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Essay on Self Discipline for Students and Children

500+ words essay on self discipline.

Self-discipline means self-control, which gives you inner strength and a way to control yourself, actions, and reactions. It is one of the most important and useful skills to achieve success and everyone should possess this quality. Self-discipline comes naturally to some people. And some people can achieve it with some effort. The effort made is worth it as it changes life for the better. It just means exercising self- control. A person who stays in control has the ability to take charge of his/her actions and reactions.

Tips to Achieve Self-discipline

• Set your goals: – The first step towards leading a disciplined life is to set goals. Goals give you a clear idea about what needs to be achieved. One must always set a timeline for your goals. This serves as a driving force and motivates you to work hard. It is a good idea to set both short term and long term goals and create a well thought out plan to achieve them.
• Do meditation:- Meditation is one of the best ways to channel our energy in the right direction. It helps maintain focus, acquaints us with our inner self and furthers better self- control. It is the stepping stone for a disciplined life. Meditating for half an hour every day can help in inculcating self-discipline.
• Set a Routine:- Those who set a routine and follow it daily lead a more disciplined life. It is suggested to list all the tasks that you require accomplishing in a given day. Write them in the order of their priority, set a timeline for each and act accordingly. This is a good way to lead an organized and disciplined life.
• Stay away from distractions :- In this technology-driven world, there are numerous things that can distract us and take charge of our lives. Our mobile phones, television, and chatting apps are some of the new age things that are a big hindrance in practicing self-discipline. No matter how determined we are to study, work or sleep on time, we tend to get distracted at the beep of our phone. Social media platforms, chatting apps and web series are extremely addictive and hamper work. In order to practice self-discipline, it is important to stay away from these distractions. Put your phone on silent or keep it at a distance when you sit to study or work. Similarly, just put your phone away at bedtime and instead pick a book to read.
• Reward yourself :- Reward yourself for every goal you achieve. This will motivate you to work harder to achieve more. This is a good way to trick your brain to inculcate self-discipline.
• Take proper sleep :- You can inculcate self-discipline only when you are well-rested. So, it is essential to sleep for eight hours each night. Maintaining a good sleep cycle is also essential. This means that you should try sleeping and waking up at the same time each day. A power nap during the afternoon can help further.
• Stay Positive : – Many people want to inculcate self-discipline but are unable to because they somehow believe that it is difficult to achieve. They feel that it is too much to ask for and that they shall not be able to practice it. This is the wrong approach. You can achieve anything in life if you stay positive and believe in yourself. So, you should stay positive. It is a pre-requisite for inculcating self-discipline.

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Self Discipline Benefits and Importance

Self-discipline helps you to overcome the bad habits by meditating regularly. It gives you the ability not to give up after failure and setbacks, develop self-control, provide the ability to resist distractions, helps you to motivate yourself until you accomplish your goals.

Achieving self-discipline may be difficult but in order to lead a healthy personal and professional life, it is very important. A self-disciplined person makes optimum use of the time. Hence, he can achieve more and do more work as compared to a person who is not self-disciplined. We should, therefore, make some efforts to achieve it.

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Self-Control

6 ways to boost self-discipline, 2. figure out your "why.".

Updated December 3, 2023 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

• What Is Self-Control?
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Cowritten by Zamfira Parincu and Tchiki Davis

What is self-discipline? It's what keeps you from eating too many chips when you’re on a diet or from buying things you don’t need.

Self-discipline is broadly defined as conscious control that is oriented towards successful outcomes by overcoming obstacles or impediments (Zimmerman & Kitsantas, 2014). One of the scientists at the forefront of self-control research, Angela Duckworth, defines it as “the ability to suppress prepotent responses in the service of a higher goal… and such a choice is not automatic but rather requires conscious effort” (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006, p. 199).

There is a famous saying by Lao Tzu that says: “Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” This valuable insight taps into what self-discipline is about—it’s about getting control over your thoughts and behaviors and making them work for you, in professional and personal situations.​

In studies, researchers have found that self-regulation (which is similar to self-discipline) predicts not only academic outcomes but also which students would improve their grades over the course of the school year (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005). In addition, children who have the highest levels of self-discipline in preschool and primary school were more likely to have fewer health problems, less problematic substance use, and were better in terms of personal finances.

