Hello everyone and welcome to the Passport to Growth! My name is Leigh Lohman and I am one of your tour guides. I’m excited you’re all here because it means you’re all already practicing this week’s topic, which is Self-Discipline.  So, kudos to all of you for showing up and being a part of this group as it shows you’re here to get better. With that said, Let’s dive in.

What is self-discipline? The dictionary defines it as “the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.”  We can also call this self-control or self-mastery.

We talked a few couple of months ago about initiative and some of the tricks we need to use to force ourselves to take initiative to get things done, do things we don’t want to or sometimes just flat out START an activity or task.  Some of that aids into our topic of self-discipline.

When we think of the term “self-discipline” we can think of a million things, some of which are: what we eat, hitting the gym, getting enough exercise, cleaning the house, to doing some of the menial tasks that our job requires, OR STOPPING doing things that are self-sabotaging.

I recently read an article that said people with a higher self-discipline are happier. Those who show a higher degree of self-control spend less time negotiating with themselves on whether or not to partake in certain behaviors that are detrimental to their health, family or job. They’re able to make positive decisions more easily and tend to take the emotion out of their decision-making. They don’t let their impulses or feelings dictate a decision as they’re more level-headed which results in a higher sense of satisfaction.

Here is just one tip or trick on developing self-discipline. Let’s go back to the definition: the ability to overcome one’s weaknesses. In order to overcome a weakness, what do we have to do first?  We first must recognize it, right? A journey into being a disciplined person begins with self-discovery. 

In order to grow we must know our weaknesses. Sometimes it’s hard for us to reflect inward and really self-assess where we’re at, what are we good at and where we need work?  For example, if there are cookies in your office break room and you have a weakness for cookies, know that and plan around it. My office has an inside joke about this type of situation. We celebrate birthdays with sweet treats and we often have clients drop sweets off to the office and I cringe every time.  Not because I eat them but because I don’t want others to consume that amount of sugar. 

Once upon a time, I would have been one of those people to partake in the such things but I made a choice a long time ago that I didn’t want to eat like that and convinced myself I don’t like sweets. So, at random I bring in veggies and hummus or something like that and I can hear, clear as day, “ohp Leigh’s here,” and I smile because that’s how I choose to eat and how I try with all my might to influence others to as well.

What are some other weaknesses we have? Think on it for a bit. The goal here is just to simply recognize our weaknesses, give them their due and keep them ever present at the forefront of our minds so we can focus on what we want long term vs. instant gratification.

Whether there is something in your life that is huge and you are at a point that being more disciplined is necessary or you’re just looking to gain a bit more focus on something smaller in your personal situation… i.e., quitting smoking or binge eating vs. making phone calls to clients to maintain relationships, whatever it is the tour guides in the Passport to Growth is here to help you!

This blog was is an excerpt from Passport to Growth Live on Self-Discipline. For access to the full conversation on Self-Discipline as well as other weekly coaching calls; visit PassportToGrowth.com