Hi All,
The Five Pillars of Self-Discipline
The five pillars of self-discipline are: Acceptance, Willpower, Hard Work,
Industry, and Persistence. If you take the first letter of each word, you
get the acronym ?A WHIP? ? a convenient way to remember them, since many
people associate self-discipline with whipping themselves into shape.
Each day of the series, I?ll explore one of these pillars, explaining why
it?s important and how to develop it. But first a general overview?.
What Is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless
of your emotional state.
Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to
follow through on your best intentions no matter what. Picture yourself
saying to your body, ?You?re overweight. Lose 20 pounds.? Without
self-discipline that intention won?t become manifest. But with sufficient
self-discipline, it?s a done deal. The pinnacle of self-discipline is when
you reach the point that when you make a conscious decision, it?s
virtually guaranteed you?ll follow through on it.
Self-discipline is one of many personal development tools available to
you. Of course it is not a panacea. Nevertheless, the problems which
self-discipline can solve are important, and while there are other ways to
solve these problems, self-discipline absolutely shreds them.
Self-discipline can empower you to overcome any addiction or lose any
amount of weight. It can wipe out procrastination, disorder, and
ignorance. Within the domain of problems it can solve, self-discipline is
simply unmatched. Moreover, it becomes a powerful teammate when combined
with other tools like passion, goal-setting, and planning.
Building Self-Discipline
My philosophy of how to build self-discipline is best explained by an
analogy. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the
stronger you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become.
Just as everyone has different muscular strength, we all possess different
levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some ? if you can hold your breath
a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But not everyone has
developed their discipline to the same degree.
Just as it takes muscle to build muscle, it takes self-discipline to build
self-discipline.
The way to build self-discipline is analogous to using progressive weight
training to build muscle. This means lifting weights that are close to
your limit. Note that when you weight train, you lift weights that are
within your ability to lift. You push your muscles until they fail, and
then you rest.
Similarly, the basic method to build self-discipline is to tackle
challenges that you can successfully accomplish but which are near your
limit. This doesn?t mean trying something and failing at it every day, nor
does it mean staying within your comfort zone. You will gain no strength
trying to lift a weight that you cannot budge, nor will you gain strength
lifting weights that are too light for you. You must start with
weights/challenges that are within your current ability to lift but which
are near your limit.
Progressive training means that once you succeed, you increase the
challenge. If you keep working out with the same weights, you won?t get
any stronger. Similarly, if you fail to challenge yourself in life, you
won?t gain any more self-discipline.
Just as most people have very weak muscles compared to how strong they
could become with training, most people are very weak in their level of
self-discipline.
It?s a mistake to try to push yourself too hard when trying to build
self-discipline. If you try to transform your entire life overnight by
setting dozens of new goals for yourself and expecting yourself to follow
through consistency starting the very next day, you?re almost certain to
fail. This is like a person going to the gym for the first time ever and
packing 300 pounds on the bench press. You will only look silly.
If you can only lift 10 lbs, you can only lift 10 lbs. There?s no shame in
starting where you are. I recall when I began working with a personal
trainer several years ago, on my first attempt at doing a barbell shoulder
press, I could only lift a 7-lb bar with no weight on it. My shoulders
were very weak because I?d never trained them. But within a few months I
was up to 60 lbs.
Similarly, if you?re very undisciplined right now, you can still use what
little discipline you have to build more. The more disciplined you become,
the easier life gets. Challenges that were once impossible for you will
eventually seem like child?s play. As you get stronger, the same weights
will seem lighter and lighter.
Don?t compare yourself to other people. It won?t help. You?ll only find
what you expect to find. If you think you?re weak, everyone else will seem
stronger. If you think you?re strong, everyone else will seem weaker.
There?s no point in doing this. Simply look at where you are now, and aim
to get better as you go forward.
Let?s consider an example.
Suppose you want to develop the ability to do 8 solid hours of work each
day, since you know it will make a real difference in your career. I was
listening to an audio program this morning that quoted a study saying the
average office worker spends 37% of their time in idle socializing, not to
mention other vices that chew up more than 50% of work time with
unproductive non-work. So there?s plenty of room for improvement.
