How exactly do we turn our goals into accomplishments? The answer: discipline. But for most people, it’s challenging to stay on the path of discipline.
They allow fallacy to interfere with their desire to achieve their goals. You should know that without investing in the right mindset and habits, your life will only go downhill.
Self-discipline is pivotal for any successful person. As Jim Rohn once said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” And he is entirely correct.
Being disciplined can bridge the gap between target goals and actually achieving them in the end. Hence, if you want extraordinary things to happen, keeping a high discipline level will benefit you.
What is the Difference Between Goals and Accomplishment?
When you think about what you want to achieve, it’s essential to distinguish between goals and accomplishments.
A goal is something you aspire to achieve, while an accomplishment is something you have already achieved.
For example, your goal might be to get a promotion at work, while your accomplishment might be that you’ve been working hard and have received positive feedback from your boss.
Remember to set goals for yourself to have something to strive for. But you should also create time to celebrate your accomplishments along the way.
After all, once you’ve accomplished something, you can use that success to propel you to the next goal. Recognizing your successes can keep you motivated and laser-focused on your objectives.
Know that every success, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. And with each accomplishment, you’ll get the boost you need to reach closer to your aspirations in life.
Discipline is the Bridge Between Goals and Accomplishment
Improving discipline is never easy. Otherwise, failure wouldn’t be so commonplace in this day and age.
To help you rise to greatness, here are 7 key steps you can take to build self-discipline and accomplish your goals:
1. Be Committed
Succeeding in any task requires you to be committed. To reach your long-term goals, you need to face everything head-on. Don’t shirk responsibilities, hoping you can win things without hard work or perseverance.
If you want to get in shape, get up and go for a run. Your legs will probably hurt and may be sore the day after, but at least you are working toward something.
Do not give in to temporary pleasure and temptations like scrolling through social media all day. There’s no free lunch in life, and you can’t expect to attain goals without commitment.
You may sometimes move in the wrong direction, but that’s not the worst-case scenario. The worst case is to continue sabotaging your future.
Instead of being indecisive and fearful of failure, it’s time to follow through regardless of what others say.
2. Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance
I’m not trying to be cliche here, but let’s admit it: A healthy balance between your career and personal life is crucial to developing self-discipline.
Why? Because if you are only kept up about working 24/7, your health will surely deteriorate.
You won’t have the mental capacity to stay motivated and action-oriented, so don’t put yourself through this stress. Take care of your body so you’re more relaxed and have a clear mind.
Be mindful of your body, both mentally and physically. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Get a gym membership and exercise regularly
- Leave some time for leisure and fun hobbies
- Have a healthy diet and stay away from junk food
- Try meditating to declutter your thoughts
I’m not reinventing the wheel. Some people know what it takes to have a healthy body, but they can’t seem to do anything to reach it. They might focus more on their career and end up burning out.
Sure, everyone may have different goals and lifestyles. But the common denominator is that a better work-life balance is vital to turning your goals into achievements.
3. Take Small, Steady Steps
Thinking about your hopes and dreams may feel overwhelming as you question yourself, “How will I ever reach my lifelong goals?”
Although everything seems daunting at times, realize that it’s okay to take smaller steps. Break your goals into small milestones or even smaller, bite-sized tasks.
This way, you have a clearer view of what’s in front of you, not what’s in the future. You’ll also feel a sense of achievement when reaching a milestone.
Here’s a meaningful quote by Mark Twain…
“The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”
-Mark Twain
Sounds good? Then get moving now. Don’t wait until regret comes knocking on your door.
4. Embrace the Uncomfortable
What does it mean to be uncomfortable? Before you’re led astray, no—you don’t have to sit cross-legged for several hours (that will probably hurt your legs). Although it might discipline you, there are likely better routines out there.
Instead, try taking cold showers in the morning. If you can handle it, you are showing clear signs of discipline.
Challenging yourself to cold showers will inevitably bring this discipline into other areas of your life. The same principle applies to morning workouts or getting out of your comfort zone to meet new people.
Developing self-discipline means you have to constantly welcome the feeling of discomfort.
You won’t be successful with your goals if you remain with your dull, monotone habits. Hence, familiarity might not be the best choice if you are earnest about staying on top of your goals.
5. Keep Away From Distractions
In a world of emails, text messages, and social media, it’s getting harder to be productive and accomplish tasks. The constant distractions may also leave you stressed about the lack of control over the work you get done.
If you are about to take action on your goals, put your phone away from sight and set it to Do Not Disturb mode. Don’t check your phone during the day, thinking, “I’ll just quickly check my notifications.”
When you want to get work done, you only focus on completing your tasks. Don’t have wandering thoughts about not-so-important stuff. Solely concentrate your mind on what’s in front.
If you struggle with self-control and can’t avoid interruptions, your discipline needs a lot of improvement.
Be intentional about keeping far away from distractions. That’s the least you can do for the sake of your goals.
6. Have Positive Habits to Live By
Whether you aspire to build a successful startup or lose weight, these goals require developing positive habits. If you have difficulties changing your habits, you must implement a more robust system.
After all, if you have negative habits and repeat them daily, how could you possibly draw upon your full potential? You’ll be stuck in the mud, unable to achieve progress.
Some examples of positive, healthy habits include:
- Spend time with family and friends
- Embrace a simple lifestyle
- Smile and bring joy to those around you
- Practice gratitude
It only takes a slight change in your perspective to transform your life. For a fantastic resource on habit formation, you may want to read Atomic Habits by James Clear.
You will start developing positive habits in small steps by reading this book. You’ll also improve your discipline and be more energetic daily.
7. Establish Accountability
A large part of self-discipline is recognizing mistakes and correcting yourself. If you fall short of your goals, you need to take action to fix them. Don’t blame others if something goes wrong in your life.
Set times in the day to see if you can optimize your actions. This is where having a calendar or goal-setting journal helps track your long-term goals and projects.
Here is a motto you should take note of: We are accountable for every event in our lives.
Never forget that it is up to you to accomplish your dreams. No one else will assume accountability for things that rest strictly on your shoulders.
Final Thoughts
Without discipline, it’ll be arduous to attain goals in any form. Ask any successful CEO, and you’ll see that disciplining yourself is not optional—it’s a requirement.
As you progress, there will likely be as many obstacles as the stars. The unknown that lies ahead can block you from developing your discipline.
On the upside, you have countless ways to build self-discipline. The 7 tips above can kick-start your journey to accomplishing big goals. It’ll be like you are born anew.
But what matters most is to push on. Don’t procrastinate, waiting for good things to happen. Be the one to initiate change.
