Will Power: How To Improve Your Personal Self Discipline

Drawing Focus Pencil Concentration

People with higher self control and self discipline have been shown to be less likely to be obese, happier on average, score higher on standardized tests and earn more money.  Self discipline is highly correlated with accomplishing personal goals.

What you may not know however, is that self discipline and willpower is a skill that can be exercised and improved.  In this article I’ll discuss:

  • What I mean by self discipline
  • The benefits of self discipline (supported by research)
  • What affects self discipline (again, supported by research)
  • Finally, what you can do today to improve your own personal self discipline

Note:  I’m always learning, so if you disagree or find fault with something, I’m open to revising the article.

What Is Self Discipline?

I searched online and found a number of definitions for self discipline, but my personal favorite is this:

Self discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires.

I love that definition, because it clears up a misconception that people often have – that self discipline or self control is all about denying ones desires.  I disagree – it’s not about denying yourself at all. Self discipline is about freeing yourself from the shackles of base desires.  My research on pleasure, analyzing where I waste time online and calling my time wasting weaknesses procrastination thumbscrews is a direct reflection of the way I see things – these base desires are what hold me back.

Constantly giving in to weaknesses holds me back from taking advantage of opportunities and achieving my dreams – and that is why I pride myself on my self discipline.  To me, self discipline truly is the assertion of my willpower over my base desires – seeing past the short term so I can accomplish my goals long term.  It is not a replacement for motivation – self discipline rather is an expression of my motivation.

Other names for self discipline include self control, self restraint and self regulation. I prefer self discipline, because I don’t like to think of myself as “controlled,” “restrained” or “regulated” towards my goals – I prefer to think of myself as “disciplined” and working towards them.

What Does The Research Show As Benefits of Self Discipline?

  • Higher scores on self-control correlated with:
  • More likely to be a healthy weight.  Children who scored low on their ability to delay gratification were more likely to be obese years later (Abstract: Ability to Delay Gratification at Age 4 Years and Risk of Overweight at Age 11 Years Desiree M. Seeyave, MBBS ).
  • Having self control resources full is correlated with subjects being more honest, while depleted self control resources are correlated with higher instances of dishonesty, and subjects placing themselves in situations to be tempted (PDF Too tired to tell the truth: Self-control resource depletion and dishonesty Nicole L. Mead  Roy F. Baumeister, Francesca Gino, Maurice E. Schweitzer, Dan Ariely)
  • Self discipline is important to financial success – in particular, self control problems impede wealth accumulation (PDF Measuring Self-Control John Ameriks, Andrew Caplin, John Leahy, and Tom Tyler.  )
  • Self discipline is more important to academic success than a student’s IQ across a variety of metrics including final grades, hours spent on homework and attendance in class. (PDF: Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ in Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents Angela L. Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman )
  • Delayed gratification is a very specific form of self discipline .  After ten years, children who were able to better delay their gratification were:
    • More academically competent
    • More socially competent
    • More able to cope with frustration
    • More able to resist temptation (unsurprisingly)
    • More verbally fluent
    • More attentive
    • Able to cope with stress more maturely
      Source: PDF Delay of Gratification in Children W Mischel, Y Shoda, ML Rodriguez

My empirical evidence also suggests that when I am better able to exercise self discipline, I accomplish more, and make much faster progress towards my goals.

What Does The Research Show As Affecting Self Discipline?

I reviewed a variety of literature, and these are the results that jumped out as most relevant to me. Based on these studies, we can then decide how to approach the problem – and steps we can take today to improve our self discipline.

