Discipline- The Power behind your
Goals
So far, you have set a
“realistic” goal. You are retraining
your mind to think positively. You are
working hard to organize your life and taking “action” towards establishing new
and healthy habits. Now you need to
“discipline” yourself to stay the course.
Believe me; you are past the hardest
part. When you first start out with any
new program; whether it’s fitness, nutritional, or spiritual, your
transformation is contingent on establishing new habits. However, more importantly; you must be disciplined enough to break the old ones
if you are to achieve success.
Here are 3 Easy Steps to help you develop discipline in your life. I want to teach you to enjoy doing the hard work of reaching your goals because the rewards
will be so great, that the path towards the end, no matter how excruciating,
will be overshadowed by the experience of a win.
Step 1 towards creating discipline is using your IMAGINATION. Imagine yourself as a disciplined person. Visualize yourself at the end of this 30 day
challenge. How does your body feel, what
is your family saying about you? How do
your clothes fit? What do you feel like
when you look in the mirror? How do you
feel emotionally about staying the course and realizing you are on track to
getting into the best shape of your life?
I imagine it feels pretty
good.
Old habits ruin our best
intentions. It’s easier to repeat
patterned behaviors and harder to learn new ones. When we are living our lives by rote we don't
have to think. Neuroscientists tell us that
neurons, or nerve cells, in our brains make connections communicating through
synapses. Every time we re-activate that
circuitry by repeating a specific behavior, plasticity sets in. Your brain literally changes structurally to
accommodate the behavior. Therefore, change
requires our minds to rewire our thought process. So, when given a choice, we tend to choose
the path of least resistance because that is how we are physiologically wired.
Step 2 is to STOP whenever you are at the “crossroads”. The crossroads is that juncture where you are
confronted with the choice to continue the old behavior or stop and decide to change it.
There are moments in the day when you realize you are on automatic
pilot. Discipline yourself to become
fully conscious of your activities and decisions. Commit to your goal every moment of the
day. We have all had those moments when
we realize we are coasting along and boom, some old habit wants to derail us
from our goal. At that moment, you must
be disciplined enough to stop and ask
yourself, “Would acting on my old behavior be healthy for me or would it be
healthier if I choose to recommit to my wellness goal instead? The answer is quite obvious. A disciplined approach to life is one where
you make a concerted effort to make the change.
Discipline yourself to keep your goal at the forefront of your mind.
Step 3. Create a new habit
for success by rewarding yourself. Every
time you achieve success with your new goal, give yourself a treat. Download a new song onto your iPhone, or go
buy a new mat (that beat up old thing stinks anyway), treat yourself to a
healthy dinner, or go home and soak in a nice, hot, soothing bubble bath. Whatever you decide; you are now beginning to
create new neural-pathways that will continually lead you towards healthier
choices and closer to achieving your ultimate goal. Out with the old, in
with the new.
Namaste
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