Become A Disciplined Machine In 3 Steps (EASY GUIDE)

22d ago in Other

Let me guess…

…you start something new self improvement related like a workout plan, diet, meditation, yoga, cold showers, journalling etc.

You stick to it for maybe a week or two but then it slowly drops off and before you know it you’re just back to square one!

The problem is your discipline- or more accurately, your LACK of discipline.

I know this because I have been there MYSELF!

The thing that got me out of this vicious cycle and enabled me to become like a machine with my discipline was to follow these THREE steps below:

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1))) GET CLEAR ON THE ‘WHY’.

If you’re on a self improvement journey and trying to better yourself, there’s obviously a REASON why you want to change.

You need to become crystal clear on this so that this is always present in the back of your mind.

The reason for this is so that when times get tough and you really DON’T want to do something (a new habit for example), you can remember your ‘why’ and your pain points and this will spur you on to keep going.

To find your ‘why’ and pain points, try this exercise using the picture attached.

Write down some things that you do that you wish you didn’t.

For example, ‘skipping my workout’, ‘eating junk food’ and ‘never finishing anything’.

Then, for each one write the Immediate, Knock-on and Hidden effects of continually doing this.

For example, skipping a workout my result in you feeling ashamed and down immediately.

But then the knock on effect could be that you never gain muscle or are happy with your body.

Lastly, the hidden long term effect could be that you never get a girlfriend, become sad all the time and regret your actions years before.

Seems harsh right?

Well in order for you to become disciplined you may need to get as harsh as possible with this exercise!

The more harsh you are, the more you can see what will happen years down the line if you don’t become disciplined NOW!

Try this exercise now.

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2))) BECOME A MASTER OF THE MORNINGS.

At the end of the day, you are most likely to have a lapse in discipline of there is an absence of these two things:

Energy and motivation.

Using point 1 above, you can keep motivation higher by reminding yourself of the consequences and the person you DON’T want to become.

By becoming a master of your mornings, you can ensure that your energy is higher so that you feel in the best physical and mental space to attack your goals and become a disciplined machine, every single day.

What do I mean by master of your mornings?

You need a morning routine.

Morning routines maximise your energy so that you start every day off on the right foot and moving in the right direction.

No more ‘waking up on the wrong side of the bed’ or not feeling ‘at it’ today.

Try adding just 3 habits to your morning routine.

1 that energises you, 1 that sets up your day and 1 that gets your mind ready.

For example, a habit that will energise you could be a cold shower, some stretching, workout, deep breathing etc.

A habit that sets up your day could be journalling, goal setting, planning, scheduling etc.

And a habit that readies your kind could be meditation, yoga, gratitude, affirmations, visualisation etc.

Combine these 3 types of habits for a KILLER morning routine.

You will feel 10 times more energised and ready to attack each day- meaning you’ll be more disciplined.

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3))) FOCUS ON JUST DOING ‘SOMETHING’

I am not naive.

I know that there are days where you just can’t bring yourself to go to the gym, journal or meditate no matter how much you know it will benefit you.

I’ve been there myself.

But a big part of this comes down to the fact that we believe things to be very mentally draining when we picture them in our head.

For example…

A big workout seems hard and time consuming.

Journalling has a lot of steps to doing it in our head, getting it out, finding a pen, sitting down in a quiet spot etc.

However if we just shifted our thoughts to just doing SOMETHING, then it would be a lot less mentally taxing.

With an ‘all or nothing’ approach , there is no in between.

This means you succeed or fail.

With just doing SOMETHING, you succeed every single day- just not as much as you might think some days.

But progress is progress- and going to the gym for 10 minutes, or going on a 1 mile run, or writing just 1 email or doing just 10 seconds in a cold shower will accumulate to more progress over time than you’d get by having an all or nothing mindset.

By just doing SOMETHING, you are not easily deterred by last minute changes by your schedule.

Also, the mental weight of doing whatever it is you’re trying to be consistent with decreases dramatically when you know you only have to do something and this is still progress.

No more abandoning things and spending the rest of the day feeling guilty!

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Try these 3 steps and you will be far more likely to stay disciplined, consistent and make REAL progress towards becoming the best version of yourself!

What else would you add?

I’m curious.

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