How to Boost Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is a skill and anyone can improve it. But it will take practice and will require you to be patient and kind to yourself. Here are some ways you could start developing self-discipline:

• Be aware. Every day you make decisions about how you live: what to eat, when to go to bed, or whether you should send that passive-aggressive text. We can avoid temptations or give in to them. For example, people often say that you should not go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Why? Because you are more likely to buy less nutritious foods, snacks, or other high-calorie foods (Tal & Wansick, 2013). You could practice self-discipline by not buying junk food when you’re hungry, or you could practice it by not even going to the store when you’re hungry. The goal is to be aware of what works for you and implement those strategies regularly to create positive changes in your life.
• Figure out your “why.” Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, once said, “Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how.'" When you find your “why,” or the reason why you want to do something, you can remind yourself of these reasons when things get difficult. This helps us sustain self-discipline even under duress.
• Develop a plan. If you don’t know where you’re going, it might be easier to get sidetracked. If this sounds like you, you can create an outline of clear action steps you plan to take on a daily or weekly basis until you reach your goal. Whether you want to increase good habits and reduce bad habits or learn a new skill, creating a clear plan will help you achieve success .
• Start small. The famous quote says: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.” Now that you have a plan, take a step. Start small. Don’t try to do everything in one week, as this can lead you to feel overwhelmed and might even cause you to abandon your plan.
• Remove temptations. Removing temptations can significantly impact the likelihood that you’ll reach a successful outcome. In psychology, there is a theory called “ ego depletion ,” which suggests that willpower is a limited resource, and we only have a finite “reservoir” of mental resources to resist temptations. Every day, you use your willpower to resist temptations until the “reservoir” runs out (Baumeister et al., 1998). For example, if you’re resisting drinking three cups of coffee before lunch and then you stop yourself from getting mad at a coworker, and then you hold back from eating pre-dinner cookies, by the time the day is over, you might have fewer resources to resist other temptations. So, you might want to remove temptations around the house if you’d like to increase good habits and set yourself up for success.
• Try time-blocking. The Pomodoro technique, very popular among busy students, says that you should break up your work time like this: work uninterrupted for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break—each of these is a Pomodoro. After four Pomodoros, you can take a longer break of 20 minutes. This time-management technique works because the session is long enough to get some work done, but not too long that you feel overwhelmed.

Adapted from an article on self-discipline published by The Berkeley Well-Being Institute.

Facebook /LinkedIn image: Ground Picture/Shutterstock

de la Fuente, J., Paoloni, P., Kauffman, D., Yilmaz Soylu, M., Sander, P., & Zapata, L. (2020). Big Five, Self-Regulation, and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Achievement Emotions in Undergraduate Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3602.

Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. (2005). Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents. Psychological science, 16(12), 939-944.

Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. (2006). Self-discipline gives girls the edge: gender in self-discipline, grades, and achievement test scores. Journal of educational psychology, 98(1), 198.

Tal, A., & Wansink, B. (2013). Fattening fasting: hungry grocery shoppers buy more calories, not more food. JAMA internal medicine, 173(12), 1146-1148.

Zimmerman, B. J., and Kitsantas, A. (2014). Comparing Students' Self-Discipline and Self-Regulation Measures and Their Prediction of Academic Achievement. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 39 (2), 145–155.

Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. , is a consultant, writer, and expert on well-being technology.

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Essay on Self Discipline

Students are often asked to write an essay on Self Discipline in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Self Discipline

Introduction.

Self-discipline is the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome weaknesses. It’s about making choices that lead to healthy, productive behaviors.

Importance of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is crucial for success. It helps us focus on our goals, resist temptations, and persist in the face of adversity.

Building Self-Discipline

Building self-discipline requires practice. Start small, create routines, and gradually take on bigger challenges.

Benefits of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline leads to improved focus, better health, and achievement of goals. It also fosters resilience and self-confidence.

In conclusion, self-discipline is a vital skill that everyone should cultivate for a successful and fulfilling life.

