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This morning as my alarm jolted me awake at 4.15am I felt fresh, focused and ready to power into the day.
To my friends who don’t find it easy to bounce out of bed at ‘stupid o’clock’ I share this not to rub it in… more so to provide an alternative to the way I felt last Monday morning. Exactly 7 days ago my usually motivating Eminem ring tone ’Til Il Collapse’ was hugely unwelcome. Brutal in fact.
The previous evening I’d over-indulged during an impromptu catch up with a dear friend and too many vodka’s and shiraz’s later had collapsed into bed far from on track with my normal mantra of your ideal day starts the night before. This was not shaping up to be a very ideal day. It was certainly not shaping up to be a very disciplined day.
Thankfully there are steps to be taken to prevent such a start to your day.
In today’s show on,
How To Increase Your Daily Discipline Quota
I’ll share 3 keys to proactively squeeze as much discipline out of your day as possible.
Before we get rolling I want to frame this show with the good and the bad of your daily discipline quota.
The Bad?
Your Daily Discipline Quota is limited!
I’m sure you know that only too well. That’s why it’s so vital to use it only on those things that are most important to you. More on that soon.
The Good?
The majority of factors that influence Your Daily Discipline Quota are within your control.
It’s just a matter of getting clear on:
A) The habits, situations and people that support and replenish your daily discipline quota. And,
B) The habits, situations and people that erode and waste your daily discipline quota.
Ok, onwards with How To Increase Your Daily Discipline Quota – 3 Keys:
Key One: Ask yourself “What Is Costing Me Too Much Discipline For Little Return?”
=> Perhaps that person you dread spending time with. Who brings everyone down the instant they miserably drag themselves into the room. Perhaps even prior as you hear them grunting, groaning or spluttering their way slowly yet inevitably towards you.
=> Or the late night Netflix habit that night after addictive night leaves you short-changing yourself on enough quality sleep.
=> Maybe that task you stall and procrastinate on and build up in your mind to be hugely tedious or complicated or just plain UN-fun.
=> Possibly the social commitment you’re in the habit of keeping yet really resent.
To make this actionable I’d love you to decide on 3 examples. 3 areas of life / habits that negatively influence your daily discipline quota that you have control over.
Key Two: Ask yourself “What Is A Discipline Force Multiplier?”
Those factors that dramatically influence your discipline effectiveness.
=> Top of the list has got to be enough quality sleep and the commitment to get out of bed the instant your alarm sounds. I’m fiercely opposed to the snooze button. It’s basically just signalling to your mind that: “Yeah, my day isn’t worth starting.”
=> No surprises that quality fuel for your body is high on my discipline force multiplier list too. Ideally a primarily one ingredient food based breakfast that includes fibrous veg, lean protein and quality fat.
=> Next I’d priorities the habits that keep you focused, calm and effective. Perhaps meditation. Journaling. Or maybe yoga is more your style? For many of us exercise will fall into the discipline multiplying box however for just as many it’s going to take a lot of discipline to get your exercise groove on! Whether it replenishes or erodes your discipline exercise is never a waste your daily discipline quota!
=> Certainly planning your day to come is also an effective force multiplier so far as your daily discipline quota.
Again to get actionable I’d love you to decide on 3 examples. 3 areas of life / habits that positively influence your daily discipline quota that you have control over.
Key Three: Ask yourself “How Can I Help Myself Stick To These Daily Discipline Quota Increasing Realizations?”
Also, “How Can I Help Myself Avoid That Which Costs Me Too Much Discipline For Little Return?”
At this point I’m reminded of one of my personal well worn and perhaps frustrating to hear pieces of advice on fat loss, or as I often prefer to call it body gain or as I now favour (!) creating a fit, healthy plant strong body you love!!!
It’s simple not easy.
Too often (and I absolutely do this in other areas of my life!) it’s tempting to ignore the obvious, simple yet HARD to stick with consistently advice and hunt down that clever EASY quick fix.
The quick fix never works long term. It’s not sustainable.
Trying it and getting zero results or perhaps worse getting results that disappear the second you stop that quick fix (and by definition a quick fix is never something to continue with consistently) will diminish your resolve to try again. It’ll also eat away at your faith in your ability to ever stick with the simple not easy course of action.
All you’ll be left with is a susceptibility to fall for that next clever EASY quick NON-fix.
That’s not meant to be doom and gloom disheartening! It’s just meant to emphasize the importance of putting in the time – in advance – to help increase your daily discipline quota.
So tracking back to Key 2 and our discipline force multipliers, you’ll have your own examples of what works most effectively for you. However below I’ll link to further resources for each of the multipliers that I know work best for me.
So on the matter of enough quality sleep I’ll link to show 067 on: Lack Of Sleep And Over-eating.
Regarding quality fuel I recommend show 132: Turn 3 Mass Cook-ups into 9 Different Meals.
Moving onto the habits that keep you focused, calm and effective in show 170 I cover: Keystone Habits (daily and weekly most effective actions).
Finally planning your day is a non-negotiable I discuss in show 005: How To Start An Ideal Fat Burning Day.
That brings us to the end of today in Healthification. If you’re interested in more shows on How To Increase Your Daily Discipline Quota it’s one of my fav subjects so here are 3 more posts on:
6 Steps To Build Your Self Control Muscle.
Setting Yourself Up To Dominate The Fat Loss Discipline Game.
How To Maximise Your Daily Eating and Exercise Discipline.
Till next week thanks so very much for hanging with me today. I appreciate it. If you’ve enjoyed this show and gotten value out of it I’d truly appreciate it if you pop over to iTunes and leave me a review. It helps other people find Healthification and it inspires me to power on!
Cheers!
If you liked, How To Increase Your Daily Discipline Quota you’ll also like: How Do I Reignite My Ideal Fat Burning Day?
If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.