What we mean by self-discipline
You need more self-discipline is a phrase we hear a lot. It often starts when we enter school. Teachers like to say it to us. It comes from people who disapprove of some of our actions or want us to do things their way.
All kinds of people claim that we need it, but very few are able to satisfactorily explain what self-discipline is or how to apply it successfully to ourselves and our daily lives. How does self-discipline fit into my lifestyle?
Discipline or self-discipline is when you do something you know needs to be done regardless of whether you hate doing it, don't want to do it, are afraid to do it, or have been told not to do it.
When you do something because you enjoy it or like doing it, this is not discipline, not even a little bit. Many people fail at self-discipline because they think that if they discipline themselves to do the things they need to do, even if they hate doing them at first, they will eventually enjoy doing them and find pleasure in them.
When they find no pleasure in doing the things they are trying to self-discipline themselves to do, they give up and make up their own excuses for their failure. Excuses used include words like "I'm a morning person, not a night owl," "I'm the type of person who doesn't work well under pressure," "I wasn't designed to be punctual," or some other such humbug.
