I realised some time ago that I didn’t have much discipline. I had enthusiasm, energy (lots) and positivity but I didn’t have much discipline, let alone realise that discipline affirmations existed. I realised this because I was trying to lose weight and get back into my exercise routine which does require a certain amount of discipline and I just kept falling off the band wagon.
So, rather than running away from the problem, me and my lack of self control, I ran towards the problem: What are the best ways to replace my bad habits with good habits that actually stick.
What I have learnt over the last few years is that when I identify something in me that is lacking or which disappoints me, rather than getting all depressed about it or consoling myself with alcohol, sweets or by withdrawing even further from the desired outcome, I go and do some research and get good at it.
So with that in mind I set off on a discipline discovery journey. And this is what I discovered.
What is discipline
Discipline can refer to several related concepts, but in general, it refers to a set of rules, behaviours, or practices that are designed to help individuals achieve their goals or adhere to certain standards.
Discipline can also refer to the ability to control one’s behaviour or impulses and adhere to rules and expectations, even in the face of difficulty or temptation. This kind of self-discipline is often seen as an important character trait that can lead to success in various areas of life, including education, work, relationships, and personal growth.
Part of my problem was that I loved the positive thinking that came from setting goals and the thought of success but I didn’t have the ability to stick to the goals and actually achieve them. I wasn’t always realistic with my timeframes either. In addition I held myself ransom over setting goals and basically thought that if I achieved them I was a good person and if I didn’t achieve them I wasn’t.
So the first challenge I faced was:
How do I give myself more discipline?
Developing discipline, like developing any new habit is uncomfortable. Your and my success is going to depend on our willingness to be uncomfortable. The thing is I didn’t want to be uncomfortable. I wanted the reassurance of the warm bed, the ice cream, the sofa, the current patterns of behaviour.
However in order to go from here (unsatisfied, lack of success) to there (satisfied, massive success) something was going to have to change. And it wasn’t just ‘something’ it was ‘quite a lot’.
Winning the battle against myself
I went looking for people who had developed discipline in their lives and overcome challenges and hurdles. In terms of winning the battle against myself I am hugely grateful to various people who do not know me but who have inspired me to improve myself and to show the way. Thanks to David Goggins and what he has to say on discipline. I am also indebted to Rich Roll and Julie Piatt and also to Sylvie Guillem. Also, over the years to Marie Forleo, Amy Porterfield and Jasmine Star.
I discovered that winning the battle against myself involved learning self awareness, embracing discomfort (aargh) and developing mental toughness.
Winning the battle: Self awareness
This involves identifying your/my weaknesses, insecurities, and negative thought patterns that hold us back. By understanding these limitations, we can work on improving ourselves.
Winning the battle: Embracing discomfort
Embracing discomfort involves pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. Growth and progress only come from pushing past you perceived limits and overcoming obstacles. But how was I going to do that given my talent for avoiding it?
Winning the battle: Mental toughness
To develop mental toughness, practice discipline, focus, and perseverance in you daily life and build mental strength.
I also discovered that self discipline is largely a question of organisation: personal organisation and life organisation.
So the next stage of this blog post looks at: organising your morning routine, organising your work life and organising your home life.
First steps first: Winning the day when you win the morning
Apologies to any of you night owls, but you’ll stand a better chance of success when you win the morning.
Here is a brief outline of how to set yourself up for success and develop some self-discipline each morning
- 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. 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.
Discipline Affirmations for the morning
Affirmations are great for encouraging yourself and putting yourself into a positive frame of mind. They won’t do the work for you though. But they can do two things: help reprogramme your subconscious mind and encourage you to keep going when difficult situations arise. I’m going to list out some affirmations below that will help you in the mornings but before you start to use them two pieces of advice:
Only use these daily affirmations if you believe them. If you don’t believe them or they don’t resonate with you, then create your own affirmations.
Here are some general morning affirmations:
- I am disciplined and focused on my goals.
- I have the power to overcome any challenge that comes my way.
- I am committed to taking consistent action towards my dreams.
- I have the strength and determination to push through any obstacle.
- I am in control of my thoughts and actions, and I choose to stay disciplined.
