We all love a bubble bath. A much-needed nap. Going on a hot girl walk. Washing your hair or cooking your favorite meal. These seemingly small yet meaningful acts contribute significantly to our overall sense of self-worth and contentment. However, amidst these practices, lies the most profound form of self-love: discipline. It’s the conscious choice of your thoughts turning into purposeful actions, even on days when you just don’t feel like it.
Delayed Gratification and Mastering Our Intentions
Let’s talk about delayed gratification. Short-term satisfaction often pales in comparison to the rewards of sustained personal growth. Practicing this skill reflects a deep sense of self-worth, as it involves investing time and effort into your goals. Take, for instance, choosing to exercise despite experiencing discomfort and a lack of motivation. Over time, the delayed gratification of increased energy, improved strength, and enhanced confidence becomes a rewarding outcome. This leads to an increased sense of self-love as you establish trust within yourself that the outcomes will follow.
It's important to schedule your success. While it's tempting to make excuses, prioritizing your commitments reinforces your dedication to yourself. For instance, if you know you need to go to the gym this week, write down in your calendar that you will go at 6 pm on a Monday. Keeping a schedule reflects self-love as it prioritizes activities such as exercise, self-care, and personal development that contribute to your well-being long-term. By aligning your daily actions with your values and goals, you are creating a life that empowers and fulfills you.
The Impact of Positive Thinking
How many thoughts do you think an average person has a day? Over 70,000 thoughts a day and 90% of them are repetitive. This means that what you think has a significant impact on your self-love and your discipline. If we are constantly doubting ourselves and thinking negatively, we create self-imposed barriers and hinder our progress making it harder to create discipline. Ask yourself: What do I gain from thinking this way, does this way of thinking benefit me? What if you tried thinking ‘I choose to focus on my strengths and celebrate my accomplishments, no matter how small’ and ‘I am worthy of investing in myself and my well-being’.
Starting Your Journey: 5 Simple Steps
Here’s how to start putting these actions into practice:
1. Set realistic, achievable goals. If you’re just starting out, don’t aim to head to the gym 5 days a week, you will burn yourself out and it might not be sustainable. Start with 2-3 days a week, and remember to schedule them into your calendar. It’s the small, consistent actions, repeated over time, that can lead to significant changes in behavior and outcomes.
2. After establishing your schedule and experimenting to find what works best for you, it's crucial to solidify this routine. Consistently follow through with the same planned activities each week. However, remember to begin with manageable steps and gradually increase them as you grow accustomed to the routine.
3. Embrace self-awareness. Recognize that motivation may ebb and flow, but true commitment means prioritizing your goals even when you don't feel like it. Engage in practices like journaling, mindfulness, and self-compassion to support yourself along the way. Instead of allowing temporary emotions to derail your progress, affirm to yourself “Despite feeling down, I will go on. I'll show up even on tough days”. Over time, this resilience will make you unstoppable, revealing that the only obstacle in your path is yourself. Remember, discipline is like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.
4. Celebrate your progress along the way. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory worth acknowledging. This builds your self-confidence, creates momentum and cultivates self-love. By acknowledging these milestones, you recognize that the effort you’re putting in is worthwhile. This can be done by journaling, or even discussing with your support circle what went well that week.
5. Be gentle with yourself. Forgiving yourself and giving yourself grace when things don't go as planned fosters resilience. Instead of dwelling on past failures or setbacks, you acknowledge them as part of the learning process and use them as opportunities for growth. Discipline is not made by being hard on yourself, this is not sustainable long-term and you’ll end up being constantly frustrated.
By demonstrating forgiveness and understanding towards yourself, you build confidence in your ability to navigate challenges and overcome obstacles. This self-trust forms the foundation of discipline, as you rely on your judgment and resilience to stay committed to your goals.
Discipline is the cornerstone of self-love and well-being
By being intentional with our actions, nurturing a positive mindset, and staying committed to our goals, we empower ourselves to create a life aligned with our values and aspirations. Through discipline, we cultivate resilience, self-worth, and a deep sense of fulfillment. There are days when discipline is not easy, but without it, life would be a lot harder.
