People are always curious about how successful people managed to get to where they are today. Although there is no specific formula, we are fully aware of numerous behaviours consistently exhibited by these people and evidenced daily by their actions. Discipline is vital to everything you do, and without it, in some shape or form, your life would easily turn to chaos. Most people are aware of the fact it exists, but very few, actually comprehend its concept and form any structure around its execution. Many people fail to reach their true human potential because their daily pursuits lack this executive function. If you want financial freedom, you need discipline. If you want to live a better quality of life, you need to have the discipline to function consistently as a high-level operator. Freedom in any area of life is directly correlated to how much you control your mind and body. It facilitates productivity; it enables each and every one of us to live on form. With all this in mind, let’s delve deeper into the top 5 reasons why discipline matters to your day to day life.

1. Discipline Improves Focus

Many people wrongly perceive that discipline is about a strict regime. Discipline isn’t about being strict with yourself – it’s so much more. It pretty much refers to the state of alertness about doing the right thing at any given moment. There’s a huge difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Take nutrition. Ask anyone loosely what they think they should and shouldn’t be eating. Most can give a pretty concise answer that, beyond a comprehensive nutritional critique is probably infinitely better than it previously was. That’s why discipline promotes and improves focus. It shows you the path when others aren’t able to see it. It also allows you to realise the importance of things by learning how to prioritise those that really matter to you. Everyone is at different stages of life, and whilst the concept of discipline surrounding any end goal is quantifiable. For many, the draw of that end goal and ultimately it’s reward isn’t enough for many or in lots of cases, the work involved to get there is either too daunting, too different or not fast enough. This prioritisation is what motivates you to stay focused on your priorities in your life. By constantly practising this way of life, you’ll discover that things are actually working to your advantage and slowly but surely a mindset shift occurs. Suddenly, you feel more energized and motivated to push things further than before. It will help you reduce distractions to a minimum and fully focus on goals and in many cases, ones that once appeared impossible become feasible and attainable.

2. Productivity & Efficiency

At the heart of any successful person, is self-discipline. If your productivity and efficiency need a serious boost to do everything that needs to be done, discipline can be extremely helpful in achieving that goal. In today’s busy world, being highly productive is more of a necessity than it is an option. While this may be so, there is a huge challenge that comes with it – how to improve your productivity and keep it that way. The answer again revolves around that single behaviour – discipline. When you have discipline, there are very few things that can actually distract your mind. You know your priorities and your focus keeps you motivated. When you have that, there is nothing that could make you look the other way. More importantly, discipline gives way to consistency, and consistency is the key to success in life.

"Success isn’t always about ‘Greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come". Dwayne Johnson

3. Self-Control in Emotionally Charged Situations

To exercise self-control, a person needs to have some structure and stability in their life. That’s where self-discipline excels. It allows an individual to learn how to be respectful and responsible and restrain themselves in emotionally charged situations. Lack of self-control in such situations is one of the worst things you can do to yourself. Discipline, self-control, and knowing when to restrain your feelings is how you learn about tolerance and respecting others. While it helps you understand that which matters the most, it also helps you practice good human behaviour and do the right thing at any given time. Self-control is an exceptional mental skill that allows you to behave in a consistently controlled and stringent manner. Whether it’s success in your personal or professional lives, it all starts with an inherent ability for self-control through discipline. Your thoughts. Emotions. Behaviours. And your habits.

4. Discipline Creates More Free Time

Things become much easier and more organised when you’re disciplined. Willpower is a precursor to discipline. Discipline leads the way to habits. And habits are the things that, when repeated determine our direction and magnitude of success Since discipline allows you to create habits, provided that you’ve taken the time to align them with your goals, you’ll start noticing that you have more time and therefore freedom on your hands. More freedom means that you can perhaps finally take care of all the pending things on your schedule or simply take better care of yourself and strive towards the quality of life you’re pursuing. Routine and that which develops through disciplined behaviour has always seemed the antithesis of freedom. In many cases, it is the actual catalyst to freedom.

"Discipline equals freedom". Jocko Willink

5. Ability to Combat Stress

You can’t become better at what you do if you constantly have to battle everyday stress. Becoming the best version of yourself and living on form takes time, effort, and lots of….wait for it….. hard work. A lot of life’s stressors are due to the aforementioned chaos we all, at some stage, have been a part of poorly managed times, schedules and constantly chasing our proverbial tails. Discipline means order, and with that order comes calmness and acknowledgement of what needs to be done. Not only that but also the structure in which to handle the challenges we face.

Conclusion

As Jim Rohn said, Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. If you really want to become a successful person in life and business, self-discipline is a requisite. It allows you to see things clearly and think straight whatever ensues. More importantly, it can alter your mindset, your focus, work ethic, productivity, and in turn, your mental health. When you’re disciplined, things happen by themselves. It’s only later that you realise that you’re the actual catalyst of this sudden progress. You.