Can You Control Yourself
It’s a balancing act to enjoy the pleasures in life and yet still maintain some self control and not get carried away in indulgence.
There is a fine line between being gentle with yourself and enjoying the moment and yet know when you need to push yourself or stop yourself too.
A Daily Practice
I’ve developed a daily practice that includes many things to balance out my life. It involves spiritual work, physical work, mental work, financial work, relationship/family work and throughout it all there is play, excitement and cherished moments.
For much of my life I have struggled a bit with self-discipline but over the years I have slowly been building this muscle so that it is much better now than ever before but I still have to fight with it a bit at times.
The truth is my mind wants to choose play before work on any given day.
When I was making my way through college in the 2000’s I found myself with a lot of homework every week. This was when I really learned about the value of building up my self-control muscle because I also worked full time and had my family commitments etc. I made sure I did all my work first before watching that movie or having dinner with a friend.
Succeed
Heidi Grant Halvorson is one of the world’s leading researchers on goal setting and she wrote a book called Succeed. In her book she writes:
“If you want more self-control, you can get more. And you get more self-control the same way you get bigger muscles – you’ve got to give it regular workouts. Recent research has shown that engaging in daily activities such as exercising, keeping track of your finances or what you are eating – or even just remembering to sit up straight every time you think of it – can help you develop your overall self-control capacity. For example, in one study, students who were assigned to (and stuck to) a daily exercise program not only got physically healthier, but they also became more likely to wash dishes instead of leaving them in the sink, and less likely to impulsively spend money.”
How cool is that! So we can build it up just like we build up our muscles. AND, when we build it up in one area it enhances self-control in other areas! I can attest that it works too. If you are having an issue with self-control yet you really want to succeed at whatever it is you want in life, I highly recommend you buy this book.
Be Persistent
I’ve been training and coaching people in a variety of situations and I’m finding that in almost every case, their issue could be solved by simply adding persistence and self-discipline.
It sounds too simple to be true but it really is easy if you consistently work at your goal.
Want a better body? Work out at least 3-4 times a week even if you don’t want to. This makes everything taste better by the way AND it helps you to have more self-control over what you eat if you want that in your life.
Want a new job? Keep searching, keep networking, keep honing your resume and working on your behavioral interview answers, and keep visualizing. Persistence is key.
Want to get in touch with your inner guidance system, your intuition, higher self, the Universe? Then meditate every day. Even if you are sick, on vacation, in a fight with your spouse, have crying children, or an important meeting at work – get quiet and breathe. You are not alone.
Want a better relationship? Listen and learn about your partner and his or her needs. Not just for a week but practice this every day. Be there and give your love. Even if you don’t want to. Even if it’s hard.
Want more abundance? Look at your spending habits. Analyze your finances. Focus on what you can do better. Start saving. Look at all the ways you are rich. Spend everyday listing things you are grateful for. And don’t let up!
Benefits
The benefits of self-discipline are extraordinary. You can go from being a survivor to a thriver. Or move out of thriving into mastery.
Choose a goal. Any goal! Write a book. Learn to fly. Run a marathon. Raise a child. Become a fabulous artist or a master at absolutely ANY profession that you want. You can master your self and have consistent control in your everyday life. Just keep on practicing! We aim for progress not perfection.
Don’t delay! Life is too short to waste time on mediocrity. Be all that you can be because the world needs more of what only you have to offer.
Need some accountability coach? Take action and book a discovery call with me to see if we are a match to help you accomplish your dream. https://maureenrg.youcanbook.me
All my best,
Maureen
