Martin Meadows - Daily Self-Discipline: Everyday Habits and Exercises to Build Self-Discipline and Achieve Your Goals

Daily Self-Discipline

Everyday Habits and Exercises

to Build Self-Discipline

and Achieve Your Goals

By Martin Meadows

I want to thank you for buying my book and offer you another book (just as long and valuable as this book), Grit: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up , completely free.

C lick the link below to receive it:

http://www.profoundselfimprovement.com/dailyselfdiscipline

In Grit , Ill share with you exactly how to stick to your goals according to peak performers and science.

In addition to getting Grit , youll also have an opportunity to get my new books for free, enter giveaways, and receive other valuable emails from me.

Again, heres the link to sign up:

http://www.profoundselfimprovement.com/dailyselfdiscipline

I havent always been a disciplined person. In the past I couldnt follow even the simplest routines. I had an unhealthy diet, exercised little (and hence, was overweight), and didnt have the discipline to commit to the process of changing myself.

Today, I follow a strict routine. I have a morning routine, go to the gym three times a week and regularly practice several other sports including tennis, cycling, and swimming. I maintain a healthy diet and constantly work on new, challenging goals to become a better person.

It took me years before I finally understood what discipline is and how to apply it in my situation. Now Id like to share what Ive learned with you.

In my first book about self-discipline, How to Build Self-Discipline: Resist Temptations and Reach Your Long-Term Goals , I approached the subject of building self-discipline from the perspective of developing impulse self-control.

In this book you will learn the ins and outs of building long-term, daily self-discipline rather than just situational willpower. While How to Build Self-Discipline was more focused on techniques to deal with specific problems, Daily Self-Discipline is about turning yourself into a person who becomes more self-disciplined with each day and can successfully use this skill for personal growth.

In addition to discussing tips to help you grow self-discipline, well also discuss various ways to become a mentally stronger person. If you find it difficult to keep pushing in spite of obstacles, or if you feel you lack willpower to continue when motivation runs out and discomfort kicks in, Daily Self-Discipline is for you.

As in all my books, I spend little time discussing theory, instead sharing with you practical exercises you can implement in your life. Consider this book a menu out of which you can pick various techniques to see which one tastes best for you (and produces the best results).

Each chapter is summed up with a quick recap to help you better remember what youve just read, so you can have a quick refresher whenever you go back to each section.

To avoid repeating disclaimers throughout the book please exercise caution whenever following any of my tips particularly the ones related to your health.

Im not a doctor, nor a psychologist, nor a priest, nor anyone with formal credentials to tell you what you should do with your life. Im not qualified to make any decisions for you or give you any health recommendations particularly if you suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or mental illness of any kind (including mild depression).

W ould you like to succeed when dieting instead of being yet another person who has failed?

Would you like to become a successful businessman instead of a wannabe entrepreneur?

Would you like to become a world-class performer instead of a mediocre jack-of-all trades?

It all starts with committing yourself to the process and having an unwavering belief your plan is going to work out.

Dieting is a perfect example of how powerful commitment is.

In a paper written by Rena R. Wing and Suzanne Phelan[i], the authors point out that despite a general perception that almost no one succeeds in long-term maintenance of weight loss, research has shown that 20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least 1 year.

They also cite the example of the members of the National Weight Control Registry who have lost an average of 73 pounds (33 kg) and maintained the loss for more than 5 years.

Their secret? Commitment.

These individuals reported engaging in high levels of physical activity (on average at least one hour a day), eating a low-calorie diet, monitoring their weight, and maintaining a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends. There was nothing magical about their diets.

As the authors of the paper emphasize, after these individuals have successfully maintained their weight loss for 25 years, the chance of longer-term success is greatly increased.

What happens in those two to five years that makes the success more likely? Its the moment when you develop long-term self-discipline, which is the result of following your plan day in, day out.

When I was 21, I was over 30 pounds overweight. When I finally realized I couldnt go on like that, I picked a diet that made sense to me (it was a slow-carb diet by Tim Ferriss[ii]) and stuck to it for several months. It was the first time I tried losing weight.

I learned the guidelines and followed them to a T including the mandatory cheat day at the end of every week (and mind you, I took it seriously; you wouldnt believe the amount of food I inhaled each cheat day and still lost weight every single week).

Unlike the majority of first-time dieters, I was successful right away. I didnt have to try ten different diets. I achieved my goal in about three months. I never went back to my old physique again. Just like the subjects of the study, maintaining healthy weight became easy once I changed my habits and stuck to them.

Why didnt I need to try dozens of diets before finally losing weight?

Because I understood that it didnt matter which diet you follow (as long as its not a ridiculous single-food diet), but whether you stick to it and believe in its effectiveness.

From the weight loss point of view, the key is not the diet. The key is your ability to adhere to a specific diet and follow it until you achieve your intended outcome. I was also lucky to blindly believe my diet would work. I wasnt tempted to try any other diet. My certainty ensured I didnt have to jump from one diet to another to achieve my goal.

A crucial thing to underscore here is the belief that my diet would work. Would I have the discipline and determination to keep going if I wasnt sure about the end goal? I doubt it. When you combine belief with commitment, you get the perfect mixture.

This approach to dieting can be applied in every other area of life by understanding its not what you do, but whether you do it consistently and with an unwavering belief until you reach your objective.

I applied the same approach to self-confidence, learning languages, sports, saving money, writing, and business. The most important principle commitment became a crucial source of my self-discipline and my special sauce for achievement.

However, commitment isnt always easy. In fact, more often than not we have to face doubt and obstacles more than a few times before we reach our goals. And thats why we need to learn how to deal with another A adversity.