Perhaps you try to work a solid 8-hour day without succumbing to
distractions, and you can only do it once. The next day you fail utterly.
That?s OK. You did one rep of 8 hours. Two is too much for you. So cut
back a bit. What duration would allow you to successfully do 5 reps (i.e.
a whole week)? Could you work with concentration for one hour a day, five
days in a row? If you can?t do that, cut back to 30 minutes or whatever
you can do. If you succeed (or if you feel that would be too easy), then
increase the challenge (i.e. the resistance).
Once you?ve mastered a week at one level, take it up a notch the next
week. And continue with this progressive training until you?ve reached
your goal.
While analogies like this are never perfect, I?ve gotten a lot of mileage
out of this one. By raising the bar just a little each week, you stay
within your capabilities and grow stronger over time. But when doing
weight training, the actual work you do doesn?t mean anything. There?s no
intrinsic benefit in lifting a weight up and down ? the benefit comes from
the muscle growth. However, when building self-discipline, you also get
the benefit of the work you?ve done along the way, so that?s even better.
It?s great when your training produces something of value AND makes you
stronger.
Throughout this week we?ll dive more deeply into the five pillars of
self-discipline. If you have any questions on the subject of
self-discipline (either specific or general) that you?d like to see
addressed, feel free to post them as comments, and I do my best to
incorporate them along the way.
This post is part one of a six-part series on self-discipline: part 1
Will be mailing part 2 shortly
Thanks & Regards
Sapana Kale
From India, Pune
15The Five Pillars of Self-Discipline
The five pillars of self-discipline are: Acceptance, Willpower, Hard Work,
Industry, and Persistence. If you take the first letter of each word, you
get the acronym ?A WHIP? ? a convenient way to remember them, since many
people associate self-discipline with whipping themselves into shape.
Each day of the series, I?ll explore one of these pillars, explaining why
it?s important and how to develop it. But first a general overview?.
What Is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless
of your emotional state.
Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to
follow through on your best intentions no matter what. Picture yourself
saying to your body, ?You?re overweight. Lose 20 pounds.? Without
self-discipline that intention won?t become manifest. But with sufficient
self-discipline, it?s a done deal. The pinnacle of self-discipline is when
you reach the point that when you make a conscious decision, it?s
virtually guaranteed you?ll follow through on it.
Self-discipline is one of many personal development tools available to
you. Of course it is not a panacea. Nevertheless, the problems which
self-discipline can solve are important, and while there are other ways to
solve these problems, self-discipline absolutely shreds them.
Self-discipline can empower you to overcome any addiction or lose any
amount of weight. It can wipe out procrastination, disorder, and
ignorance. Within the domain of problems it can solve, self-discipline is
simply unmatched. Moreover, it becomes a powerful teammate when combined
with other tools like passion, goal-setting, and planning.
Building Self-Discipline
My philosophy of how to build self-discipline is best explained by an
analogy. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the
stronger you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become.
Just as everyone has different muscular strength, we all possess different
levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some ? if you can hold your breath
a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But not everyone has
developed their discipline to the same degree.
Just as it takes muscle to build muscle, it takes self-discipline to build
self-discipline.
The way to build self-discipline is analogous to using progressive weight
training to build muscle. This means lifting weights that are close to
your limit. Note that when you weight train, you lift weights that are
within your ability to lift. You push your muscles until they fail, and
then you rest.
Similarly, the basic method to build self-discipline is to tackle
challenges that you can successfully accomplish but which are near your
limit. This doesn?t mean trying something and failing at it every day, nor
does it mean staying within your comfort zone. You will gain no strength
trying to lift a weight that you cannot budge, nor will you gain strength
lifting weights that are too light for you. You must start with
weights/challenges that are within your current ability to lift but which
are near your limit.
