task, first. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and totally freaked out by a To-Do List with 23 trillion things.

When you take one thing at a time, you gain some momentum. It feels doable, possible and that sense makes it easier to keep going. You can finish the day, then, knowing you got something done.

Log on Wednesday for some more tips for developing self discipline.

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