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250 Words Essay on Self Discipline

Self-discipline, an essential attribute for personal and professional success, refers to the ability to control one’s emotions, behavior, and desires, aligning them with set goals. It is a skill that enables individuals to overcome impulses, procrastinate less, and stay focused on their objectives.

The Importance of Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is a cornerstone of personal development and self-improvement. It fosters resilience, enabling individuals to endure hardships and persevere in the face of challenges. Furthermore, it promotes time management, allowing for the prioritization of tasks according to their importance and urgency. This leads to increased productivity and efficiency.

Self-Discipline and Success

The correlation between self-discipline and success is well-established. Those with high self-discipline tend to perform better academically and professionally. They are also more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle, manage stress effectively, and demonstrate higher levels of happiness.

Developing Self-Discipline

Developing self-discipline requires consistent effort and practice. It starts with setting clear, achievable goals, followed by creating a plan to reach them. Regular self-reflection is crucial to assess progress and make necessary adjustments. Moreover, cultivating a positive mindset can significantly enhance one’s self-discipline.

In conclusion, self-discipline is a vital skill that significantly impacts personal and professional life. It is a key determinant of success and can be cultivated through consistent effort, goal setting, and self-reflection. Thus, it is imperative for college students to understand its importance and work towards enhancing their self-discipline.

500 Words Essay on Self Discipline

Introduction to self-discipline.

Self-discipline, an essential characteristic for personal and professional success, is the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome weaknesses. It involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment. It’s a sign of inner strength and control of oneself and one’s actions.

Self-discipline is of paramount importance for achieving goals. It is the backbone of successful people who manage to excel in their fields. It is the driving force that compels individuals to resist negative impulses and distractions. Self-discipline is the key to consistency and continuity in any endeavor, be it academic, personal, or professional. It helps in maintaining focus, thus enabling individuals to make constructive decisions that lead to positive outcomes.

Self-Discipline and Time Management

Time management and self-discipline are intertwined. Effective time management necessitates self-discipline, and conversely, self-discipline aids in the efficient use of time. When one practices self-discipline, they can better allocate their time, prioritizing tasks based on their importance and deadlines. This results in improved productivity and efficiency.

Self-Discipline and Emotional Control

Self-discipline also plays a crucial role in emotional control. It helps individuals manage their emotions, preventing them from taking impulsive actions that could have negative consequences. By practicing self-discipline, individuals can make rational decisions rather than emotional ones, leading to better outcomes in both personal and professional life.

Building self-discipline is a gradual process that requires patience and perseverance. It begins with setting clear goals and establishing a plan to achieve them. It requires consistent practice and the willingness to step out of one’s comfort zone. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep are also integral in fostering self-discipline as they enhance mental strength and focus.

Challenges and Solutions

The path to self-discipline is fraught with challenges. Procrastination, lack of motivation, and distractions are common obstacles. However, these can be overcome by developing a strong will, maintaining a positive mindset, and implementing effective strategies like time-blocking, goal-setting, and mindfulness.

In conclusion, self-discipline is a vital skill that significantly contributes to success in various life aspects. It enhances focus, aids in time management, and helps control emotions. Despite the challenges encountered in its cultivation, with determination and the right strategies, one can successfully develop and strengthen their self-discipline.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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• How to Develop Self-Discipline to Succeed

Success starts with self-mastery, and at the core of this mastery is self-discipline.

Did you know the most successful people have gotten to where they are today because they have learned to practice self-discipline?

Becoming a self-disciplined person involves understanding what self-discipline means, learning the skills to develop it, and making a consistent effort to apply it in all areas of your life.

Many of the most successful individuals credit their achievements to their ability to practice self-discipline, which has significantly contributed to their well-being and success.

If you’re ready to take control of your actions and thoughts, let’s explore self-discipline together and set the stage for your greatness.

What Is Self-Discipline?

Let’s start with the basics.

The word self-discipline is actually made up of two parts. The noun “discipline” means “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character” ( Merriam-Webster Dictionary ).

The ‘self’ means you have the willpower to do these things on your own, without someone telling you to do them.

