Being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of perks, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. When no one is breathing over your neck to make sure you’re getting your work done, it’s easy to fall off track.
That’s why it’s important to work on your self-discipline. Here are 5 ways top performers set themselves up for success through self-discipline and are capable of sustaining their efforts.
1. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
The most significant component of discipline is staying on track and focusing on the tasks you need to get done. To be able to do that, you need to be aware of the things in your environment that are distracting you. For some people, it may be their phone. For others, it can be the fact that there are too many people around you asking for your attention. Turn your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode, and put it away in a different room. Work in a space where you can do focus without any distractions from others. Over time, you will develop your self-discipline muscle and be able to work with your phone next to you and in an area where there are a lot of people without any trouble.
2. GET AT THE ROOT OF PROCRASTINATION
Many of us think procrastination is a time-management problem, but it’s actually an emotional regulation issue. The reason why we procrastinate on a certain task is usually rooted in the fact that we are trying to push back feeling uncomfortable and soak in comfort for as long as we can. Try to figure out what it is exactly that is making you feel uncomfortable about the task you’re procrastinating, and look for a solution to that discomfort. Once you’ve emotionally overcome that hump, you will be able to tackle the task.
3. START WITH SMALL STEPS
Many entrepreneurs start their journey wanting to be top performers right from the get-go. The issue with that is that self-discipline is not something you can go hard with right from the beginning; you need to start small and build it over time. Just like building muscle, you can’t start by lifting way heavier than you can handle; you need to start with lighter weights. So if you want to be able to work long hours in a day to get the most done possible, set up a timer for yourself and start by working in 1-hour intervals without taking a break. You’ll be able to grow from there.
4. LEARN TO DELAY GRATIFICATION
The more capable you are of delaying gratification, the longer you can go without a reward and still be able to perform at a high standard. This is an important skill to develop as you will learn how to be patient, develop endurance, and put in the work without expecting a reward every time. The reality is that you need to be able to be happy with your work without feeling the need to gratify yourself as soon as possible every single time you accomplish a task if you want to build your self-discipline.
5. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET
The way you look at self-discipline is the most important of all because you will find yourself failing a lot. Having the appropriate mindset will allow you to keep a positive outlook and also provide you with the comfort of knowing that every failure brings you one step closer to being even more disciplined. You should be looking at self-discipline as the ability to keep promises to yourself and meet your own expectations, but give yourself grace when you fail. It’s only normal!
As Marcus Aurelius said, “We should discipline ourselves in small things, and from these progress to things of greater value.” Voluntary hardship is necessary to build our self-discipline — so when things feel difficult, keep pushing. You’re getting there.