During the festive break, we may take a break from our usual routines and lose some self-discipline.

We could over indulge with food and drink, have less sleep or exercise. It’s fine to kick back and let our hair down once in a while.

However, when it comes to pursuing and ultimately achieving our goals next year having self-discipline may help us successfully accomplish what we desire. We can’t always rely on our natural talents to guarantee our success with achieving a goal or establishing a new habit. We may have to be very disciplined and consistent in our actions in order to attain success.

A major reason that people don’t always fulfil their potential is that they lack self-discipline. They allow themselves to lose focus and get distracted which results in them being off track. When we are self-disciplined we are in control of our actions and do what is necessary to stay motivated and move towards our goals.

Self-discipline plays a vital role in goal achievement. It’s worth remembering that small actions applied consistently lead to outstanding results over time. If you are concerned about a lack of self-discipline and what it may be costing you, here are a few thoughts to help you and hopefully enable you to sharpen your focus:

Get clear on your why

Prior to setting a goal it’s very important that you get honest with yourself and find clarity on your why i.e. why the goal is important to you and the benefits achieving it will bring you. Having this clarity helps you to persevere when the going gets tough or if you feel like you’re losing your discipline, motivation and drive. It also ensures that your time is used purposefully and on things that are important to you.

Manage distractions and get focused

Calm a busy mind by regular use of quiet time. Even If you can only manage 10 minutes of meditation/stillness a day, it will have a positive influence on your life. Focus your attention on your key result areas and most important priorities. Commit to finish what you start and avoid switching between tasks. Switch off e mail and social media notifications and have specific times to check for new messages. Make a note of things as they come into your mind so you can refer back to them later. Journal daily to externalise your thoughts and empty your mind.

Effectively plan and avoid procrastination

Have clear and realistic to do lists each day. Periodically prepare a stop doing list to eradicate unhelpful and outdated habits and behaviours. Avoid leaving tasks until the last minute. This has the added benefit of reducing stress levels. To overcome procrastination break tasks down into manageable chunks, schedule specific time slots for these. Stick to your plan, milestones and the time slots you’ve allocated for tasks. This helps you to overcome any feelings of overwhelm.

Less is more

Focus on fewer things, goals and targets. It’s better to be first class at a few things than mediocre at many. Be really honest with yourself and figure out what unproductive tasks and procedures you need to remove in order to increase your personal productivity and efficiency. Having fewer priorities helps you to keep on top of things and feel more in control. It also helps you to remain calm under pressure and feel less anxious.

Avoid people pleasing

Develop your assertiveness skills and get comfortable saying no when you are over- burdened or spread too thinly. Be honest and realistic about what you’re able to achieve in the time you have available. Develop strong boundaries, be comfortable putting yourself and your priorities first more often. This may mean that you need to avoid the temptation to put your priorities and tasks to one side in order to please people and seek approval. It’s easy to get into the habit of meeting other people’s needs and ignoring your own.

During the course of the week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider how disciplined you are. If you would like to develop your self-discipline in 2018 what action will you take to get the ball rolling?

This week’s quotation:

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Jim Rohn.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk