This blog post accompanies the Discipline Affirmations blog post published recently. I wanted to create a journal around the blog post, but as it was too much to include in the other post we have created a separate one here. I wanted to create a discipline affirmation journal because it’s a really simple, easy way to tap into something which people (especially me!) find hard, discipline. Once I understood that discipline is 80% organisation I realised that a life which incorporates self discipline, and all the advantages that is brings, is entirely possible for me and not just available to super-humans!
You may want to get started with more discipline and order in your life but not know where to start. This blog post will give you an overview of various areas in your life where you can create more order and harmony which will be the bedrock to creating more discipline in your life.
The first section of the post addresses mental challenges you might face when creating more discipline in your life. The second section of the post looks at practical ways to organise your life in order to give yourself a great bedrock for adding new discipline challenges into it.
As I mentioned above, I realised, and you may feel the same, that quite often when I think that I need more discipline in my life actually what I really need is organisation in my life. The two go hand in hand. You probably haven’t met a person with great self discipline who was messy. I know I haven’t.
So this blog post will be looking at both discipline and organisation and how to use them to leverage your activities. Use this blog post as you need, to create more efficiency in certain areas of your life, or to view your life as a whole. Use your journal to set out your intentions and note your thoughts. There is a lot of information here so maybe start with just one aspect and then when you have worked on that and created a routine for yourself and some challenges to keep you on your toes, move on to the next area.
Most of all enjoy the process! This post is designed to help you create enough order and calm in your life that you can live it to its fullest. It’s not designed to stress you out or give you anxiety in any way. Enjoy!
Why do you want more discipline in your life?
Spend a little time journaling around these thoughts:
Giving yourself more discipline. How does that sound to you? Are you excited or daunted?
Have you thought about what are you going to have to give up in order to be uncomfortable?
If you didn’t give everything up all at once, what would you give up first, second third etc.
Who inspired you?
Make a list of people who you admire who have inspired you. Use the front pages of your journal to write about people who have inspired you. Maybe people who you looked up to and thought, ‘I could never be like them’. Use your journal to acknowledge them and the manner in which they lived their lives which so inspired you.
Also write down anything that they said that is useful for you. In my blog post I used some quotes by Zig Zigler, Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins. Use whatever you find encouraging.
Then let’s move on to how to win the battle against yourself which is a major component in understanding yourself and then being able to develop new self discipline practices that work for you and that you might have for the rest of your life.
Winning the battle against yourself – self awareness
The starting point for more self discipline is self awareness. Here are some exercises you can try to increase your self-awareness.
- Write down your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a journal. This will help you identify negative thought patterns and reflect on your insecurities. Writing also helps to clarify your thoughts and emotions, allowing you to understand yourself better. If you already have a journal you can look through it to see where you may struggle and want to address.
- Ask yourself reflective questions such as “What are my strengths and weaknesses?”, “What triggers my insecurities?”, “What negative thoughts do I have about myself?”, “What can I do to challenge these thoughts?”
- Identify any limiting beliefs you may have about yourself and challenge them. For example, if you believe that you are not good enough, ask yourself “What evidence do I have to support this belief?” and “What evidence do I have that contradicts this belief?”
Remember that self-awareness is a journey and it takes time and practice. Be kind to yourself and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.
You could keep a separate journal for this section, or include it in your discipline affirmations journal, totally up to you.
Winning the battle against yourself – embracing discomfort
If you are going to create new practices in your life, you will need to embrace discomfort. This is key. Often we love the idea of change, but we find the process of change harder. This is because we feel uncomfortable. If you can get used to that feeling of discomfort you will soon learn to recognise it and embrace it. Here are some exercises you can try to help you embrace discomfort:
- Push yourself out of your comfort zone: Make a list of activities or experiences that make you feel uncomfortable, but that you would like to try. Or activities that you have tried before but which didn’t stick. Have a renewed mindset! You can do it! Start with small, achievable goals and work your way up to bigger challenges. This will help you build resilience and tolerance for discomfort.
- Practice gratitude: When you are feeling uncomfortable, try to focus on things that you are grateful for. Write them in your journal. This can help shift your perspective and bring a sense of positivity to the situation.
- Embrace uncertainty: Uncertainty can be uncomfortable, but it is a natural part of life. Practice accepting uncertainty and focus on the present moment rather than worrying about the future. Use your journal to write about your feelings of uncertainty.
