We all have our goals in life, both long term and short term.  Do you want to buy a house within five years, get promoted within two years, have your first child after three year of marriage, or lose 10 pounds to be able to fit into your old clothes?  You will need self discipline to be able to accomplish those.  Self discipline refers to a person’s ability for taking action, no matter what emotional state they may be in.  With self discipline comes persistence, hard work, and will power.

Not everyone has achieved the same degree of self discipline.  But it doesn’t mean that this is possible to only a few.  Think of it as building muscles where we develop one set of muscle then another.  Body builders did not gain the physique they now sport a few months back.  To first timers, they have to start with the basic training like everyone else did.  Slowly, they would move to advanced training with heavier weights to develop the muscles to their full potential.  The same applies to self discipline.  People who have accomplished much in life has learned to curb their sharp tongues, become friendlier, and be better persons as a result of self discipline.  More importantly, they have learned to follow through on their plans where others would have given up.

Inspiration from Buddhist Monks

Buddhist monks are one of the few people we know who have mastered self discipline.  They win hands down when it comes to this trait when we study how they have practiced self discipline under the most rigid conditions.  It’s even tougher than the training military personnel receives.  Where other people could hardly stop their tongue from wagging, these monks have learned to commune with silence for hours on end.  Imagine how we, too, can learn to practice self discipline at every opportunity possible and see a change in one’s fortune.