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Do you ever find yourself setting ambitious goals, only to watch them fizzle out in a haze of distraction and procrastination? Welcome to the club, friend; you are not alone! Self-discipline sounds great on paper, right? But when it comes to putting it into action, let’s say, for me, it’s been an ongoing challenge. In this post, I’ll dive into my own personal world of battling with procrastination and share some tips that I have learned along the way to get a grip on mastering self-discipline.
Breaking the myth of mastering self-discipline
Let’s get this out of the way and say that procrastination is not laziness, as it is often perceived; it’s a behavior caused by the stress in our lives and/or unfounded negative beliefs we have about ourselves. In a previous post, I shared my struggle when I launched my blog last year and why I stopped posting for a few months. I had to be honest and call myself out for the lack of self-discipline I had and how I was letting another year go by without putting into action the plans I have for myself and what I envision for this blog.
I have learned that procrastination is a complex behavior, usually influenced by different factors. In my case, the fear of not doing something perfectly or failing altogether leads to procrastination. It’s a way to protect myself from potential disappointment or negative feedback. I also have horrible time management skills, which makes it extremely difficult to prioritize tasks or manage time effectively, and results in delaying important tasks until the last moment. Reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear helped me open my eyes and see that I desperately needed to fix my bad habits to align with new person I am trying to become.
Personally, my journey with mastering self-discipline has been like a roller coaster with ups and downs. There are days when I’m conquering and checking everything off from my to-do list. Then, there are some days when I find myself spending hours on the couch rewatching Grey’s Anatomy for the 20th time or scrolling endlessly on social media. And so, the guilt and shame overtake my entire being and I end up feeling like a failure by the end of the day for “wasting another day” without being productive.
I am going to share some strategies and tips that I have been testing during the past few months that I believe are helping me overcome this personal struggle with mastering self-discipline:
- Build Habits Gradually
- Habit Tracking
- iPhone App Limit
- Positive And Negative Reinforcements
- Accountability Buddy
- Don’t Be Hard On Yourself
Build Habits Gradually
Would you lift 100 pounds on your very first day at the gym? No, right? It’s the same way with self-discipline. Start with small habits and gradually increase them. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are strong habits.
Habit Tracking
I am a visual person; I like to see on my Iphone or on paper my progress because it motivates me to keep going. Nowadays, there are different apps that can help you keep track of your habits. You just have to find the right one for you.
iPhone App Limit
Honestly, I am still struggling with this one. But adding an app limit, especially for social media, is helping me be aware of how much time I am spending scrolling on IG or TikTok. Some days I am able to follow the 1-hour limit I gave myself, and other days I simply ignore it. Let’s use technology to tackle one bad habit at a time!
Positive And Negative Reinforcers
Getting a reward or celebrating an accomplishment, no matter how small, motivates me to keep going. The same goes with punishing myself for not keeping up with my word. Both help increase the goal or habit that I want to achieve. The only thing here is that I have to be 100% honest with myself. Which leads me to…
Accountability Buddy
Sharing my goals with my partner and asking him to hold me accountable when I’m slacking helps a lot. Having that extra support keeps me in check, and at the same time, it motivates me to work harder to fix my negative habits.
Don’t Be Hard On Yourself
This one is the most important one, IMO. Remaining kind to myself while I am in the process of learning and adapting a new skill is a must. No one was born knowing everything. I’m constantly reminding myself that it takes practice and time to become a self-disciplined person, especially after spending a lifetime being the complete opposite.
So, there you have it—my self-discipline saga, straight out of the millennial playbook of my life. It’s been a roller coaster, complete with loops of progress and unexpected drops of procrastination. Adulting isn’t just about paying bills and mastering TikTok recipes; it’s also about being honest with ourselves. Embracing the journey, learning from slip-ups, and celebrating even the smallest wins. So, to my fellow millennials struggling with mastering self-discipline and procrastination, keep pushing forward, keep learning, and let’s enjoy this crazy ride together! You are not alone!