So self-discipline means you control your feelings and even do hard things so you can be better and have more prosperity.

More than one self-discipline definition can help us understand the concept better, though. Consider these dictionary definitions:

• Self-discipline is “the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.” Oxford Languages Dictionary
• Self-discipline is “the ability to control yourself and to make yourself work hard or behave in a particular way without needing anyone else to tell you what to do.”  Collins Dictionary

You can also use different words in place of self-discipline to better understand their meaning. Some synonyms are:

• Self-control
• Self-regulation
• Self-mastery
• Firmness of purpose
• Self-restraint

My favorite definition of self-discipline, though, is this: “ Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

To be completely truthful, it is easy to do something when you feel like it. However, it’s when you don’t feel like doing something and you force yourself to do it anyway is when you move your life and career onto the fast track.

Controlling our feelings in the moment so we can have something better later takes hard work. It involves delayed gratification, which is not acting on your impulses.

It is doing what you have to do now so you can do what you want to do later.

As psychologist Arden Mahlberg explains in one of his self-discipline quotes: “Discipline really means our ability to get ourselves to do things when we don’t want.”

Disciplining one’s conduct leads to success in anything you want to accomplish. Apply the principles of self-discipline to both your personal and professional life.

The Importance of Self-Discipline

Mastering the art of self-discipline is a gateway to numerous advantages. When you demonstrate regular self-discipline, you streamline and focus your path toward achieving your aspirations. This focused approach minimizes distractions and paves the way for substantial progress towards your goals.

Self-discipline is beneficial because it:

• Reduces stress and anxiety , which often come from procrastination, wasting time, or not having a plan to follow.
• Makes you feel more confident in your abilities to accomplish things , which leads to living a happier life to becoming your best self.
• Accelerates personal improvement in all areas of our lives , including physical and mental health, education, career, financial independence , and relationships.
• Helps students gain more knowledge , make fewer careless mistakes, and perform better than those who do not, regardless of IQ,
• Can help those in the workplace achieve higher income , the feeling of achievement in one’s career, and a higher rate of accomplishing one’s goals.
• Enhances relationships and is seen to correlate with stronger, more enduring personal relationships.
• Fosters resilience, enhancing your ability to recover from setbacks and further strengthening your control over impulses.

Recognizing the Signs of a Self-Discipline Deficit

So how do you know if you lack self-discipline?

There are some self-sabotaging behaviors to look for. One sign is that you find yourself making excuses for your behavior and falling short on things.

For example, promptness requires self-discipline. If you are often late to appointments, work, or other commitments but blame it on traffic, hitting the alarm too many times, or staying up late to finish a project, you likely lack self-discipline. Instead, you should take personal responsibility for leaving earlier, getting up on time, or not procrastinating at the start of your project.

Another sign you need to build self-discipline is if you give in to temptation and just can’t seem to reach your goals. That could be eating too much so you cannot make your ideal weight or not advancing in your career because you give in to the temptation of spending some of your free time on social media instead of taking an online course.

One more sign that you need to improve your self-discipline is that you wait to feel motivated before doing something. For example, if you want to write a book and are waiting until the right moment when you feel energized to do it, you will probably never accomplish it.

The power of self-discipline gets you out of your comfort zone and lets you soar to new and unimaginable heights.

7 Steps to Develop Self-Discipline

When you have the determination to improve self-discipline, you open up many doors to new opportunities.

But it takes more than willpower to improve your ability to achieve self-discipline within yourself. You need to develop skills by learning and training yourself to practice self-control until self-discipline becomes a habit.

Follow these seven steps to success.

1. Decide What You Want

You have a lot of ideas floating around in your head. The first step to improving your future self-discipline is to organize your thoughts and figure out what you want.

As Napoleon Hill puts it in one of his self-discipline quotes:

“Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.”

Decide exactly what it is you want in each part of your life.

Do you need to increase your knowledge of the trends in your industry so you can advance to a higher position?

Do you want to adopt healthy habits like exercising and healthy eating so you feel better, improve your physical health, increase your self-confidence, and open yourself up to more opportunities?

