 Studies have shown that people with self-discipline tend to be happier and healthier. This is attributed to the fact that they spend less time debating on things to do and can make positive decisions easily. Also, unlike people who lack self-control, disciplined individuals barely have a cause to regret their actions because they are level-headed and do not allow their feelings or impulses dictate their actions. Thankfully, self-discipline is a skill and it can be learned. In this video, I will be sharing with you 13 simple steps to help you master self-discipline. 1. Prepare your mind. It is essential to understand that we are not born with self-discipline. Although it may be affected by temperament, it is a learned attitude which like every other skill requires self-will and dedication and daily practice and of course repetition. The focus that self-discipline requires is somewhat demanding but you must always fix your mind to be sure that developing it is what you want. The bigger the challenge or task, the more diligence needed to tackle it. 2. Be sincere to yourself about your weaknesses. The first step to self-discipline is for you to identify the areas of your life where you lack self-discipline. You may choose to overlook your flaws because you want to make yourself feel good. But if you must solve a problem, you must first own up to it and accept the challenge. You must look inward and ask yourself important questions so that you can ascertain the specific areas of your life that require self-discipline. Using finance as an illustration, you first have to determine what exactly your flaw is. Is it that you spend too much or you gamble or you are always lending to friends who do not pay back? 3. Get your whys. For everything you venture into, there must be a why. Your why is your motivation. Why do you want to be self-disciplined? Are you broke? Are you in debt? Are you finding a challenge in to meet up with your financial responsibilities? Finding the necessity for taking action will motivate you to keep pushing even when the temptations are much. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, and I quote, He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. 4. Write down your goals and execution plan. What do you hope to achieve? How do you expect to make it? After being sure of your why, the next step is to identify a specific what. Break down into smaller what's and include your how. What do you intend to achieve if you pay attention to your finance? What measures can you take to achieve that set goal? How can you break down those measures into small and tangible goals? Set targets for yourself and identify actions you can put in place to reach those targets. 5. Form a new simple habit. It shows that it takes three weeks of consistency to form a new habit. Ask yourself, what new pattern do I need to develop that will move me close to my goals? Do I need to stop eating junk? Do I need to learn how to say no to people? Do I need to get a piggy bank and keep a specific amount daily? 6. Start with the end in mind. Starting up is usually overwhelming but having the end in mind and the benefits you will get if you complete your task will spur you to put more efforts. So always visualize yourself meeting your goals and reaping the rewards you will gain when you practice self-discipline. When you bear in mind that spending less would make you a millionaire in six months, you will be inspired to start saving daily. 7. Be consistent. Always do one thing a day that takes you a step closer to your goal. Consistency is essential because it is through it that the new habits are formed. If you are not consistent with your small goals, you will not be able to get your desired result. If you set your mind to put $10 in your piggy bank every day, keep to that. Don't skip a day, hoping to save $3 the next day. Be consistent with $10. 8. Avoid temptations. We like to convince ourselves that we have enough willpower to resist enticement but many a time when the temptations arise, we give in. For instance, a friend suggests that you go clubbing and volunteers to pay the bills. Well, you could decide to go to the party since you won't be spending, however it is much safer and better if you don't go. The fewer distractions you have, the more focused you will be on accomplishing your goals. Set yourself up for success by deaching unwanted influences. 9. Be patient with yourself. Take to heart the lesson from the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race. The journey to self-discipline is usually a slow one that involves taking one step at a time. Getting impatient and trying to throw 3 steps will only cause you to have a mighty 4. Although at the end of the month you might get discouraged to see that you just saved $30 but then trying to increase your savings to $10 daily suddenly is drastic and may result in you getting too burdened and eventually getting tired of the whole discipline process. 10. Have an accountability partner. An accountability partner is someone who you will be accountable to and who will sincerely score your progress. Your accountability partner can be a friend but it must be someone who is willing to be sincere with you and who is emotionally intelligent and more mature than you are. Suggestively, your mentor will be a better partner than anyone else. 11. Don't sulk when you miss it. One reason why people fail to accomplish the goals they set is that whenever they miss it, they sulk. When you miss a day, do not feel bad. Yes, you can feel remorseful but let there be a limit. When you begin to feel terrible about yourself, you will lack the zeal to continue. Don't let yourself get wrapped up in guilt, anger or frustration because these emotions will only drag you further down and impede future progress. Learn from your missteps and forgive yourself. Then get your head back in the game and refocus on your goals. 12. Reward yourself. Be sure to reward yourself after every completed target. If you successfully stick to your goals for a while, then you deserve recompense. For every week that you stick to your budget, allow yourself a few dollar notes to splurge at the mall on Sunday. However, to avoid falling into the temptation of spending more than you bargained, leave your credit cards at home and carry cash only. Self-discipline is hard. Choosing yourself is an avenue to lure your subconscious into smashing the other goals. 13. Give yourself a backup plan. According to psychologist, a technique which boosts the human will power is called implementation intention. It involves planning to deal with a potential challenging situation you know you will undoubtedly face. Ask yourself, what if this self-discipline strategy does not work? Is there another move that I can make? Contrary to the perception of many, having a plan B does not in any way reduce your focus on your initial plan. It only gets you prepared just in case of uncertainties. Always bear in mind that if you cannot be a master of yourself, you cannot lead others and if you cannot lead others, your chances of being successful are pretty slim. Thus, your success level depends on how well you can control and coordinate yourself. Self-discipline is a skill. Learn it!