Episode 215: 9 Habits of Highly Disciplined People (Part 2)

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Summary  

Last week we started our conversation about how to become the type of person who still works out when they're tired, who still cooks when they're overwhelmed, who still goes to bed on time even when their favorite show ends with a cliff hanger and all they want to do is hit that 'next episode' button.

The long and short: how to develop the skill of discipline. 

We got into some really interesting conversations last week around just the first 3 tips, so click here to take a listen before jumping into part 2!

4. They break things down into small, doable, simple action steps to remove overwhelm.

Thinking about the big picture and all you have to do usually leads to unnecessary stress and overwhelm.

Thinking about how long you're going to have to workout before you see results, thinking about having to find new recipes and make the time to cook week in and week out, thinking about all of the treats you'll miss out on if you become more intentional about your eating - all of that is enough to stop anyone in their tracks. 

So instead break it all down and take it one step/one day at a time. There's that old saying, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.  

You don't have to worry about the 5 workouts you have planned for this week. Worry about the one you're doing today and plan to fit it in.

You don't have to come up with twenty new healthy recipes to replace your old ones. Sit down and google one (bonus: google 5-ingredient recipes to make it even easier). 

You don't have to say no to every dessert for the rest of your life. But maybe you should consider giving up tonight's since it isn't your favorite anyways and likely won't be worth it. 

5. They set reminders to help them stay out of autopilot.

Being disciplined requires living a very conscious life - you have to get out of autopilot which is where most of us tend to exist. 

Our brain likes to conserve energy and that means doing what is familiar. It takes a lot of mental power to consistently step into a new behavior in the hopes of creating a new identity. 

You have to stay incredibly diligent about catching your old patterns and thought processes (and choosing a new path) so they don't continue to derail you and keep you stuck in the same place. 

And since we know our brain is wired to maintain the status quo, it can be really helpful at the beginning to set reminder throughout the day that break you out of your old wiring. 

For example, when my clients are trying to get better about listening to their body (eating when they're actually hungry, stopping when they're satisfied, getting away from mindless snacking, etc), I'll have them set a reminder in their phone 3 times a day to do a body check-in where they're just noticing how they're feeling both mentally and physically. This starts to strengthen the muscle connecting mind and body until it becomes second nature. 

6. They deal with their undisciplined thoughts the way they would a stubborn toddler.

You would probably be astonished at the amount of times I think 'I don't feel like doing x, y, z' (cue whiny kid voice) and immediately follow with the thought, 'too bad'. 

Stop entertaining the part of you that wants to talk you out of what you know you should be doing. That part of you only gets to have power if you give it power.

Remember, you don't have to listen to every thought you have and you can always choose a new thought and a new action.

Burn this into your brain: motivation is not required for discipline. In fact discipline by definition refers to doing something when you don't have the motivation to do it.

7. They ask themselves, "What would the 10x version of myself do in this situation?" And then they do that.

There are no tricks to making better decisions, you just have to become conscious of what they are and do it. 

We all have a vision of the future version of us that has everything we want - the body, the health, the career, the partner. Well I guarantee that version of you has very different habits than the current you and the only way to get from here to there is to start acting like that person today.

8. They stay one step ahead of their own excuses. 

Most people are very reactive to life. Life comes at them, it feels like everything is happening to them, and they lack agency.

People who are disciplined are in constant anticipation of life and what could go wrong, and they have a plan in place for when it does.

One extremely proud of moment I had of a client recently was when she scheduled 2 workouts in her day. Not because she planned to workout twice, but because she knows random shit can come up so she has a backup workout in place in case she misses the first one. 

Don't get me wrong, life can still be surprising enough that it throws you off sometimes. But when disciplined people are caught unawares, they don't beat themselves up for their failure or setbacks. And they don't take failure to mean they've failed.

They learn from those moments and apply the lesson the very next time that situation comes up.

9. They don't speak in absolutes. 

Even though disciplined people may seem to be on it all the time, I promise you they aren't. 

Disciplined people aren't the ones holding themselves to a standard of perfection. They know what they do most of the time is what matters and that consistency beats intensity every time. 

So while they may miss one workout, they usually won't miss two in a row. While they may make poor choices at one meal, they don't let it bleed into the next one. While they may miss a few hours of sleep one night, they prioritize getting at least 7 hours the next night. 

There you have it, 9 habits of highly disciplined people. 

The last thing I want to remind you of is this: being undisciplined is not who you are, it's a habit. And habits can be broken and rewritten. So pick even just one of these new habits to try and go all in with it this week. Take imperfect, messy, but immediate action and see how far you can go. And don't forget to message me here on Instagram and let me know how it goes!

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