- I am willing to do what it takes to achieve my goals.
- I am strong, resilient, and dedicated to my success.
- I have a clear vision of what I want to achieve, and I am disciplined in my pursuit of it.
- I am worthy of success, and I am willing to put in the hard work to achieve it.
- I am disciplined in my daily habits and routines, and I know that they will lead me to success.
I don’t know what you think, I think these affirmations are ok, but I’m not sure they are going to get me where I want to go. They don’t feel personal enough to have meaning for me. If they work for you then great, go ahead and use them today! See next for how to get personal with your morning affirmations.
Get personal with your morning discipline affirmations: positive self talk and specificity
Get personal with your affirmations: Remind yourself of what you have done, what you are doing and what you are going to do.
Take #1 above: I am disciplined and focused on my goals
Ask yourself: In what ways have you demonstrated discipline? And in what ways have you demonstrated goal focus?
You could say: I have run every day, I am running today, I will run tomorrow, I will complete the race.
In a nutshell you have proof to yourself of your discipline in the past, determined self talk that tells yourself that you will continue to practice discipline tomorrow when you go for another run, and a future focus outcome: You will complete the race.
You’re going to believe that you will complete the race because you’ve already got proof that you have done and are doing the work.
We’ve looked at how to win your morning. Let’s look now at winning the day at work and winning your time at home
Winning the day at work
Here are some tips to help you win the day at work from an organizational and self-discipline perspective:
- 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 coworkers and colleagues. This will help create a supportive work environment and foster collaboration and teamwork.
I love Jim Rohn, Zig Zigler, and Tony Robbins all of whom have helped me in the workplace with their positive statements and speeches. Here are some quotes that may help inspire and motivate you:
Jim Rohn:
- “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
- “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
- “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Zig Zigler:
- “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
- “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
- “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
Tony Robbins:
- “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, it’s what we do consistently.”
- “Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.”
- “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.”
And here are some discipline affirmation specifically for work:
- I am capable and confident in my abilities to succeed at work.
- I am motivated and driven to achieve my professional goals.
- I am respected and valued by my colleagues and superiors.
- I am a productive and efficient worker who gets things done.
- I am focused and disciplined in my work, staying on task until completion.
- I am a problem solver, finding creative solutions to challenges at work.
- I am adaptable and flexible, able to handle changes and new situations with ease.
- I am a positive and uplifting presence in the workplace, bringing good energy to my team.
- I am continuously learning and growing in my field, expanding my knowledge and skillset.
- I am grateful for my job and the opportunity to contribute to the success of my organization.
Winning the day at home
Home is where I struggle the most to remain disciplined and focussed. I have enough energy to get through the day and get done everything I need to get done. But after that I struggle to maintain order and discipline. This of course makes me hugely frustrated because I want to live in a beautiful house and be able to find everything I need. I have worked hard in this area over the past few years and this is a list of some things that have really helped me:
- 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.
Here are some discipline affirmations you can use to help cultivate a beautiful home:
- 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.
Remember, affirmations are most effective when repeated regularly and with intention. Try repeating one or more of these affirmations to yourself each day, perhaps as part of a morning or evening routine, and see how they positively impact your attitude towards maintaining a beautiful home.
Why positive affirmations are important for self discipline
Having a prepared mind
Preparing your mind each day for what lies ahead is an often overlooked component of self discipline. You might be a hard worker but if you are working hard but unprepared, then despite your best efforts you will be using up much more brain power then someone who has prepared for the day ahead. You may eventually suffer from burnout and/or exhaustion from the required levels of effort needed to sustain your busy, but disorganised, work life.
Discipline affirmations for being prepared
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.
How positive affirmations will help you become more disciplined
One of the best things about positive affirmations is that they help you change and become the best version of you that you want to be. They are one of the links between you and your future self. Positive powerful affirmations will work for you if you believe them.
However belief and positive thoughts alone are not enough. You need to link positive thoughts with action and then with personalisation. Your discipline affirmations need to be really personal to you.
How to use discipline affirmations when you don’t want to do something
Use discipline affirmations to help you make a decision, make it stick and not look back. The more simple you can make it the easier it is to adhere.
