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5 Easy Ways to Become More Self-Disciplined

Ali Abdaal・34 minutes read

Discipline is essential, but it shouldn't be the only approach to life's challenges; focus on making work enjoyable to avoid struggles. Consistency and self-discipline, prioritizing essential tasks, and establishing routines are key to success and improvement over time.

Insights

  • Discipline involves doing tasks even when you don't feel like it, visualized as rolling a boulder uphill; the key is to make work enjoyable rather than a struggle, as exemplified by Ryan Holiday's consistent discipline and enjoyment in his work.
  • Consistency and self-discipline are crucial for progress; starting with tiny actions, limiting goals, and balancing structure with flexibility are key strategies to gradually improve and maintain discipline over time, ultimately leading to significant achievements through persistent focus on one thing.

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Summary

00:00

"Embrace Fewer Tasks for Consistent Progress"

  • Discipline is often glorified, but it's not the only solution to life's challenges.
  • Discipline involves doing things you don't feel like doing.
  • Visualize discipline as rolling a boulder up a hill, representing tasks you don't enjoy.
  • The goal is to make work enjoyable so it doesn't feel like a struggle.
  • Ryan Holiday, a successful author, exemplifies consistent discipline and enjoyment in his work and life.
  • Focus on a few essential tasks rather than overwhelming yourself with many.
  • Therapy, like that offered by BetterHelp, can improve emotional well-being and mental health.
  • Limit goal-setting to three or four goals per year to avoid overwhelm.
  • Focus on fewer tasks to enhance self-discipline and consistency.
  • Progress is more important than immediate success; consistency over time is key to improvement.

10:49

"Overcoming Perfectionism: Building Habits with Discipline"

  • First 50 videos may not be perfect due to perfectionism struggles
  • Solution is to lower the bar to take consistent action
  • Brian Jeffrey Fog's behavior model: Behavior requires motivation, ability, and prompt
  • BJ Fog's book "Tiny Habits" suggests starting with tiny actions for habit-building
  • Starting with tiny actions increases likelihood of doing the behavior
  • Consistency and discipline help in gradually raising the bar over time
  • Developing self-discipline leads to understanding and trusting the process
  • Balancing higher and lower selves to make disciplined decisions
  • Lack of structure can lead to undisciplined behavior
  • Creating routines and structures aids in maintaining discipline, but flexibility is crucial for long-term sustainability

22:19

Consistency: Key to Success in Productivity

  • The two-day rule for gym consistency advises against skipping two consecutive days, allowing for flexibility while maintaining structure and discipline.
  • Prioritizing general principles over specific routines helps maintain a balance of flexibility and structure in daily tasks, such as dedicating an hour to deep work before shallow tasks.
  • A friend's system of a, b, and c goals in fitness provides a hierarchy of exercise targets, ensuring consistency even with minimal efforts like walking for 15 minutes.
  • Sticking to a consistent system or routine, like Ryan Holiday's note card writing system, is key to productivity and discipline, reducing cognitive burden and enhancing self-discipline.
  • The ultimate secret to success lies in picking one thing and persistently sticking to it without quitting, as consistency over time leads to significant achievements compared to constantly changing systems or routines.
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