Progressive training means that once you succeed, you increase the
challenge. If you keep working out with the same weights, you won?t get
any stronger. Similarly, if you fail to challenge yourself in life, you
won?t gain any more self-discipline.
Just as most people have very weak muscles compared to how strong they
could become with training, most people are very weak in their level of
self-discipline.
It?s a mistake to try to push yourself too hard when trying to build
self-discipline. If you try to transform your entire life overnight by
setting dozens of new goals for yourself and expecting yourself to follow
through consistency starting the very next day, you?re almost certain to
fail. This is like a person going to the gym for the first time ever and
packing 300 pounds on the bench press. You will only look silly.
If you can only lift 10 lbs, you can only lift 10 lbs. There?s no shame in
starting where you are. I recall when I began working with a personal
trainer several years ago, on my first attempt at doing a barbell shoulder
press, I could only lift a 7-lb bar with no weight on it. My shoulders
were very weak because I?d never trained them. But within a few months I
was up to 60 lbs.
Similarly, if you?re very undisciplined right now, you can still use what
little discipline you have to build more. The more disciplined you become,
the easier life gets. Challenges that were once impossible for you will
eventually seem like child?s play. As you get stronger, the same weights
will seem lighter and lighter.
Don?t compare yourself to other people. It won?t help. You?ll only find
what you expect to find. If you think you?re weak, everyone else will seem
stronger. If you think you?re strong, everyone else will seem weaker.
There?s no point in doing this. Simply look at where you are now, and aim
to get better as you go forward.
Let?s consider an example.
Suppose you want to develop the ability to do 8 solid hours of work each
day, since you know it will make a real difference in your career. I was
listening to an audio program this morning that quoted a study saying the
average office worker spends 37% of their time in idle socializing, not to
mention other vices that chew up more than 50% of work time with
unproductive non-work. So there?s plenty of room for improvement.
Perhaps you try to work a solid 8-hour day without succumbing to
distractions, and you can only do it once. The next day you fail utterly.
That?s OK. You did one rep of 8 hours. Two is too much for you. So cut
back a bit. What duration would allow you to successfully do 5 reps (i.e.
a whole week)? Could you work with concentration for one hour a day, five
days in a row? If you can?t do that, cut back to 30 minutes or whatever
you can do. If you succeed (or if you feel that would be too easy), then
increase the challenge (i.e. the resistance).
Once you?ve mastered a week at one level, take it up a notch the next
week. And continue with this progressive training until you?ve reached
your goal.
While analogies like this are never perfect, I?ve gotten a lot of mileage
out of this one. By raising the bar just a little each week, you stay
within your capabilities and grow stronger over time. But when doing
weight training, the actual work you do doesn?t mean anything. There?s no
intrinsic benefit in lifting a weight up and down ? the benefit comes from
the muscle growth. However, when building self-discipline, you also get
the benefit of the work you?ve done along the way, so that?s even better.
It?s great when your training produces something of value AND makes you
stronger.
Throughout this week we?ll dive more deeply into the five pillars of
self-discipline. If you have any questions on the subject of
self-discipline (either specific or general) that you?d like to see
addressed, feel free to post them as comments, and I do my best to
incorporate them along the way.
This post is part one of a six-part series on self-discipline: part 1
Will be mailing part 2 shortly
Thanks & Regards
Sapana Kale
From India, Pune
hi, Its quite long but informative as well... Keep sharing... will be waiting for the other parts... Regards Saima
Hi, i think the theory of change management can be closely linked to the self-discipline article posted by you.
in change management there are three steps, unfreeze, change, and freeze. First you develope a need for change, realize the benefits of the change, and get motivated for change.
In the second step you actually do the action of changed and in the third step you make it a norm, include it in your schedule, make it your lifestyle.
same steps are involved in self-discipline also.
in change management there are three steps, unfreeze, change, and freeze. First you develope a need for change, realize the benefits of the change, and get motivated for change.
In the second step you actually do the action of changed and in the third step you make it a norm, include it in your schedule, make it your lifestyle.
same steps are involved in self-discipline also.
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