How to be disciplined: 3 easy ways to defeat procrastination

How to be disciplined: 3 easy ways to defeat procrastination

Who hasn’t experienced it? Once again, you have dozens of tasks on your list. But instead of working on them, you sit on your couch with Netflix and snacks. If this happens to you too, I have a solution for you. The answer is discipline, a superpower that lets you do everything without any motivation. So I present to you how to become disciplined and defeat procrastination.

What is discipline?

I have to admit: Before I started writing this post, I would much rather relax and watch endless YouTube- videos, but I just didn’t. Blogging is my passion, so why should I procrastinate? I thought this to myself and reasoned with my brain. I got up from bed, sat down at my desk, and started writing. That’s exactly what discipline is: a force that breaks through inner resistance and makes light work out of anything difficult.

So discipline is self-control, taking responsibility in life, and not giving up when things get difficult. Those who are disciplined will also be successful. It is a skill that only a very few people have perfected but that everyone can learn. It all takes place in the brain, in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control. The reward system is also located in the nucleus accumbens. These two areas should be trained so that you become successful and disciplined.

1. Do it. Just do it.

We are all familiar with this slogan, but it explains the term „discipline“ in simple terms. If you’re going to do something, just do it. That is exactly what this slogan says, and disciplined people do the same. So, if you have a task to do, you can break down all your inner resistance and start immediately. It sounds pretty simple, but in the end, it is not easy for most people. Discipline means being able to overcome inner resistance without any problems. And without any motivation to do so, you just get stuff done.

A simple method is as follows: Let’s say you urgently need to study for an exam whose topic is both uninteresting and irrelevant to you. The only reason to study is for the grade. On the other hand, you can be overwhelmed by your resistance, which tells you that you don’t need a good grade. Your own brain is also an enemy and a friend here. We have two sides that influence us. There is a lazy side and a hardworking side. Which voice do you follow?

To make it easier for you, plan to study for a ridiculous 10 minutes at first. This is a short time, so it shouldn’t take much effort. Once you have started and the 10 minutes are up, it will be easier for you to continue working on this part. Before you do this, sit down, breathe in and out briefly, and then count to three. On the count of three, stand up and start the task immediately. If you also have your learning materials already spread out on the table, is it even quicker? If you do this more often, it will become a habit, and you will find it easier.

2. Set goals and habits.

If you do not have goals and habits, you will find discipline very difficult. After all, you need at least one direction to go in. So the very first thing you should do is identify your dreams and goals. Then set yourself well-structured goals that are both realistic and measurable. This is the only way you will become clearly disciplined. You now know in which direction you can go. This will make it easier for you to apply discipline to these tasks. If you want to get a place at the university, for example, you need a good average grade. If the subject is boring and unnecessary, you realize that the grade is important for your future. That’s why you simply overcome all obstacles to achieve your goal.

You also need good habits, because with bad habits or none at all, the department will be even harder for you. Habits such as taking an ice-cold shower, exercising daily, or meditating will strengthen your mind and body. This inner strength means an increased ability to be disciplined. It will also train your discipline. After a while, you will notice that you find it easier and easier to take a cold shower or go jogging at 5 o’clock in the morning. This is the dicipline, and you will learn it by going beyond your comfort zone again and again.

3. Develop your reward system!

Let’s say: You’ve managed to study for your exam for 3 hours straight, but after work you don’t reward your success by any means. The success itself feels good, but it will hardly be enough. The next time you want to study, the resistance will probably have increased. Why? Well, your head is clear: after all this learning, there is no reward beside a sense of achievement. This makes it all the more difficult for you to jump over the hurdle again and again.

A reward system, on the other hand, works wonders because it ensures that the hurdle doesn’t get bigger but, in the best case, smaller. So, what could such a reward system look like? This depends entirely on your personal preferences, but I will give you a few examples. On the other hand, you could take half an hour of free time as a reward for 3 hours of learning. You could use this time to pursue your favorite hobby. Or you could reward yourself with a good snack, a well-cooked meal, or whatever you can think of. The reward doesn’t matter, as long as you trigger your reward system in the nucleus accumbens.

However, it is important that you don’t trigger your reward system for no reason. Because if you do, you are more likely to do damage to your discipline. Let’s assume this: You haven’t studied, but you’re still playing your favorite game, watching a movie, or something else. This rewards you directly for your behavior, so procrastination is reinforced. Which is a great problem, that is practiced by many people. Procrastination is a muscle that is exercised, but in a negative way. So, if possible, never try to trigger your reward system if you haven’t done anything. However, if you have been diligent, you should remind your reward system of the action that earned the reward. This will consciously train your brain to be disciplined.