What Steps Can You Take Today To Improve Your Self Discipline

  • Don’t Unnecessarily Waste It: Remove Temptation.  One of the best decisions I ever made was a zero tolerance policy towards chocolate, cookies, etc in my house.  I’ve always had a weakness for desserts, and when I have them readily available, it’s a constant struggle to avoid them.  By removing the temptation, I no longer have to expend any willpower on sugary snacks – and can better focus that reservoir towards other items.
  • Stabilize Blood Glucose.  Low blood glucose is associated with diminished self discipline.  One of the ways blood glucose levels drop is by consuming high glycemic foods  – foods that quickly to glucose in your body.  I’m going to oversimplify here, but briefly this causes a rush of glucose in your blood stream (a “sugar high” or “sugar rush”).  Your body responds with insulin, which (oversimplifying) stores the glucose, and causes the level of glucose in your blood to plummet (the “sugar crash”).  Avoiding these kinds of foods can help stabilize your blood sugar – and likely improve your self discipline. Of course, it’s a bit of a catch 22 – it takes self discipline to avoid eating tasty, sugary foods to begin with!
  • Remove Unwanted Stress.  Easier said than done – and removing unwanted stress probably has many benefits outside of improved self discipline.  You may not be able to immediately dump extra commitments, but I have an idea that just might work:  I have friends who meditate daily to calm themselves, and though I was unable to find any research supporting meditation improving self discipline, it is possible that may help.
  • Sleep.  Make sure you get enough of it.  Like removing unwanted stress, this is likely easier said than done for some people.  The best advice I can give here really is take a look at what’s urgent and important in your life – and try to carve out some time to sleep.
  • Enjoy Life.  Positive emotional experiences appear to replenish your self discipline reserve.  I love to take breaks and run, play guitar, hike and do other activities that inspire me – find what works for you.
  • Use Self Affirmations.  Personally, I like using my start pages.  I built them specifically so I could focus on a single thought and purpose.  My favorite at the moment is value your time.  Find your own mantra if none of those if for you, or shoot me an email and I’ll put one together to add to the list!
  • Have A Plan.  I like to maintain a todo list, along with long term written goals.  I definitely find that when I have a plan in place that I am executing, it is easier for me to stay motivated to complete the task than if I am just flailing around.
  • Long Term – Strengthen Your Self Discipline With Exercises.  Self discipline is a muscle – focus on small tasks that you can control, and build up to bigger ones.  Some examples of exercise include:
    • Straightening your posture
    • Using your non-dominant hand for tasks
    • Regulating mood
    • Monitoring and recording eating
      As a side note, I’ve noticed that when I’m more diligent about recording what I eat, I am also more diligent about working out.  I don’t know the exact mechanism of why it works – I just know it does.

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Final Thoughts – And Your Feedback

I really enjoyed writing this article, and if you have any information to add please let me know – I’d love to continue to build on this resource.  I think self discipline is vital to success in any field, and is a large part of why I have been successful in many of the things I’ve tried – I continue to push forward and produce in spite of how I feel inside, or discouraging results. I’m not perfect though, and I still have a lot to learn.

I would love to hear your stories, and also any advice you may have.

Further Reading:

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Please review the Comment Policy.
  • Awesome. By the way meditation definitely does improve self-discipline because it is in itself a practice of self-discipline, thereby strengthening your "self-discipline muscles" in accordance with above theory of :-P
  • Hey Seamus,

    That's a good point - I didn't even think of that as I was writing it!
    Thanks for pointing that out =). That's

    part of the reason I liked The Greatest Salesman In The World, it just
    helped me build a habit of consciously making very small changes. Who knew
    it was actually making me better at self discipline =P
  • chrisharmon
    The Stabilize Blood Glucose really hit home with me. Thanks for this blog it has a lot of useful info.
  • Hey Chris,

    Thanks for your comment!

    I never made the connection until I read the research, and the blood glucose
    thing really surprised me as well - but it definitely makes sense based on
    my personal experience.
  • Sid! This is a post I have been wanting to write for a while. Self discipline is so important. Especially when it comes to sugar! I sometimes worry if I am too disciplined, but I don't think that's the case with most people. Discipline is most definitely a "muscle" that needs to be practiced over and over and made into a habit. I agree with Seamus as well that meditation is the perfect exercise. Loving Hawaii by the way :D. Cheers for now and keep up the great work.
  • Hey Amber,

    Wow you managed to get online on VACATION? Glad you're enjoying Hawaii. I
    built it myself.

