LIFE SKILLS & VALUE EDUCATION – CLASS-XI – UNIT- 2 Self Discipline

The Key to Success

“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 first think and act.”

—Napoleon Hill

We often hear people around us talking about how important it is to be disciplined. Have you ever wondered why there has always been so much emphasis on it?

The word ‘discipline’ produces images of marathon runners, people lifting heavy weights, a student studying at a late hour, and so on. It seems like it must be a very hard thing to do. And actually, it is as we are not used to it. Discipline requires training the mind to stay focused on one specific goal and constantly working towards it. Some well known, real-life examples where a person requires a strict discipline are shown in the picture given. The one thing common to all these is that they require consistent effort, practice, diligence, and mind control— and these are the elements which form the essence of discipline. The term ‘discipline’ refers to a state of orderly conduct of an individual which is gained through training in self-control. It includes information of desirable habits and attitudes and adherence to socially-approved standards.

Another important dimension of discipline is taking responsibility. The decision to bedisciplined can only come from within. It is vow to oneself, a kind of promise, a conscious decision to ‘be’ a certain way, rather than being just like everyone else and doing that everyone else is doing.

You must have often heard your parents and teachers talking about how important it is to be disciplined. That is because living a disciplined life has manifold advantages:

• Disciplined people are healthier and fitter in general.
• Disciplined people have better control over their emotions, reactions, and impulses.
• Discipline can help you align your mind with your ideas and goals (you may wish to excel in your class, but you won’t unless you are disciplined about your study and your play schedule).
• A disciplined lifestyle helps you overcome emotional challenges and setbacks more easily. This way you are more likely to achieve your goals.

Disciplined people have better mental health; they are more confident and cheerful.

FOR THE TEENAGER Decoding the human mind and consciousness is not an easy task, especially for teenagers. The biggest challenge is that there can be no formula like we have in mathematics, because each human being is different and cannot be fit into any mould. Each one of us wants different things, understands the world in different ways, and acts differently in the same situation. However, researchers have still tried to explain the science behind discipline. Some important tricks that they have managed to nail down are:

• The more you are able to delay your natural urges, the more disciplined you will become because the brain learns from practice.
• The practice of self-control should start early for best results. It gets harder and harder as we age. This means that once you are older the brain has to be untrained for all bad habits first and only then taught self-control.
• Short-term rewards are important to keep yourself motivated. For instance, if you have stayed disciplined for 10 days in a row, reward yourself with an extra half hour of video games or have a doughnut. You are the best judge of which reward you would like in order to stay disciplined.

WAYS TO IMPLEMENT

If you wish to enjoy the benefits of a disciplined life, you must undertake the following steps:

1. Identify your main goals and manage time accordingly.
2. Paste your goals where you can see them every day.
3. When faced with temptation/distraction to give up , remind yourself about why you started in the first place.
4. Set small goals and keep moving forward bit by bit.
5. Practice prioritizing.
6. Know your weaknesses and try and overcome them.
7. Get friends to hold you accountable.
8. Setting realistic/achievable goals.
9. Take breaks when required.

COMMON MYTHS
1- Self-Discipline is hard: No doubt, self – discipline is not an easy thing. It requires self belief. However, with regular efforts it is very much achievable for someone who sets their mind to it.
2- Will Power is the same thing as self-discipline: A big part of discipline is to form healthy habits that contribute towards
improving yourself. With Willpower, these habits become a way of life.
3- Self-Discipline means having good control over everything around us: No one can control their surroundings ,other people,
and circumstances in life. However with discipline, a person can definitely control their own actions and self-regulate difficult emotions like jealousy and anger.
4- Self-discipline means never getting to do what you want: It is commonly believed that people who follow self-discipline lead a hard life with no fun and only a strict existence where they never really get to do the things they want. But in reality being
self-disciplined always allows you to find time and space for everything you like to do

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