- Take calculated risks: Sometimes, taking a calculated risk can be uncomfortable, but it can also lead to personal growth and new opportunities. Identify risks that are worth taking and take steps to mitigate any potential negative outcomes. Write them down as you think of them. You don’t have to act on them all at the same time.
Remember, embracing discomfort is not easy, but it can lead to personal growth and new opportunities. Take it one step at a time and be patient with yourself.
Winning the battle against yourself – mental toughness
I love the idea of mental toughness, but often I love the idea as I am doing some boring chore or task. As I wash the floor I think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to run an endurance race.’ Of course in the boring moment I think anything would be preferable to my mop and bucket! As soon as I have finished the task, the thought has gone!
Here are some steps you can take to develop mental toughness that are not fleeting, and will stick:
- Set challenging goals: Set challenging, but achievable goals for yourself and work towards them. This will help you build resilience and perseverance in the face of obstacles. Use your journal to write out a list of challenging goals. Pick only one to work on at a time.
- Practice self-discipline: Practice self-discipline by setting routines and sticking to them. This can help you build mental strength and develop the ability to stay focused on your goals. For more on routines see below in the post where we look at work/home/morning routines that will help you.
- Visualize success: Use visualization techniques to imagine yourself succeeding in difficult situations. This can help you build confidence and mental toughness when faced with similar situations in real life. You could write out a visualisation journey for yourself in your journal and repeat it back to yourself each day.
- Practice mindfulness: Practice mindfulness to develop the ability to stay present and focused on the task at hand. This can help you develop mental toughness by staying focused on your goals and not getting distracted by negative thoughts or emotions. Use your journal to practice mindfulness. Each day sit and write out slowly, everything you are aware of and perceive right now in the moment. Use this exercise to focus on being totally present.
Remember that developing mental toughness takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and focus on making small, consistent progress over time.
Create a discipline affirmation journal and use it to:
Organise: Personal & Work lives
This is where the rubber hits the road. Start to create a new framework for your life using organisation as a key lever in your discipline journey. As I referred to in the blog post much of what I thought was developing discipline was actually about creating order in my life.
Get the order in your life created first. Then give yourself new challenges on top of that.
Let’s start with your morning routine.
Getting your mornings right
Use your journal to track whichever activities you choose from the list below.
- Set a specific time to wake up and stick to it. It doesn’t matter exactly what time. The important thing is to be consistent and make waking up early a habit.
- Have a plan for your morning whether that means exercising, meditating, or working on a specific project. Having a plan helps you stay focused and productive.
- Use positive self-talk: Positive self-talk is crucial for success. Use self-discipline affirmations to motivate yourself in the morning.
- Embrace discomfort: Embracing discomfort is key to achieving success. Some people suggest to start your day with something challenging, such as a cold shower or a tough workout. Ok, I’m not going to do the cold shower thing, but I’m not going to stop you. It works really well for some people.
- Meditate: Meditation is a great way to start the day. It helps to calm your mind and reduce stress, making you more focused and productive throughout the day.
- Develop a spiritual practice: Pray, read the Bible, spend time in quiet. Practice gratitude: Take a moment to reflect on the things you are grateful for. Gratitude helps to cultivate a positive mindset and sets you up for a productive and fulfilling day.
- Exercise: Exercise is a great way to energize your body and get your blood flowing. It also releases endorphins, which improve your mood and help you feel more positive and motivated.
- Plan your day: Take a few minutes in the morning to plan out your day. This will help you prioritize your tasks and stay on track throughout the day. Some people prefer to do this the night before.
- Eat a healthy breakfast: A healthy breakfast can provide you with the energy you need to start the day off right.
- Review your goals: Take a few minutes to review your goals and remind yourself of what you want to achieve. This will help you stay motivated and focused on your priorities throughout the day.
Write your own morning discipline affirmations
There are morning discipline affirmations in the blog post that you can use. Or create your own. Write them out in your journal. Print them out and put them where you will see them. Repeat them every morning, preferably at the same time.
Being prepared for the day
As well as, or instead of, your morning affirmations, you could use the affirmations we created for being prepared for the day ahead. Use your journal to write out which preparation affirmations will be most useful for you. You could write them out each morning. Or you could print them out and keep them where you will see them and have a moment to repeat them back to yourself.
I am ready and prepared for the day.
I am calm, prepared and ready for the day.
I am prepared and ready for a new day. I am able to complete the difficult task ahead, efficiently and competently.
