Self-discipline - Art of overriding our minds

You have set some goals and are determined to pursue them. Started to work towards them. Got success one day and feel motivated to work harder and keep going. But then, on another fine day, something happens and you don't feel like doing it. May be you are tired or running low on confidence in your abilities. Your feelings at that moment offer enough reasons to allow yourself to digress from what you had once decided. You choose to go with how you are feeling and put off the task for sometime telling yourself that you will come back to it. What just happened? I would say the race between self-discipline vs. motivation has just begun. 

Self-Discipline involves giving higher importance to what you think or have once decided is important and not how you feel about it in the moment. 

Now one may wonder that if someone is not motivated or passionate about working on something, then how can you push yourself. You will do it halfheartedly and then results will not pan out. Yes and no. I think motivation is the main factor when you are in the goal setting phase. Asking yourself if it is worth doing? Why do you want to do it. What if things do not go exactly the way you expect. Are you ready to still take the risk? Answers to all these questions will come through the level of motivation. However, motivation is fleeting. It will come and go once you start working towards your goals based on your current situation. But self-discipline is sustainable.

You will face challenges. They will vary in degree for different people. But what is important to remember is that during these hard times, it is the self-discipline that will pull us through that phase. Self-discipline is when you do not let your feelings at a particular moment in time dominate your vision. Motivation fails to help at those low points in life. Our self talk tends to be weak. But the principles we had made at the first place and our dedication to stick to them is what is going to make all the difference. 

How to cultivate this trait? 

Whenever I find my self-discipline being tested, this is what I repeat to my myself: When one gets success, anyone will feel motivated to do more and keep going. Practicing discipline may seem hard at this point but I will feel good and empowered afterwards. So, sometimes it does becomes important to tell our mind to just shut up.

I hope you enjoyed the post. 

- Dippy