    I am not sure whether keeping up with email and blogs is being disciplined,
    or a lack of discipline ;). I know for me personally I try to not check
    email on vacation - and I *always* break down.

    My friends tell me I am too strict and self disciplined too. Rabble
    rousers, drunkards and hooligans all of them.
  • I really like the blood glucose point. I think thats often overlooked.
  • Hi,

    Thanks for your comment! I was actually really surprised to learn about the
    blood glucose thing, but then we are just pretty much protein, carbs, fat
    and water right?

    Still surprises me that something like that affects willpower - but no
    wonder it's so important not to cheat on diets!
  • Sleep is the most important for me. When I get enough, I'm almost unstoppable; not enough and I'm just no good at all.
  • Thanks for your comment Alex!

    The way I understand it, The Bridge Maker is pretty much unstoppable
    regardless ;)

    Just kidding. It's so important to me to sleep well too - I get real
    grouchy, *and* unproductive on too little sleep.
  • Some valuable nuggets of wisdom here, Sid.

    Just to sprinboard a bit further - self-discipline isn't magical. Like many other attributes, achievement requires strategy. It's often the difference between knowledge and execution.

    For example, most of us know that if you want to lose weight, you should consume fewer calories than you burn or if you want to improve your financial condition you should spend less than you earn.

    Of course, knowing doesn't equal doing. It's often too easy to have that extra slice of pie or purchase the fantastic pair of shoes. In order to impose self-discipline, you need to create strategies and tactics to help you achieve your goals.

    Your point regarding temptations is a perfect example. If you remove desserts or purposefully reduce the credit limits on your credit cards, for example, you are pro-actively building an environment that makes it easier for you to maintain self-discipline.
  • Hey Seth,

    Thanks for the comment and all the constructive discussion!

    Your point about credit cards is a great one - I suspect that's why some
    people cut up their cards and use cash. They may not be able to withstand
    temptation with a credit card in their hand, but they're smart enough not to
    spend all the money in their wallet.

    Also great point about knowing versus doing - you're right, everyone knows
    losing weight is just calories in versus calories out, but even with that
    knowledge we still have such serious weight issues in this country (I'm in
    the USA, not sure where you are)
  • Really great post, supported with tons of research and facts to back it up as usual Sid! Thanks for sharing this, it's especially great to know 1) that we NEED to replenish our self-discipline, and 2) how to do so.
  • Hey Cody,

    Thanks for the vote of confidence man. You know I love Thrilling Heroics as
    well (including the theme you just released) so I really appreciate your
    comment.
  • Sid, this was the post I needed right now. Lately I have been trying to find ways to make myself more disciplined. I think having an idea of what the root of the issues are can be a great way to help overcome them. Thanks for the thoughts!
  • Hey Sean,

    Thanks man =) I am glad you enjoyed it and found things it in that you could
    use. I think I will write some more on the subject of self discipline in
    the coming weeks - it's something that's really important to me. Maybe
    *too* important =)
  • I love the depth of research. I had put together (for my own purposes) a list of daily habits of fulfilled people http://www.conorneill.com/2009/10/17-daily-pers... and love to see that practice improves self discipline, stress reduces and positive self-affirmations improve it. Another quote that i like "incremental change almost always wins".
  • Hey Conor,

    Thanks for your comment - and the link, it was a great read =)

    Along the same lines as the quote you mentioned, my soccer coach in high
    school (or was it basketball?) used to remind us that "he is out there - and
    he is training." It was a reminder whenever we started getting lazy in our
    drills or felt to tired to practice, or were just plain sloppy - that during
    this same time we were wasting, our competition was out there: and he was
    training
  • Eric8877
    Sid, I think that what you are doing here is really kind. Bet it helps you stay motivated, too. I found myself reading your articles because of the crash of my life...Im 19, addicted to television, computer games, alcohol, tobacco....im wasting days, not hours, accomplishing nothing, don`t have any idea for my future, nor any plan. It almost seems to me that i don`t know what i like. Seeing that your website is non-beneficial and you really want to help people, motivates me alot. I will continue on reading your articles finding help and answers to my questions. Thank you very much, Sid!