Discipline Works - How to Start Your Autopilot
Discipline works. Even when you have a bad attitude.
It’s a beautiful thing and one of my Top Two Favorite Topics About Which to Talk.
Not really. See, discipline and I haven’t really come to an understanding until pretty recently. Even now, tensions are high and we’ve had to bring in a mediator to help keep things civil. Things are going...okay…
Anyway, that’s all beside the point. The important thing that I’d to talk about is the first line up there. “Discipline works even when you have a bad attitude.”
It’s super powerful and super true - and if you are anything like me at all this is such great news!
Why?
Because you don’t have to like what you are doing - you just have to do it. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing!
If you go to the gym and work out, it’s still effective even if you HATE every second of it. Eat salads without salad dressing every day for two weeks? I’ll bet you lose some weight even if you’re cursing that stupid salad under your breath the entire time.
Makes sense, right? I know it does...but what in the world is my point?
Well, you have the ability to fabricate this reality into a lifestyle that moves you closer to your goals each and every day. I’ve started thinking of it almost like an autopilot for the things I hate.
Now, that’s not going to fix things if you don’t allow it. However, if you can implement a level of discipline into your life to help you manage the things you don’t enjoy, the results can be incredibly powerful!
So, here’s how I would recommend you get started…
Start by identifying the aspects of your daily or weekly routine that you know you’re supposed to do, but that you consistently allow to fall through the cracks.
From there, select ONE of them and determine what routine you can put in place to put that on autopilot.
For me there are quite a few things that I need to get done on a daily/weekly basis and it’s easy for them to fall through the cracks if I’m not consistently focused on them. They range from content that I need to produce for social media and my blog, projects and paying gigs ranging from copywriting and video to brand strategy consulting and photography for commercial and products advertisements. In addition, I have to constantly focus on my fitness and weight loss goals so I don’t lose ground.
For you, it might be scheduling your social media calendar or meeting with people from your network. Or, it might be the never ending battle for health and fitness. In any case, setting up routines that ensure your “deliverables” are completed and then taking away every single excuse that might come up (because they certainly WILL!) will help you get a few steps closer to where you want to be.
Do you have any other thoughts or tips? I’d love to hear back from you. What works, what doesn’t and what advice would you give readers that are working to increase their discipline?