Many see my life as boring and disciplined and the reason that it isn’t appealing to them is because they are the types who supposedly love their freedom and therefore would never be able to adhere to such a restrictive schedule. Okay, I can understand boring. Going to bed early to get up early is not exactly living the fast life after all, but it does allow me to use those first two hours of my day to knock out important tasks while others are still sleeping. The more I accomplish and the earlier I get it done the more free time I have for other more fun things in my day.
Another example is meal planning. The people with the most hectic schedules who are constantly telling me they don’t have time are also the ones who refuse to do meal planning and batch cooking. They don’t understand how much time and energy is wasted thinking about “what’s for dinner” every day. Or the energy drain it is to feel guilty for ordering in yet again because they didn’t have a plan and they “ran out of time”. I try to explain that 2.5 hours to make a meal plan and batch cooking can save 8-10 hours during the week.
I write in my journal to remind myself of the top 3 things I want to get done the next day so that I wake up knowing what to focus on, rather than having a to-do list of 30 things swirling around in my head and being so unsure of where to start that I end up doing the bare minimum or nothing at all.
Any type of mental confusion, uncertainty and lack of planning leads to energy drains, procrastination and self-sabotage.
Your brain works similar to your cell phone. You have a certain amount of storage as well as a limited amount of working memory. The more tabs you have open, the more complex programs you are running at once the slower your phone will perform. Well the it’s no different for your brain the more you have to think about what’s for supper and what to do next, and what can you get done on your to do list which isn’t even really a list it’s just things bouncing around in your head that need to get done, the more likely that you will feel overwhelmed, drained, and tired.. This non planning lifestyle may feel less restrictive than having one where you do plan, but in the long run you waste a lot more time and get a lot less done.
If you’re already aware of the merits of having more discipline in your life but don’t know where to start, or feel intimidated by it because you think you won’t follow through then don’t worry, those are perfectly normal feelings and the fact is no one can just turn into a disciplined person overnight. It is possible however to bring more discipline into your life with small consistent actions. Here are five easy ways to begin your journey of being more disciplined and having more freedom. You don’t have to do them all, try one for a month and then add more as you feel more comfortable.
- Make your bed every morning as soon as you get up
- Write in your journal every night deciding on what are the top 3 most important thing to accomplish the next day (and do them as a priority)
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier
- Get up 30 minutes earlier
- Make a meal plan for the week
Cultivating self-discipline doesn’t have to be difficult, all change starts with a small first step and then all you have to do is be consistent with that step until you reach a point of growth and then you take the next new step. Self-discipline is rewarding and highly beneficial in the long run. So give it a try and watch your life change.
