How did you learn to hold yourself accountable for things that only affect you? What methods of self-discipline do you practice?

16 comments

1. I just do it. I know I need to do something so I just get to it.

2. It’s just a matter of establishing a habit and sticking to it. I’ve been exercising almost every day for years, because I like the benefits. I don’t have alot of carbs or sugar, because I like the benefits. I don’t spend too much money because I can’t afford to.

   It’s just self control. Think of it like this; are you really going to live like without being able to control your urges? Choose to be better than animal instinct.

3. I sat down and wrote out my budget. How much money I had and how much I had to pay for everything. From there I saw if I had any money left and gave me an allowance for the week. I made sure the allowance I gave me was in cash so I could see the money going down. After a while it just kind of stuck with me. Eventually I paid enough of my student loans and credit cards that it made me feel good. So I kept to my budget. Once it was a habit and almost debt free then I let me use my credit card to buy things.

4. It’s a tie between needing the money and intense anxiety.

5. It’s a tie between needing the money and intense anxiety.

6. I try to put exercise and healthy eating in the same mental bucket as other chores I do for my health, like brushing and flossing my teeth. Do I need motivation to brush my teeth? Not really. Even if I’m not in the mood or really tired, I get it done with because I want fresh, clean teeth and I’d rather not have cavities or dental issues later in life. Exercise and healthy eating will also give you long-lasting health benefits, so just make them a non-negotiable daily habit. And you don’t need to spend 2 hours every day at the gym, just move your body in whatever way you find most pleasant. For me, that’s long walks with an audiobook, bike rides in the summer, running with good music on my treadmill, or doing some Youtube workouts/yoga. Mix it up, keep things fresh, and start trying to find joy in the challenge.

7. At one point, you start regretting what you didn’t do in the past. And it’s not a good situation. I’ve gained a lot of weight. but like you said, I knew it was my fault. Did I regret it? Kinda, kinda not… I think it depends on how bad you went… I went bad. Like going from 60 to 65 is ok. But when you gain 20-40 kg that’s a problem.

8. Journaling helps. Be it in the form of to do list, won’t do list, things to be done, etc. I know it is difficult to add extra work by writing it but it really helps me to get things done.

9. Honestly, if I want something bad enough I don’t need to convince myself to do it. I have a goal, I plan how I need to get there *within reason and within my capabilities*.. so perhaps the key is being realistic about your limitations to avoid being discouraged which will lead to quitting altogether.

10. Writing out my lifestyle goals with why I wanted to achieve them and how achieving them would positively affect my life really helped me.

    For example, I set a goal 2 years ago that I wanted to buy a house in the next few years. I would stop throwing away money on rent, have a place if my own, have more room for my dogs, and to have a home to eventually raise a family in. To get there, I needed to pay off my debt and concentrate on saving as much as I could which meant really tightening my budget for fun things. Any time I was tempted to put less in savings or use a credit card I’d say “would you rather have this pair of shoes or a house?” Last summer I reached my goal and purchased my home, way sooner than expected. I definitely do not regret passing on the cute shoes or any other time I said no to something I didn’t need. Now that my other debt is paid off and mortgage is lower than rent I can actually afford to buy nicer things and do more activities.

11. Maintaining awareness mostly. It isnt really about self discipline for me, I’ve always sucked at self discipline. It is more…I want to maintain focus and awareness. I don’t want to sleepwalk through life.

    When i am not keeping up with healthy habits I start sleepwalking, I dissociate and fall into unhealthy habits and then I fall into anxiety and depression.

    When I make a conscious effort to do things that are good for my body and soul, life feels more vibrant. I feel more alive, more connected with myself and the world..

12. i tell myself this are things i WANT to do, not NEED to do. esp with exercise and eating healthy, i’ve recently been telling myself that i love working out and i love eating healthy food, and that junk food is gross, laying in bed all day is gross, etc. romanticize the habits you want

13. Common sense 🤷🏼‍♀️

14. You accept that no one is coming to save you or fix you.

    You understand that if you don’t prioritise yourself and your own life it will pass you by as you just sit there in complacent misery.

    You realise that no one will ever prioritise you and your happiness over their own (& nor should they) but that also means that if you don’t do it you’re nobody’s #1 priority.

    After that it’s simple enough although not necessarily easy.

    Set yourself some SMART goals (look it up) that actually resonate with you and what you want. No what people/society/your friends etc tell you that you should want and be but what YOU actually want. If you’re goals aren’t truly aligned with you you’re unlikely to be as invested in them.

    Actually use and implement the endless amount of mostly free & relatively easily accessible resources that are available to you at the touch of your fingertips. If you don’t know something look it up. Google is your friend + there’s almost a subreddit for every single thing. The interest is a treasure trove of all the information you could possibly want.

    Break your goals down into baby steps. Do your best to take small consistent action. If you’re struggling make it smaller. Don’t wait around for motivation try and cultivate a habit instead. Slowly work on building a sustainable routine. You didn’t become who you are now in a day, you want become who and where you want to be by the end of next week either.

    It’s tempting to want to completely reinvent yourself overnight but real change takes time. Starting too many new goals at the same time is usually unsustainable. Pick one small thing do that for a couple of weeks. Once you have it down then add the next thing.

    Not everything will be for you. Maybe you’d rather eat a colony of live ants than run & that’s fine. If running isn’t for you then maybe you’d prefer long walks or roller blading or lifting of pole dance or mauy thai. Find what works for you. This also applies to financial advice as well as nurtirtion and everything really.

    Self-discipline is a muscle the more you do it the better you get at it. At the same time remember that you’re only human. If you fail and you will and it’s perfectly normal and 100% human to do so it’s okay. Just get back up and try again.

    If you’re really struggling despite trying your best it may be worth talking to a doctor and or looking into therapy. I always thought I was just stupid and lazy and unmotivated it turns out that I have chronic fatigue, major depression, ADHD and a dissociate disorder. All things that make the things you listed above a struggle even on a good day.

15. For me it’s a matter of changing my perspective. So instead of seeing working out as something I have to do, I found something that I love doing (yoga and walking) and see it as self-care/me time. With budgeting I view saving money as living more sustainably by not buying things that I don’t need and saving up for things that really bring me joy. By eating better, I feel so much better, and I know my health will be better down the road.

16. Most people think their feelings change and then the action will follow. I realize I have to change my action first, then my thoughts will change and then my feelings change.