Definition, Tips, & How to Develop It

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Self-discipline is broadly defined as conscious control that is oriented towards successful outcomes by overcoming obstacles or impediments (Zimmerman & Kitsantas, 2014). One of the scientists at the forefront of self-control research, Angela Duckworth, defines it as “the ability to suppress prepotent responses in the service of a higher goal… and such a choice is not automatic but rather requires conscious effort” (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006, p. 199). 

In the context of school, examples of self-discipline might include getting yourself up and into class on time, paying attention in class instead of daydreaming or scrolling through social media, choosing to do homework over watching a TV show, or doing difficult assignments despite boredom and frustration (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006).

Although most people might believe that IQ, memory, or standardized test scores predict a student’s academic performance, researchers have shown otherwise. In many studies, researchers have found that self-regulation (which is similar to self-discipline) predicts not only academic outcomes but also which students would improve their grades over the course of the school year (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005).

In addition, children who have the highest levels of self-discipline in preschool and primary school were more likely to have fewer health problems, less problematic substance use, and were better in terms of personal finances. Interestingly, young children who struggled with self-discipline were three times more likely to have financial problems or be single parents (Moffitt et al., 2011). In another study, low self-discipline predicted unhealthy habits, such as overeating, smoking, unsafe sex, drunk driving, and noncompliance with medical regimens (Kochanska, Coy & Murray, 2003).

Self-discipline includes many processes, such as planning, self-monitoring, and sustained effort (de la Fuente et al., 2020). As you can see, self-discipline is an important life skill that has implications in many areas, such as:

• Healthy habits. Having the self-discipline to get enough sleep, eat nutritious food, and avoid bad habits, such as smoking, have great benefits for your mental health and physical health.
• Work. Self-discipline is important for work and career because it keeps you focused on reaching your goals, whether they are big or small.
• Money management. Making wise financial decisions includes being self-disciplined with money.
• Emotion regulation. When you learn self-discipline, you make an effort to express your emotions in healthy ways and learn coping mechanisms for stressful situations or disappointments.
• Time management. Probably one of the hardest things to do in our society is apply self-discipline to time management. But learning how to manage your time wisely can have positive benefits for your personal and professional life.

Self-discipline is a skill and anyone can improve theirs. It might take a lot of practice and might require you to be patient and be kind to yourself, but it’s not impossible. Here are some ways you could start developing self-discipline:

• Be aware. Every day you make decisions about how you live: what to eat, when to go to bed, or whether you should send that passive-aggressive text. We can avoid temptations or give in to them. For example, people often say that you should not go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Why? Because you are more likely to buy less healthy snacks or other high-calorie foods (Tal & Wansick, 2013). You could practice self-discipline by not buying junk food when you’re hungry, or you could practice it by not even going to the store when you’re hungry. The goal is to be aware of what works for you and implement those strategies regularly to create positive changes in your life.
• Figure out your “Why.” Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, highlights that “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.'” When you find your “why,” or the reason why you want to do something, you can remind yourself of these reasons when things get difficult. This helps us sustain self-discipline even under duress.
• Develop a plan. If you don’t know where you’re going, it might be easier to get sidetracked. If this sounds like you, you can create an a clear action plan to follow on a daily or weekly basis until you reach your goal. Whether you want to increase good habits and reduce bad habits or learn a new skill, creating a clear plan will help you get to whatever your definition of success is. 
• Start small. The famous quote says: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.” Now that you have a plan, take a step. Start small. Don’t try to do everything in one week, as this can lead you to feel overwhelmed and might even cause you to abandon your plan.
• Remove temptations. Removing temptations can significantly impact the likelihood that you’ll reach a successful outcome. In psychology, there is a theory called “ego depletion,” which highlights that willpower is a limited resource, and we only have a finite “reservoir” of mental resources to resist temptations. Every day, you use your willpower to resist temptations until the “reservoir” runs out (Baumeister et al., 1998). For example, if you’re resisting drinking three cups of coffee before lunch and then you stop yourself from getting mad at a coworker, and then you hold back from eating pre-dinner cookies, by the time the day is over, you might have fewer resources to resist other temptations. So, you might want to remove temptations around the house (or on your phone) if you’d like to increase good habits and set yourself up for success.
• Try time-blocking. The Pomodoro technique, very popular among busy students, says that you should break up your work time like this: work uninterrupted for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break—each of these is a Pomodoro. After four Pomodoros, you can take a longer break of 20 minutes. This technique works because the session is long enough to get some work done, but not too long that you feel overwhelmed.

