There is a pervasive idea that to be successful in any facet of life you need to be disciplined and lead a disciplined life. Would you agree?
So let’s reveal the truth behind discipline.
The truth is – we don’t need any more discipline then we already have (phew, a sense of relief right?). However, most of us do need to get a little better at directing it.
For instance, when you know something needs to change yet you struggle to act on it, how often have you told yourself? “Gee, I wish I had more discipline” or “if I had more discipline I’d be much better off”. Common thought process right?
We the habit of doing such tasks. And to create a habit, we need just the right dose of discipline to start.
Although discipline and habit are separate in meaning they do connect to form the foundation for achievement. When you discipline yourself, you’re essentially training yourself to act in a specific way. Stay with this long enough and soon it becomes routine – habit in other words. And that is the magic.
So when you see high level athletes, musicians, artist, academics etc they can seem disciplined as they train, practice, study so so frequently right? Nope, it’s now just habit.
The big secret is to choose the right habit and bring just enough discipline to establish it. That’s it. That’s all you need. Once the habit starts becoming a part of your life…you’ll appear disciplined.
Most people will find these two words “discipline” and “habit” as tough work and unpleasant. However the right discipline goes along way and habits are only “hard” in the beginning. Over time, your habit will become easier and easier. They require much less effort to maintain than to begin.
So how long will you need to turn discipline into habit? To make it autonomous? The Researchers at the University College of London came to the conclusion that it could range from 18 to 254 day depending of individuals but with an average of 66 days was found to be the sweet spot.
So 66 days on average to turn that much desired change into a habit. That’s approximately 5.4 habits a year. Yes, I’m implying to only focus on ONE habit at a time. You must play the long game for long term results. I promise you, if you ingrain 5-6 new habits each year you’ll be well on your way to living your best life.
Author – Co Founder Jason Clark