I am ready for today, I have a high level of focus. I am prepared to work on my to-do list plus I am ready for the unexpected tasks.
I am ready and prepared for work. I create high standards for myself each day.
I am prepared for today. I have plenty of energy, and ready to bring focus and effort to the day.
I am ready and prepared for the day. I have complete control of my thoughts. I am calm and in control of the day.
Win the day at work
Now that you have won back your morning routine, let’s focus on winning the day at work.
Use your journal to create tables and charts that help with specific areas. Write about how you feel each day, whether it went well, how you were able to be intentional.
- Set clear goals: Establish specific and measurable goals for what you want to accomplish each day. This will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the day.
- Prioritize tasks: Determine which tasks are most important and urgent, and focus on those first. Use a to-do list or a planner to help you stay on track.
- Manage your time: Avoid distractions and stay focused on your work. Schedule breaks and limit time spent on non-work-related activities.
- Stay positive: Maintain a positive attitude and outlook, even when faced with challenging situations. Remember to celebrate small wins and accomplishments throughout the day.
- Practice self-discipline: Make a commitment to yourself to follow through on your goals and priorities, even when it’s difficult. Hold yourself accountable and avoid making excuses.
- Continuously learn and improve: Seek out opportunities to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. Embrace feedback and use it to improve your performance.
- Develop strong relationships: Build positive relationships with your co-workers and colleagues. This will help create a supportive work environment and foster collaboration and teamwork.
Work affirmations
Write out your work affirmations here. Either use ours or create them yourself:
Page for quotes from people who inspire you
Take a break from winning the day or winning at work. Use a page in your journal and write down quote from people who inspire you to be a better version of yourself. They don’t have to be profound thoughts, they could be the easiest words. Whatever it is that inspires you is perfect. Write them down so you can reread them when you need to.
Finally, let’s look at winning the day at home.
Win the day at home
If there is one area that I really need this, as you may have read in the related blog post, it is winning the day at home.
Before you start on the practicalities, envisage how you want your home to look. Write it down in your journal. You could paste pictures and images of homes that you love into the journal as inspiration. Then use our home affirmations, or create your own, and repeat them to yourself each morning. Make having the home of your dreams a priority for yourself, however that looks. Make it a reality in your mind and then set about creating it.
A reminder of the home affirmations:
- I am committed to keeping my home clean and organized.
- I have the discipline to maintain a clutter-free living space.
- I take pride in keeping my home tidy and presentable.
- I make time each day to clean and maintain my home.
- I am dedicated to creating a peaceful and inviting environment in my home.
- I approach cleaning and organizing my home with a positive attitude.
- I am consistent in my efforts to create a beautiful living space.
- I am mindful of the items I bring into my home and only keep what I need or truly love.
- I enjoy the process of decorating my home and creating a comfortable living space.
- I am grateful for my home and show it the love and care it deserves.
Here are the numbered items from that post. Take a page in your journal for each item and write about how you it best suits you to create them in your own life.
- Create a routine: Establishing a routine for regular tasks such as cleaning, organizing, and decluttering can help establish discipline in home organization. Set a schedule for yourself and stick to it as much as possible.
- Make a list: Create a list of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and make sure to check them off as you complete them. This can help you stay organized and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
- Set goals: Setting achievable goals for home organization can help you stay motivated and on track. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, and realistic.
- Get rid of clutter: Clutter can make it difficult to stay organized and can be overwhelming. Start by getting rid of items that you no longer need or use, and create a system for storing the items you do keep.
- Assign responsibilities: If you live with others, assign responsibilities for home organization tasks. This can help ensure that everyone is doing their part and can reduce the workload for any one person.
- Create designated spaces: Designate specific areas in your home for certain activities or items. For example, create a designated space for your keys or mail so that you always know where to find them.
- Use storage solutions: Invest in storage solutions such as bins, baskets, and shelves to help keep items organized and easy to find. Labelling containers can also make it easier to quickly identify what is inside.
- Minimize distractions: Avoid distractions while organizing by turning off your phone or TV and focusing solely on the task at hand. This can help you stay focused and get the job done more efficiently.
- Reward yourself: Celebrate your successes and reward yourself when you reach your organizational goals. This can help keep you motivated and establish discipline in your home organization routine.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it will encourage you to create a journal, or renew your interest in journals. If you would like to read more, you may also like these blog posts:
How to transform your life with 144 thought provoking journal prompts
How to use affirmations to release negative energy
How to journal your way to success by creating goal affirmations