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor and one of the most important figures in Stoicism. When he was an emperor, he used to write in his diary about life, reflecting on how to make sense of the Universe and understand himself. His journal was later published as a book, Meditations. Even though Marcus Aurelius wrote his thoughts almost 2,000 years ago, many people turn to his lessons these days to find solace in the modern world (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018).

If you’re curious about ten important insights for self-discipline from Marcus Aurelius and Stoicism, you can watch the video below.

If you are starting a journey to become more self-disciplined, you might be curious about what you can do to get better at it. Here are some suggestions you can try:

• Keep going. Success is never linear or easy. It’s important to learn how to tolerate discomfort and learn from your mistakes. Just because you made a mistake does not mean you’re a failure or you can’t be successful—it just shows you an area of self-growth that can be used to your advantage. If necessary, adjust your plan, identify what needs improvement, and keep going.
• Say positive and use motivating words. Repeating positive affirmations might help you stay optimistic and remind you why it’s important to do what you planned to do. Some affirmation examples include: “I have the discipline to accomplish my goals” or “I do what needs to be done, even when I don’t feel like doing it.”

Talking to yourself in a positive way can keep you on track and make your path more pleasant. Here is a list of affirmations for self-discipline that may help you stay engaged and motivated to work towards your goal:

• “I am disciplined and determined to accomplish my goals.”
• “I am in control of my behavior and thoughts.”
• “I enjoy being self-disciplined.”
• “Today will be a productive day.”
• “Self-discipline is self-love, and I love myself.”
• “Today, I will break bad habits.”
• “I enjoy working toward my goals.”
• “I know what I need to do today to reach my goals.”
• “I’m freeing myself from all destructive doubt and fear.”
• “Each and every day, I am getting closer to achieving my goals.”

Although yoga is an ancient practice, its benefits are frequently studied by modern science. With numerous benefits for mental and physical health, such as improved mood, sleep, stress, immunity, and overall mental health, yoga is a practice that is very beneficial for our overall well-being.

Because in a yoga practice, you are connecting the body and the mind, it can help you calm down and learn how to be more mindful of your body. Training your attention and cultivating presence are not only important for yoga but also for self-discipline. Considering that a key factor of self-discipline is the ability to repress an impulsive response that might undo your commitment to success, bringing in what yoga and meditation teach you about being aware can help you on the path to achieving your goals. 

When you learn to control your mind and physiological responses to psychological stress, you can achieve much more than you initially thought. This is why yoga may help you become more mentally and physically disciplined, helping you to improve yourself in the ways that you want.

• ​“Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu
• “With self-discipline, almost anything is possible.” – Theodore Roosevelt  
• “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment.” – Jim Rohn
• “We don’t have to be smarter than the rest; we have to be more disciplined than the rest.” – Warren Buffett
• “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline with all of them came first.” – Harry S. Truman
• “The first and best victory is to conquer self.” – Plato 
• “You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself.” – Jim Whittaker 
• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle 
• “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn
• “I think self-discipline is something; it’s like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.” – Daniel Goldstein
• “I can’t always control my thoughts but I can choose how I respond to them.” – David Cuschieri

Here are some more articles to read that can help you build more self-discipline:

Want to keep learning how to build self-discipline? Check out these books:​​​

• de la Fuente, J., Paoloni, P., Kauffman, D., Yilmaz Soylu, M., Sander, P., & Zapata, L. (2020). Big Five, Self-Regulation, and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Achievement Emotions in Undergraduate Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3602.
• Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. (2005). Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents. Psychological science, 16(12), 939-944.
• Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. (2006). Self-discipline gives girls the edge: gender in self-discipline, grades, and achievement test scores. Journal of educational psychology, 98(1), 198.
• Kochanska, G., Coy, K. C., & Murray, K. T. (2001). The development of self‐regulation in the first four years of life. Child development, 72(4), 1091-1111.​ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• Tal, A., & Wansink, B. (2013). Fattening fasting: hungry grocery shoppers buy more calories, not more food. JAMA internal medicine, 173(12), 1146-1148.
• Zimmerman, B. J., and Kitsantas, A. (2014). Comparing Students’ Self-Discipline and Self-Regulation Measures and Their Prediction of Academic Achievement. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 39 (2), 145–155.​