There will always be something that matters – something that must get done — that you don’t want to do. I hate folding clothes – but I also hate wearing wrinkled pants, therefore fold I must.
Drawing from our reserves of self discipline to make responsible choices about folding or work or health or money – or whatever — is a powerful thing. Bigwigs say people who do it tend to meet their goals more often and live happier, healthier lives than those who don’t make the hard decisions.
Doesn’t mean it’s always easy to get the work done, but there are ways to ramp up your willpower to help ease you through the tough times.
Here are some strategies I use:
1. Find the meaning behind the long days. Know the ultimate goal. Why does this work matter? What do you want to accomplish with it? When you’re struggling to keep up the effort, remind yourself of the big-picture payoff.
2. Ease up a bit. Exerting self discipline over long periods of time – like a long day at work – can deplete our reserves and make it harder to do the other important things we’d like to get done like exercise or household chores or writing. Know this ahead of time and take mini-breaks during the day – like a lunch out of the office or a quick walk around the block where you can switch off your mind for a moment and relax. This will make it easier to stay focused on your goals.
3. Know your intention. Today I have two posts and three letters to write. Setting a realistic goal for my weekend work, makes it easier to do. I know just what I need to get done and when I finish up, I am outta here.
4. Eliminate the temptation. Make it easier on yourself. Often our self control takes a hit because we are simply exposed to so many other things during the day. Studies have shown that making too many decisions and having too much temptation can deplete our ability to make good choices. If you’re constantly saying “No” to the cookies for example, at one point you are going to get tired of that and just eat the darn cookie.
Take the pressure off. If you know you get hung up on Facebook or email, install a program that blocks the Internet, for awhile so you don’t have the temptation to log on. If you want to lose weight, make it easier on yourself and don’t buy the cookies in the first place. I hate to miss out on family fun, so I work odd hours on the weekends — early in the morning or during the lazy mid-afternoon — when nothing much is happening around here. By the time the fun (and distractions) begin, I’m done working for the day.
5. Put yourself in the environment to succeed. I cannot write a book without sitting down in my office at the computer, everyday. You aren’t going to workout if you don’t hit the gym. You won’t fold the clothes if you don’t go to the bin of clean clothes. Physically move yourself to the place you need to be to get the job done. For daily tasks, go to the same place, everyday, preferably at the same time. This trains your body to get down to it, even when you’re brain is feeling lazy. Often, just by doing this you’ll feel the momentum shift. What felt so hard, gets easier once you get going.
6. Reward yourself. I am in here working while my family is out playing, but I’ll cash in later. When I get my posts written for the day, I’m going to go to the park with my daughter and later, spend a half hour reading a mystery. Knowing that there is some little pay-off of fun keeps me focused on my work. The play time after work helps restore my self discipline so I’ll ready to go again tomorrow.
By using a few of these tips, not only will you accomplish more, but it will be less of a struggle to get it done. In the long run, you’ll be satisfied with the results you achieve and discover you are more disciplined than ever before.
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