Is learning a new language or skill something you want to do to open new doors professionally or personally?

Tap into your self-awareness and think about what you want to do and be. Become a “meaningful specific” rather than a “wandering generality.”

What decisions do you need to make today to start moving toward the top of your field?

Whatever it is, make a decision now, and then get started. This single act alone can change the whole direction of your life.

Understand that any new endeavor you take on will take effort and a willingness to delay gratification. But enduring temporary discomfort is always worth the reward of long-term gain.

2. Identify and Remove Temptations

Distractions are the enemy of accomplishment and discipline. Your ability to resist temptation will turn bad, unhealthy habits, into good habits.

One of the wisest things you can do to resist temptations is to simply remove temptations as much as possible.

If checking your social media feed has become a time-waster, reduce your screen time by setting limits on your smartphone, turning off notifications, scheduling specific times when you can check your accounts, or deleting the apps that do not contribute to your goals or overall well-being.

If you are easily distracted by how readily accessible entertainment is, remove things like television, video platforms, or subscription streaming services from your environment.

Do the same with tempting foods, people who are a negative influence, or anything else that is impeding your progress.

Your environment sets you up for success. Being honest with yourself about what those distractions are is key to your success.

Fewer distractions have a tremendous impact on accomplishing your goals.

Self-denial may seem difficult at first, but when one’s desires are tempered, it allows for blossoming into a newer and better version of oneself.

Conduct a time audit to identify your temptations and time wasters. Over the next several days, keep track of what you do all day. Writing it down will allow you to analyze how you spend your time and change it into how you want to spend your time.

Removing temptations is liberating.

As Harvey Dorfman, a mental skills coach, puts it, “Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from the expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear — and doubt.”

3. Find an Accountability Partner

Sometimes it’s hard to stay disciplined when you’re working in silence.

Having someone to share your goals and keep you accountable can help keep you on track and motivated to stay disciplined.

An accountability partner can help you overcome the challenge of making the changes you need to restrain your impulses and make better decisions.

Setting a specific goal makes you 10% more likely to achieve it. But committing to someone else that you will do it increases your success rate by 65%, and making an appointment to report back to that person raises it even higher to 95%.

An accountability partner is someone with whom you agree to help each other stay on track toward achieving your goals.

In your effort to improve self-discipline, knowing that you need to report your actions to someone else will help you stay motivated, and you will do the same for them.

An ideal accountability partner is someone who is working toward similar goals as you. For example, if your goal is to start your own business, choose an accountability partner who shares the same entrepreneurial goal. In this way, you can learn together, brainstorm solutions, and share helpful insights on the training each other is receiving.

You should also choose someone who wants to be held accountable — a person as interested in building self-discipline as you are.

The right accountability partner is trustworthy and will keep your discussions confidential. They are kind and encouraging yet will also ask you difficult questions and give constructive criticism to help you stay on track.

Share your goals with your accountability partner, be honest about your progress, and stay connected regularly. Set daily, weekly, and monthly check-in appointments, and keep these sessions short and on-topic.

Communicate in a way both of you are comfortable with, such as email, text, phone calls, in-person meetings, or a combination of several modes of communication.

The positive reinforcement and encouragement you receive from your accountability partner — and in turn, give to them — can make all the difference in overcoming the roadblocks you have been experiencing and catapulting you toward making your hopes and dreams a reality.

4. Write Your Goals Down

Always think on paper — or an electronic device. A goal that is not in writing is not a goal at all. It is merely a wish and it has no energy behind it.

Write your goals down, clearly and in detail. The most successful goals are SMART goals : specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Define your long-term goals, but then set small goals and work your way to bigger ones. Baby steps are easier to visualize and achieve. They help you overcome your challenges more effectively than focusing on broad goals that take time to reach.

Reaching your smaller goals will motivate you to continue on the road to progress.

If your goal is to eat healthier, for example, start by adding one new healthy food to your diet each week. You don’t have to eliminate all unhealthy food at once. Going slowly will help you stay motivated.