Discipline affirmations can be helpful when you are struggling to motivate yourself to do something that you know is important, but you don’t really feel like doing it. Here are a few tips for using discipline affirmations in such situations:
- Start by setting a clear goal for what you want to accomplish. This could be something as simple as cleaning your room, or as complex as completing a difficult project for work. Whatever it is, make sure you have a specific outcome in mind.
- Write down a few affirmations that will help you stay motivated and focused on your goal. For example, you might say to yourself: “I am capable of achieving my goals,” “I am disciplined and committed to my success,” or “I am willing to do whatever it takes to reach my objectives.” Or better still make them meaningful, specific and goal focussed. Rather than saying ‘I am capable of achieving my goals’ (which you are total liberty to say if it works for you) choose a phrase like, “Every day I am working towards my goals. Each time I fail or succeed I am still one step closer. I won’t stop until I succeed.”
- Repeat your affirmations to yourself throughout the day, especially when you feel your motivation starting to slip. You can say them out loud, write them down, or even create a visual reminder (like a sticky note on your computer screen) to keep them top of mind.
- Focus on the positive outcomes that will result from completing the task at hand. Instead of dwelling on the discomfort or inconvenience of doing something you don’t really want to do, try to think about how good you will feel once you’ve accomplished your goal.
- Finally, be patient with yourself. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it can take time to build new habits and ways of thinking. Keep practicing your discipline affirmations, and don’t give up if you don’t see immediate results. With persistence and commitment, you can achieve great things!
Using discipline affirmation to help you honour your priorities
Honouring your priorities is another way of being self disciplined. It’s so easy (as I found!) to say you want something but not be willing to actually work for it or make the sacrifices necessary to achieve it.
A great way of viewing your self discipline is a ‘honouring your priorities’. What are your priorities? And in what way do you want to honour them?
- I prioritise my goals and work towards them with focus and discipline.
- I am committed to staying on track with my priorities and achieving my desired outcomes.
- I am in control of my time and use it wisely to accomplish my goals.
- I have the self-discipline to resist distractions and stay focused on what’s most important.
- I am capable of making tough choices in order to stay aligned with my priorities and values.
- I trust my ability to stick to my priorities and stay motivated towards my goals.
- I am dedicated to following through on my commitments and achieving my desired results.
- I know that self-discipline is the key to achieving success, and I cultivate it daily.
- I am disciplined in my approach to work and consistently take steps towards achieving my goals.
- I am proud of myself for having the self-discipline to honour my priorities and achieve my desired outcomes.
List Of The Best Self Discipline Affirmations To Keep You Focused
Staying focussed is a key component to self discipline. I think it gets easier the more you practice it. It’s certainly very good for your brain’s mental health. So always strive to stay focussed for certain lengths of time. Some people say 20 minutes is the optimum focus time, others say 60-90 minutes. Whichever one suits you, practice that each day, intentionally. People who seem to have incredible self-control may just be focussed. If it’s as simple as that, then welcome a new, strong self into your life and and grow your laser focus ability.
Here are ten self discipline affirmations that will help challenge self-defeating thoughts and keep you focussed.
- I am a disciplined and resilient person and focused on achieving my goals.
- I am in control of my two most powerful tools: thoughts and actions, and I use them to focus on what’s important.
- With the help of self-discipline I stay focused on the task at hand and complete it with excellence.
- My priorities get my complete concentration and I make time for them every day.
- The ability to focus on my goals is one of my greatest powers.
- I have a strong sense of purpose and direction which gives me the inner strength to stay disciplined and focused.
- I am persistent in my efforts, even when faced with challenges or setbacks.
- I am organised and my level of self discipline helps me manage my time effectively.
- I am confident in my ability to stay disciplined and focused, no matter what comes my way.
- I am committed to personal growth and development and my own massive potential. I use discipline and focus and the required will power to walk out this potential each day.
I hope you have found something in this blog post to be useful. Even as I was writing it I was thinking how useful some of the advice is, but how I have neglected it myself, so I will be back on it tomorrow morning!
If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more:
How to use affirmations to release negative energy
In what ways does listening to affirmations while sleeping work?
Work bullet journal spreads: How to achieve any goal