How can you develop self-discipline so that you can study well at university and at the same time manage all your studies? We will give you a few effective techniques.
Self-discipline and personal development
Under self-discipline, we mean a conscious approach to the matter, based on a reasonable rather than emotional assessment. This is the habit of managing your actions and behavior, follow a pre-planned plan, the ability to concentrate on the goal and not succumbing to temptation.
Self-discipline is not an innate ability of individuals, it is acquired through conscious effort. This quality may well be developed in oneself just as one trains one’s body with physical exercise.
First of all, one should prepare oneself psychologically for the changes. It is necessary to be morally ready for the upcoming changes, to sincerely believe in your strength, to be able to control yourself. It is necessary to realize for what great purpose you have decided to develop this quality in yourself. For example, if you have decided for yourself that you won’t waste any more study time on social networks, set a goal to get a good grade on your own and don`t buy argumentative essay. Achievement of the result depends on how much you are ready to give up old habits and on the degree of conviction in the limitations of your abilities.
Disbelief in oneself is one of the main obstacles on the way to success. It is difficult for any person to get out of his or her psychological comfort zone. It is normal to experience fear of change and occasional reluctance to make an active effort. But if you really want to change your life for the better, you have to understand that working on yourself has to be painstaking, constant, and systematic.
Single attempts taken from time to time, will not give the desired result. So tune in to overcome small difficulties during the first three weeks and do not abandon what you started halfway. The benefits you will get more than compensate for the temporary inconvenience.
Ways to develop self-discipline, and their characteristics:
- Know your weaknesses
To work effectively with yourself, it is worth analyzing your daily routine and find your weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses and shortcomings. However, some people openly admit them, while others categorically deny them. The first step on the path to self-organization is to learn to be honest with yourself.
You need to understand what weaknesses and shortcomings are preventing you from using your time as effectively as possible. Try to give an objective assessment of the current state of affairs. Outline the areas where discipline is clearly lagging behind the desired one. Assess how big the difference is between reality and the ideal you aspire to. Outline a training program.
- Learn to overcome temptation
Once you have defined the temptations that discourage you, prevent you from concentrating or getting closer to your goal, begin to systematically overcome them. The easiest way is to remove them from your reach.
You don’t want to eat too much at night – limit your access to food. It is difficult to give up sweets – do not keep them in the house. Often regret spontaneous purchases – go to the store with a list made in advance and do not buy anything beyond that.
When it comes to shopping or buying expensive items, it makes sense to go to the store with no money and no credit cards. While you go back for the funds, there will be an extra opportunity to think about the appropriateness of the purchase.
Distracting alerts on your phone and social networking – turn them off. The fewer will be interfering factors, the sooner you’ll focus on the task at hand. The success of any case lies in maximum concentration on it.
- Set clear goals, plans to achieve them
In order to start taking control of your life, you need to have a clear awareness of the goal. You must understand what result you want to achieve, what you are going to achieve, create an image of yourself in the future. As soon as you set a clear goal, decide on the desired result and keep it in your head, all the plans themselves will begin to line up in the achievements.
It is better to write down your goals and plans to achieve them on paper, with specific dates. Not just “learn English”, but what level of proficiency to achieve and by when. Write a step-by-step plan of how you are going to achieve it, whether you sign up for a course or use one of the methods of self-education. Don’t forget to specify why you need it (to get a position where you need to know the language or travel the world).
- Create your own rules (self-discipline)
You should understand that you can’t achieve a big goal right away. You have to move towards it step by step, in small steps, reaching intermediate goals along the way. Use the progressive method – i.e. gradual increase of the load. It is easier to start with simple tasks that you will perform systematically.
Achieving one small goal will bring you faith in the success of the whole event. If you set yourself a difficult task right away, however, your enthusiasm can quickly run out. Acquiring the skill of self-discipline requires a daily practice of “small steps”.
Psychologists advise using the “twenty-minute” method. This is the rule that a person devotes twenty minutes a day to something that brings him or her closer to the goal. For example, doing physical exercise. Or engaged in English. For an hour of daily exercise his enthusiasm may not be enough, but to allocate to it a third of an hour a day is not difficult. With a serious approach to the matter, the result will be noticeable in a short time.
- Create new habits
Start forming new healthy habits to replace old habits that are keeping you from getting closer to your goal. Start with a daily routine. A good, healthy night’s sleep is very important for productivity. To do this, go to bed before midnight – sleep that starts before midnight is considered the most beneficial. Morning sleep takes away your energy and makes you lethargic, so it’s better to accustom yourself to getting up earlier.
It is impossible to change the regime in a few days. Experts recommend doing it in stages. It is enough to set the alarm clock for fifteen minutes early every two or three days, and you will be able to avoid stress and achieve your goal.
We hope that using our tips, you will be able to cope with all the difficulties in your studies. Good luck!
Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.
