McAndrew - The Science of Daily Self-Discipline: Using Science and Daily Practices to Build Your Willpower, Self-Confidence, and Everyday Habits to Achieve Long-Term Goals

The Science of Daily Self-Discipline

Using Science and Daily Practices to Build Your Willpower, Self-Confidence, and Everyday Habits to Achieve Long-Term Goals

Oliver McAndrew

Prologue:

With self-disciple most anything is possible.

-Theodore Roosevelt

Remember when you were young and you asked your parents a question they couldnt fully answer? Often times when I experienced those moments the answer was just because. This is not a just because book. The Science of Daily Self-Discipline is the first book in the series The Science of Self-Help . A series of self-help books using the results of behavioral science for personal development and growth. The books are designed to deliver information backed by cited case studies, quantifiable data, and accredited research performed by scientists and professionals in their respective fields. I stick to the facts and give you, the reader; real, reliable, and proven information to help you succeed in creating permanent and productive changes in your life. I dont bore you with the unnecessary details of the science (honestly, I doubt I could even if I wanted to). I leave the details to the scientists. Instead, I show you how to apply the proven concepts in your life to achieve real change.

Self-discipline is simply having the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. This extremely simple concept is often times the defining factor between success and failure in near or long-term goals. Whether that goal is to diet and exercise, write a novel, learn a language, build a business, or any other long-term goal; self-discipline is the quintessential component for the day-in and day-out actions that eventually lead to success. Without consciously developing self-discipline it is easy to fall victim to unhealthy temptations and continually fall short of achieving your goals. However, by building your self-discipline you are able to make healthy lifestyle changes, patiently pursue and achieve your most desired goals, and live a life of great fulfillment and happiness.

Dont fret. If you currently feel that you lack in self-discipline you have found your solution and key to salvation. This book will serve you as a definitive guide to build your self-discipline and reap the many rewards the change and improvement will bear.

Using the suggestions in this book I have built successful businesses in varying industries, developed sustainable and healthy eating habits, performed at the top levels of sports competitions, lost 20.4 pounds of water weight in a 24 hour period (to make weight for collegiate wrestling), I have vomited on several occasions from physically pushing myself to the limit and beyond, and currently I write no less than 4,000 words a day come hell or high-water (that is almost 500 pages a month). Why do I stack myself against these less than sane metrics? One reason and one reason only. To shatter the limitations of what I believe possible. The only thing that has enabled me to keep going despite the many times I have wanted to throw in the towel and quit is self-discipline. But this book is not about me. I will only offer personal remedies for the purpose of illustrating with an occasional real world example. This book is about helping you develop self-discipline with tactics and suggestions backed by real science to give you real results!

One last promise, these suggestions truly work if you are willing to apply them in your life. Your self-tailored rewards along the road of increased and compounded self-discipline are very real. It all boils down to one simple question. Are you ready to make self-discipline your highest priority? Yes? Awesome and congratulations! Well then put on your thinking cap, get comfortable, and read on because we have a lot to cover.

-Oliver McAndrew

Chapter 1: Your Big Why!

The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I solemnly swear that we are going to dive head first into the science, research, case studies, and quantifiable data for building and developing self-discipline. However, before we tackle self-discipline we should make sure that we are using it appropriately and maximizing the value of its output. Otherwise we may find we are diligently disciplined in our pursuit of long-term goals, but in the wrong direction.

Your Big Why should be the reason that you have your goals. It is not necessarily your goals. Let me illustrate this with a hypothetical scenario

You are in business for yourself or have a great career, you enjoy a level of success measured by normal societal metrics (generally monetary), but you never fully enjoy it or feel fulfilled. I know some of you out there are nodding your heads in agreement and the rest of us, at the very least, know a person living under these circumstances. If this is the case for you, there is a good chance your current direction is not aligned with your Big Why .

The problem so many of us face when setting our goals is that we are focused on external motivational factors. There has been research in the academic context of motivation which demonstrates that intrinsic personal goals increase the long-term and short-term perseverance to continue learning, more than extrinsic personal goals [1]. Intrinsic goals are motivated by internal factors. With these goals you are motivated to take action because the act itself is fun, feels good, or you it is aligned with your internal values (you believe it is the right thing to do). External goals differ in that the driving force for motivation is external reward or to avoid punishment, the most common being financial gains [2]. The correlation between the cited research and studies with our Big Why is that we are more motivated to persevere, and thus more likely to succeed, if our goals are based on intrinsic values which define the goals we hope to achieve. You reading this book is an example of you learning to achieve an intrinsic based goal of personal development. These goals far outweigh those based off external values like money, fame, or physical appearance. Yet, so many of us unwittingly develop our goals based on external factors as the driving force of our internal engine. The problem is doing that is like putting diesel in a gas engine or vice versa, its not the right fuel to get you to your destination.

However, we are definitely not frowning on external motivation. External goals can play a heavy hand in motivation, but they are best when aligned with your internal goals as a byproduct of the pursuit for your Big Why. We will go into more regarding goal setting later in the book but for now familiarizing yourself with your Big Why , or at least the concept, will get everyone on the same page . After this process we will have built a foundation to build upon for the remainder of the book. It will be our North Star when we are faltering and veering off course over the many months and years ahead in the development of greater self-discipline.

Questions and Tips to Help Discover Your Big Why:

1) When do you get so lost in the moment and the now of an activity that you completely lose track of time? Hours fly by, you forget to eat, and you only snap out of it when your bladder is about to burst or your stomach starts eating itself. That is a good indicator of a passion. So, during what activity does time cease to exist for you? Note, this could easily be something you are not getting paid for, yet.

2) If the answer to the above questions is I dont know, then maybe try to get out and experience new and different things. Usually we dont just figure this out, we discover it. So go on some adventures of self-discovery. Sign up for some classes; take up some new hobbies, travel, somewhere along the road of new experiences and discovery happens.

3) Release any bias on the magnitude of what purpose is. Society has created a hierarchy of ideals for occupations, careers, and skill sets as though one is better than the other. This is an external factor as described above and it cannot be a factor in the search of your Big Why. Not to promote any religion over another, but Jesus was a mere carpenter.