During these unprecedented times, staying self-disciplined to accomplish your long-term goals isn’t easy.
Let’s be honest, it’s often difficult in the best of circumstances. However, self-discipline is important because the long-term benefits of practicing it outweigh the immediate gratitude of doing something easier. For example, in the long-run, completing that book you’ve wanted to write will be much more rewarding than spending the day watching reruns of Real Housewives.
Self-discipline comes more naturally to some than others.
However, it is something we can all practice and improve. If you have goals connected to your desires and values, you need to consistently practice self-discipline even when you don’t feel like it! I have some good news… you’ve likely been practicing self-discipline for the past few months and not even realizing it!
While this crisis has been difficult for all of us, there has been an opportunity to practice self-discipline daily.
This new way of being — having to wear gloves and masks, repeatedly washing our hands, and maintaining social distancing rules — are novel behaviors that require the self-discipline to learn and adapt to. Like a muscle, self-discipline grows stronger the more you use it.
On the days when you’re finding it difficult to move forward and feeling drained, cut yourself some slack! Self-discipline requires focus and energy, and the unknown of our current situation is distracting and exhausting. Some days will be better than others. On those days where you do make forward progress, acknowledge and reward yourself for your self-discipline.
There is one area in which we must continue to work and exert self-discipline every single day.
No matter what, you must do your part to stay healthy and safe. As individual states start to loosen their stay-at-home orders, you may have more freedom to go out and about, but don’t forget, things are not back to the way they were before this virus. Until there is a vaccine, we must stay disciplined around all the behaviors we have been taught to keep us safe. Exercise that self-discipline muscle on a daily basis. It’s bigger than just you; your actions will help to keep everyone in your community safe, as we’re all in this together.
