Bathla - The Power of Self Discipline

The Power of

Self-Discipline

Resist Temptations, Control Impulses, Boost Mental Toughness & Willpower, and Create A Life of Success & Abundance

Som Bathla

www.sombathla.com

Your Free Gift Bundle

As a token of my thanks for taking out time to read my book, I would like to offer you a gift pack:

Click and Download your Free Gift Bundle Below

Y OU CAN ALSO GRAB YOUR FREE GIFT BUNDLE through this below URL:

http://sombathla.com/freegiftbundle

Chapter 1: Introduction

*********

W ith self-discipline , all things are possible. Without it, even the simplest goal can seem like the impossible dream."

~ Theodore Roosevelt

It is already 7:45, and you are still at home. You will find the school door closed for sure today, and we will have to apologize the school principal to let you in, my wife screamed at my daughter this morning. Why dont you get up bit early, despite me trying to wake you up ten times? she continued with frustration.

Quite frankly, this was not the first time for us. It happens often, as my eleven-year-old daughter needs to wake up early in the morning for school.

When I dropped her off for school, my daughter was sad about the mornings scolding.

Hey Dad, why does mamma get angry with me only in the morning? It spoils my day. And its difficult to wake up in the morning despite me trying hard, she complained.

As any father would, I tried to explain her, Dont think negative about your mammas words, rather try to understand that its not a good idea to be late for school, and then request school authorities to let you in the building. The best thing to do is to go to bed earlier, get enough sleep, and then wake up in the morning refreshed. It is all a matter of maintaining some discipline in your sleeping schedule. Thats it.

She retorted, Come on, Daddy. None of you at home sleep early, and I am told to sleep early. How can I do it alone?

Her answer hit me like a ton of bricks. I suddenly realized that I was expecting my eleven-year-old daughter to wake up earlier while there was no self-discipline on my own part. I was not creating an environment where lights would switch off by 10 p.m. every night, so my kids could get enough sleep and start the next day better.

I assume this is the story for most parents. In case you dont have children at home and live alone or with your friend or better-half, you might have a different situation that requires exercising some kind of self-discipline. Maybe you prefer sitting in front of the TV watching late-night shows until 2 a.m., despite having to wake up at 6.30 a.m. to get ready for work.

All of this is nothing but a lack of self-discipline. Below are some other examples where people lack self-discipline, which leads to stress and other problems.

• Perhaps you are overweight but unable to resist your temptation to chow down on giant-sized burgers, pizzas, or sweetened carbonated beverages, despite being aware that lack of control is only adding to your woes.

• You already know that cigarette smoking is injurious to health. Even cigarette companies are mandated in many countries to put a big warning sign on each pack, stating cigarette smoking is injurious to your health. Even your doctor might have told you to avoid smoking or drinking for the sake of your health, but despite your good intentions, you generally give inmerely at the sight of cigarette or alcohol.

• You know that you have to prepare for a Monday morning presentation for a crucial meeting with one of your firms important clients, and you are stressed too. Yet you still stay up late Sunday nights binging on TV shows.

One can go on to cite many such instances, where people lack self-control. They dont have the willpower to resist the temptations of eating, drinking, and entertaining, which may put all their future at a stake.

American Psychological Association conducts an annual nationwide survey to examine the state of stress across the country and understand its impact on its people. In 2011, this survey reported[1] that 27% of the respondents complained that a lack of willpower was the most significant barrier to the change.

So the big question is, why arent we able to resist temptations, despite being rational and grown up people?

This book is all about explaining the human psychology and neuroscience behind our irrational action, which are triggered by our emotions, and how can we use different strategies to mold ourselves with simple tweaks to improve our lives.

We will cover a lot in this book, but lets start with understanding the concept and meaning of willpower and self-discipline .

While willpower is the ability of your mind to keep itself under control, self-discipline or self-control is the action of consistently doing or avoiding something despite distracting temptations.

According to most psychological scientists, as reported by the APA[2], willpower can be defined as:

• The ability to delay gratification , resisting short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals.
• The capacity to override an unwanted thought , feeling, or impulse.
• The ability to employ a cool cognitive system of behaviour rather than a hot emotional system.
• Conscious, effortful regulation of the self by the self.
• A limited resource capable of being depleted.

Collins Dictionary defines self-discipline as 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.

To put it in simpler terms, self-discipline enables you to control your thoughts, emotions and thus behaviour, and take action in a particular way (that directs you in a positive direction or stops you from going in a negative direction).

Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University and a researcher on willpower, describes three necessary components for achieving your goals:

1) First, you need to establish the motivation for change and set a clear goal.

2) Second, you need to monitor your behaviour toward that goal.

3) The third component is willpower . Whether your goal is to lose weight, kick a smoking habit, study more, or spend less time on social media, willpower is a critical step to achieving that outcome.