Discipline is one of the most important skills you can have in life. It allows you to pursue your goals, overcome obstacles, and resist temptations. But how do you develop discipline? Here are some tips from the book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
Understand the habit loop
A habit is a loop of three elements: a cue, a routine, and a reward. A cue is a trigger that tells your brain to start a habit. A routine is the action you perform in response to the cue. A reward is the benefit you get from the routine.
For example, when you feel stressed (cue), you might eat a cookie (routine) to feel better (reward). This habit loop becomes ingrained in your brain over time and becomes automatic.
To develop discipline, you need to understand your habit loops and change them to support your desired behaviour. You can do this by following the next steps.
Identify your cues
The first step is to identify the cues that trigger your habits. These can be external factors, such as time, location, people, or events. Or they can be internal factors, such as emotions, thoughts, or sensations.
To find out your cues, you can use a technique called the five whys. Whenever you catch yourself doing a habit you want to change, ask yourself why you are doing it. Then ask why again for each answer until you reach the root cause.
For example, if you want to stop procrastinating on your work, you might ask yourself:
Why am I procrastinating? Because I don’t feel like working. Why don’t I feel like working? Because I’m bored with this task. Why am I bored with this task? Because it’s too easy and repetitive. Why is it too easy and repetitive? Because I’ve been doing it for a long time and I don’t learn anything new. Why have I been doing it for a long time and I don’t learn anything new? Because I haven’t challenged myself or sought feedback.
By asking these questions, you can identify the cue that triggers your procrastination: boredom.
Change your routines
The second step is to change your routines to align with your goals. You can do this by finding alternative actions that provide the same reward as your current habit.
For example, if you want to stop eating cookies when you’re stressed, you can find other ways to cope with stress, such as taking a walk, meditating, or calling a friend. These routines can also give you a sense of relief and comfort but without the negative consequences of eating cookies.
To change your routines effectively, you must plan and prepare for possible obstacles. You can use a technique called implementation intentions, which involves creating specific if-then plans for different scenarios.
For example, if you want to exercise more regularly, you can make a plan like this:
If it’s Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, then I will go to the gym at 7 am. If it’s raining or snowing outside, I will do a home workout instead. If I feel tired or unmotivated in the morning, I will remind myself of my reasons for exercising and listening to upbeat music.
By making these plans, you can reduce the need for willpower and make your routines more automatic.
Reward yourself
The third step is to reward yourself for following your new routines. Rewards are essential for reinforcing your habits and making them stick. They also help you overcome the initial discomfort and resistance that comes with changing your behaviour.
Rewards can be anything that makes you feel good and satisfied. They can be intrinsic rewards, such as pride, joy, or gratitude. Or they can be extrinsic rewards, such as money, praise, or recognition.
The key is to choose rewards that are meaningful and appropriate for your goals. You don’t want to reward yourself with something that undermines your progress or creates new bad habits.
For example, if you want to save more money, you don’t want to reward yourself with an expensive shopping spree. Instead, you might reward yourself with a small treat that fits your budget or with a positive affirmation that boosts your self-esteem.
To make your rewards more effective, you can use a technique called temptation bundling, which involves combining something you want to do with something you need to do. This way, you can enjoy both the reward and the routine at the same time.
For More on The Things Am Learning:
Twitter: This is the place where I share snippets from books I am reading, as well as show whatever I am working on at the moment.
Newsletter: Here I share interesting ideas that are going through my mind, updates about experiments I am conducting, and ways I implement the knowledge I acquire into my own everyday life.
Comments
Post a Comment