It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to make a total, sweeping change all at once. But making gains step by step will be training your mind to exercise self-control in manageable increments until it becomes a habit and you no longer have the desire to return to old ways.

Use these examples of SMART goals as inspiration to write down your own:

• I will increase business sales from repeat customers by 5% by the end of the quarter by gathering contact information at the point of sale and following up with strategies that make them feel valued.
• I will decrease the number of times I complain to once every other day by May 31st to improve my mental health by taking 10 seconds to think about my words before sharing them.
• I will continue to lose weight by adding exercise to my morning routine by walking for 30 minutes before eating breakfast for the next three weeks.
• I will learn to play the major chords on the guitar by my birthday by watching tutorial videos and practicing for 15 minutes per day.
• I will improve my academic performance on class assessments by 10 percentage points by the mid-term exam by recording lectures, listening to them on my commute, and outlining notes from each lecture within two days of hearing them.

5. Make To-Do Lists

Keep yourself on track daily by making a to-do list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to accomplish your goal. This is one of the most important things you can do to help you be productive and feel happier.

Lists serve as visual reminders that you are on a path toward excellence. Checking off each task as you complete it provides instant motivation to keep moving forward.

When you think of new tasks and activities, write them on your list until your list is complete.

Revisit your goals regularly to make sure you are on track. If you need to change a word or sentence in your goal to make it more precise, relevant, or achievable, do so without compromising your progress. The key is to create and follow goals that will get you closer to the existence you want, never farther away.

At the end of each day, make your list for the next day. Small habits like this will keep your mind focused on taking the right actions toward exercising self-control.

Be sure to set deadlines for all of your goals and sub-goals. This will help you work hard and achieve results promptly.

6. Organize Your Lists

Organize your lists into a plan.

Decide what you will have to do first and what you will have to do second. Decide what is more important and what is less important. And then write out your plan on paper, the same way you would develop a blueprint to build your dream house.

Group the important tasks on your list into related items. This will help you save time and effort if you complete similar items in the same period. Your mind will be in tune and your workspace will be organized with what you need.

Avoid multitasking. While it may seem like you are busy doing more, multitasking actually serves as a distraction as you cannot devote the right amount of mental energy to a single task. Tackle one item at a time then move on to the next one.

The challenge of disciplining yourself will become easier as you develop purposeful routines like these.

7. Create an Action Plan 

Do something every single day that moves you in the direction of your most important goal at the moment.

Develop the time management discipline of doing something 365 days each year that is moving you forward. You will be absolutely astonished at how much you accomplish when you utilize this formula every single day.

Internalize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s inspiring words on taking action: “If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving.”

Action is imperative to progress.

Research shows that those who use an implementation intention plan are more successful in creating new habits and becoming more self-disciplined.

An implementation intention is an if-then strategy used in disciplining oneself to make the right decisions at the moment. You plan for what you will do when faced with a temptation or distraction.

To use this strategy, complete this sentence with words that apply to what you are trying to overcome:

“When X situation arises, I will respond with Y. ”

Using this plan forces you to be more self-disciplined and cultivate mental toughness.

To help you stay on top of your action plan, consider remembering or writing down one of my favorite quotes that relate to self-discipline:

“Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in.” ( Vince Lombardi )

Set Yourself Up For Success

Begin your path toward personal improvement by developing self-discipline today.

The power of self-control will propel you toward a better life and improved future self.

Setting goals is an important part of developing discipline. If you don’t know where to start, my 14-Step Goal Setting Guide includes more tips on how to set clear goals. The actionable advice in this resource will teach you how to achieve your goals faster than you ever thought possible.

Download the goal-setting guide and tap into your potential to accomplish a world of possibilities.

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

Self Discipline for Students

Updated: August 7, 2023

Published: December 2, 2019

Self discipline is an invaluable skill to learn and develop over the course of your life, and will help you tremendously throughout your academic career. Inevitably, as a student, there will always be subjects you don’t love and periods of distraction in your life, which is why it is so important to develop self discipline in order to succeed through those times of less motivation. Even if it is something that doesn’t come naturally to you, there are ways to find and cultivate strategies. Here are some great tips on how to develop good self discipline for students.

