5 Tips for Mastering Self-Discipline 
Aristotle once said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.”
Of all the personal habits that you can develop to help you achieve the business success you want, self discipline will get you there the fastest. Rather than thinking of self discipline as a negative thing, it's helpful if you look at it more as a way of learning to avoid behaviors that could have negative consequences down the road.
The Journal of Personality recently released a study that revealed that people who practice self discipline and have high levels of self control excelled at making the choices that were most beneficial and led to greater happiness, as opposed to those that would lead to conflicts.
How people develop those habits depends on each individual's temperament, and each or some of these tips could help you achieve the results you're looking for:
Resist temptation
Whether it's eating too much junk food or procrastinating on an important project, learning to say no to the behaviors that are counterproductive for your well being. The human brain is a complex thing, but when you act on the behaviors that will give you tangible, longer lasting benefits, your happiness will increase, and your executive functions will sharpen.
Make time for yourself
Do something you enjoy each day. It'll change your attitude, refresh and relax you, giving you the energy to devote to your other daily responsibilities.
Eat healthy
Try to eat as much healthy food as possible. Overindulging in too many sweets or high-carbohydrate food raises your blood sugar and shortly thereafter, you'll feel the effects of low blood sugar that will alter your behavior, and not in a good way.
Sleep
A good night's sleep raises productivity and improves your attitude about everything. There's a reason pilots and truck drivers have regulations they have to follow regarding the number of hours they can work each day. Adequate sleep heals your mind and body, and without it, your daily performance will decline.
Set goals
Make a physical or mental note of what you need to accomplish each day and focus your energy on getting them accomplished. If you run into delays or hassles, take a deep breath and keep moving forward. You may need to reprioritize your activities, but knowing that almost everything will take longer than you expect can remove the stress you feel when problems come up.
Once you've accomplished each task on your list, savor the feeling of accomplishment and share the big ones with family or friends. Learning to feel the satisfaction emotionally will provide positive feelings that can be immensely rewarding.
All these factors, when combined into daily habits, will help you start on the path to a more disciplined life. Instead of feeling like you're depriving yourself in the short term, realize that you're setting yourself -- and your business -- up for much bigger rewards, both materially and emotionally in the future.
photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar via photopin cc
