Become A Self-Disciplined Leader

I always found it hard to recover and get back on task with my goal.

Then I discovered that self-discipline is a practice. And all a practice needs to become successful is a simple system to gain consistent results.

I went back over content from the people I admired and found that they each had a system - a plan they stuck to.

I built that too, but something was still missing.

I thought about all the times I had failed and realised each time it occurred after I'd been nudged off track. I struggled to regain momentum.

It wasn't a question of self-discipline or a worthy goal.

It was that my system didn't allow for life to get in the way occasionally. It was too rigid. And every time, my progress stopped instead of changing.

Fitness goals are always a good example. I would go to the gym consistently and then stop because I got busy or was away for a few days. Then I'd struggle to get back to that same level of consistency.

Here's what worked instead:

I became the person who never misses training more than 2 days in a row. 

Instead of saying I'm going to go to the gym 5 days a week, then missing a few days and beating myself up.

This simple change in my self-talk made it possible for me to be flexible as long as I got back on track the next day or the day after.

My point is, optimise for being bumped off track. 

Build-in flexibility and triggers so you know how you'll get back on track when it happens.

It's not a question of having self-discipline or not.

It's having a system to practice it.

I hope that helps.