As we approach the end of the year, I am feeling sentimental and find myself (fondly) reflecting on the past year, which has been much better than the previous one. Last year, I had to move my workouts to the living room. I was happy to return to my pre-pandemic group fitness classes this year. I have also taken some fantastic leisure trips. Professionally, I’ve also witnessed the reported decline in the national unemployment rate, with more clients looking for a new job while gainfully employed and not in a desperate situation. Things certainly seem more optimistic as we reach high Covid vaccinations rates across the globe. To me, reflection is a means of moving forward, applying the 2021 takeaways to my plan for 2022. As I think about my successes and challenges, I can be in a more grounded place to set smarter goals for next year. Yes, I am already thinking about it. I am starting to stash away great ideas to effectively lead myself toward a better year. And I keep coming back to the tested and proven strategies to make discipline and commitment a habit.
I love the Jim Rohn quote that discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. We can all agree that commitment is the key to achieving personal and professional goals and career success. But how do we stay motivated to lace up the running shoes, hit the gym, write that blog, or finish that free online course? The truth is that novelty always wears off. No matter what goal we set, in the beginning, everything seems possible and thrilling. But once the really hard work starts, the excitement tends to fade. Whether it’s a month, three, or six months in, inertia raises its ugly head making it hard to keep on track. This is when we need to dig deeper into our commitment in order to reach our highest potential. Achieving even small goals requires commitment. Think about it, everything you have achieved to date was through self-discipline, commitment, and dedication; whether it’s your degree, finding your first job, and every promotion or bigger job since. But commitment is not innate. It must be developed. Throughout life’s challenges and opportunities, we cultivate commitment from the inside out. We have to learn the basics in childhood, do our homework before we are able to tackle bigger goals requiring greater commitment. We have to learn to walk before we can run. Yet, the question still stands: how do we develop more self-discipline and commitment?
Self-development is a lifelong process. The opportunities in your career are in direct correlation to your commitment to learning and growth. With that in mind, you can cultivate self-discipline with small goals that would serve as mental reminders of what commitment feels like and the reason you are working to change for the better. The secret is small daily action practicing self-discipline diligently. Like any other skill, practice makes better. The way to do it is to create daily habits and rituals.
10 ideas for building self-discipline, commitment, and diligence. Choose one thing to focus on and do it consistently. When you master one, add a new one:
1. Master the Countdown
When you feel unmotivated to follow through and do what you committed to get done, count down from ten, then force yourself to just do it. A quick count down can help you shift your mindset. Commit to keeping on task for 10 minutes. You can do anything for 10 minutes.
2. Create Your Line of Sight
Writing a goal down creates the initial commitment. Then hang it up somewhere you’d see it often in your line of sight. You may add your “why,” the reason you chose the goal. Additionally, you can increase your motivation by writing down an inspirational quote. You may want to set calendar reminders on your phone to keep your goal on track.
3. Read a Book for Professional Development
Even if you are not an avid reader, try and pick a book that catches your interest. If the thought of reading the whole book seems daunting, commit to X pages a day. Remember, you don’t have to read the book cover-to-cover. You can skim and scan for insights. Sift out the golden nuggets and discard what isn’t applicable.
4. Get Physical
Make physical activity part of your daily routine. Find ways to build your workout into your day to make exercise a no-brainer. Choose your activity level. 10,000 steps (about 4-5 miles depending on stride length) a day is considered active. To uplevel, run 5K a day. Then add a long-term fitness goal up to 10K, half marathon, etc. It can help you bridge the commitment-capacity gap.
5. Give Your Time
Find a volunteer opportunity that excites you. Supporting a cause that’s important to you and helping others can give you a sense of fulfillment while building commitment. Doing good for others and the community is like a superpower that enhances self-discipline and motivation.
6. Find Your Chillax Zone
When there’s a lot on your plate, it may seem counterintuitive to take regular breaks. But learning to give yourself time to breathe and relax would improve your overall dedication and productivity. Adopt the “slow down to speed up” strategy. By deliberately slowing down and taking time to rejuvenate and redirect, you can accelerate your performance. Try meditation, stretching, or simply doing nothing for 5 minutes after every intense period of concentration.
7. Regain Control of Your Day
Time wasters are lurking around every corner. Learn to outsmart your distractible mind. The most obvious choice is to delete time wasters on your phone. How many of the apps installed on your phone do you actually need? As a next step disable notifications. Again, how many of the notifications you get are actually essential? Finally, try and limit yourself to check social media only X times per day. Be honest and track how much time you spend on social media. Now imagine what you could do with that time.
8. Put it in Writing
Start mindfulness journaling. By writing down your thoughts and tracking patterns and improvement over time, you get clarity. Set your writing goal. Try the Morning Pages method, writing three pages every morning. But you may choose to just write for 5 minutes a day. Perhaps write about your hopes and strategies to achieve your goals, the challenges and successes of every day, things you are grateful for, or anything noteworthy. You can go old school and get a notebook, use word, or a journaling app. When you write down your goals, plans, and process, you build commitment.
9. Build a Circle of Lifeline Relationships
Who’s got your back? Find trusted advisors, mentors, coaches, and colleagues. There’s a huge advantage to having people around you who will guide, inspire, challenge, and motivate you. Those who’d be invested in your success and hold you accountable to perform to the best of your ability, and beyond. Seek out those who can help you unlock your potential who will help you take your career to the next level. Call it your own personal advisory board, people who will be there to provide resources, ideas, and support as you navigate your career through the ever-changing workplace.
10. Find the Silver Lining
Ever notice how a bad mood makes problems seem worse? Negative attitude never solves anything and only makes things more difficult. Learning to notice the hopeful or positive aspects of a gloomy situation can help you shift into a positive state of mind. This will allow you to take control of the situation and get things back on track. When you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you can visualize your ideal outcome, see possibilities, and come up with creative solutions to move forward. Turn negative thoughts into positive affirmations and actions.
Self-discipline is a learned skill. Practicing the skill, making it ingrained into your mindset and habits, can help you steadily progress towards your goals and achieve long-term personal and professional growth.
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