Self Discipline Definition

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Just what exactly is self discipline and how can it relate to students? Self discipline means regulating oneself and making corrections to one’s thoughts and behaviors in order to improve oneself.

For students, this can mean: keeping yourself focused on assignments or in classes, not getting yourself distracted during lectures or times of study and making sure that you’re on track with deadlines. This is especially important once you enter college, where you will need to rely on yourself and only yourself to meet your academic goals.

Importance of Self Discipline

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• Power to achieve your goals
• Feeling of being in control of yourself
• Helps you stick to your decisions and not lose sight of your goals
• Helps you accomplish goals
• Self-control and inner strength
• Gives you the ability to not give up

Steps to Self Discipline

Ready to start learning and developing your own self discipline? Get started here with these easy steps towards self discipline for students.

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1. know your strengths and weaknesses.

Are you always avoiding essays but hit the ground running when it’s time for a lab assignment? If you can recognize what subjects or types of projects you enjoy and the ones you don’t, you can start to make strategies for self discipline.

Start by anticipating that you may have struggles through a specific class or project, and preemptively make plans to limit distractions, increase reward systems and schedule non-negotiable study times into your weekly agenda.

2. Know When You Are Motivated

If you are feeling great and jamming along to an assignment no problem, take a moment to notice what makes it easier for you and write that down. Is it your current music playlist? The time of day? The amazing breakfast you had time to eat because you woke up early?

Take notice of these factors that increase your motivation and productivity. Then, you can make plans to add these motivation factors to whenever or whatever you are studying!

3. Recognize Your Downfalls

When you find yourself getting distracted, make a note of the circumstances so that you can avoid the same pitfalls again.

For example, if your roommate always gets home in the early evening and you find yourself chatting away and losing focus, try not to schedule your study time for that hour. Or if you notice that skipping lunch has your head in a fog, make sure to eat at the proper time. Try to limit screen time distractions as well, or allow yourself a break, but set timers for your distraction times.

4. Stay Positive

If you feel yourself slipping, don’t lose hope! If you feel you are losing control of your actions and find yourself falling for the distractions again, instead of getting discouraged just take notes about it and challenge yourself to not let it happen again. Think positive and use your mistakes to your advantage! A positive mind and attitude go a long way towards your success as a student.

5. Get Support

A great way to stop study distractions is by starting or joining a study group, where the whole focus is getting assignments done or going over readings/lectures. You can also let your family members, friends, and housemates know when you’ll be studying so they won’t distract you.

Finally, use your technology to support you. You can set up calendars on your phone with deadlines and reminders. You can also set screen time limits for certain phone applications so that you don’t spend too much time on social media when you should be studying.

6. Get Better at Time Management

Great time management can help you limit procrastination and stress, achieve your goals, and make your free time more enjoyable because you won’t be worried about what else you could be getting done. Make it a point to improve your time management skills in order to increase your self discipline as a student.

For more tips, check out our guide on time management for students .

Benefits of Self Discipline

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Once you have a good handle on your self discipline, you will reap many benefits, such as:

• Higher rates of goal achievement and success
• Overcome addictions and procrastination
• Feeling more motivation towards your goals
• Higher satisfaction of accomplishments

How to Be a Disciplined Student in School

If you are taking classes in person or online, you will need to learn to become a self-disciplined student.

This is especially true for online students. With increased flexibility, such as with fully online University of the People , comes increased responsibility to keep yourself on track with lessons, assignments and deadlines. You are solely responsible for your success or failure as an online student, and one of the ways you can succeed is through self discipline.

As as student, here are some ways to improve your self discipline:

• Put away your phone or other distractions
• Take good notes
• Update your calendar and review deadlines often
• Make your own personal deadlines for larger essays or projects
• Set up a good study area at home for yourself
• Make friends in school, but know when it’s time to socialize and when it’s time to study

Learning self discipline, while not natural to everyone, is a skill that can be developed and learned in order to increase your success as a student. All you need is a positive attitude, a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and a clear plan to stick to. Just follow our guide and tips and you’ll be on your way to being a self disciplined student in no time!

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