How to be more disciplined in life?

Ever seen people who breeze through life with the right amount of sleep, a healthy diet, and time for everything? They seem to be living a charmed life. However, it's not as much magic, as it is discipline — a good habit that takes years of perseverance to build and sustain. A fizzle-proof way of life, discipline delivers much more than willpower or motivation, and can be the best bet for even the lazier ones amongst us. 

The power of identity change

Experts call learning discipline a marathon and not a sprint. Rather than short spurts of positive energy and determination that easily fizzle out, discipline is a way of life, built gradually, and with patience and grace. Even if some find it daunting, the habit packs small, achievable goals that anyone can accomplish. Therefore, feel that rather than pushing oneself too hard at the beginning, tiny steps towards an identity change can work in one's favour. This could mean opting to take the stairs, instead of an intense cardio routine, going to bed and waking up fifteen minutes early, or a 10-minute reading session before a Netflix binge. 

Create an environment

Often, leaving yourself without a choice can help you make a hard one. Instead of allowing your environment to manipulate you, use it to your advantage. Substitute cookies in the snack drawer with apples in the fridge. Switch soda with coconut water and keep a book on the coffee table and the TV remote somewhere far. The right environment will have you reaching for the right things and have you developing the right habits in no time. 

Specific goals

 Use clarity to your advantage. In a mind-boggling study conducted by Harvard University, it was found that those who set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based goals (S.M.A.R.T goals) were thrice more likely to achieve them than those who set vague ones. 

A classic example is: I will meditate for 15 minutes at 6:00 AM for 7 days. It tells you how many minutes you would be meditating, at what time, and for how many days. The effort-to-reward ratio is incredible and the goal is simple enough to remember and follow through.

Reward yourself mindfully

Delaying instant gratification for sustainable growth can be difficult and the missing carrot can make you quickly despise the stick. While success takes its time, one must keep morale up by presenting themselves with small rewards from time to time. This can make you feel more confident in your abilities, and keep you firmly on the right track and the occasional spurts of dopamine can help with learning and memory.

The Two-Strikes Rule

Slip-ups are human and it is important to allow yourself grace when you miss your goals for the day. However, just as it is important to preserve mental peace and steer away from burnout, it is also crucial to not let oneself go completely. A good strategy that helps you strike a balance between the two situations is the two-strikes rule. While a few occasional slip-ups do not hurt a long-term habit from forming, they should not be allowed to happen more than once, consecutively. So, if you have missed a goal once, breathe easy but work up the determination to make it up the next day, not let it go again.