Discipline is an undeniable aspect of conscientiousness. It keeps you focused, diligent, responsible, and goal-oriented. If you’re reading this right now, you probably want some proven self-discipline tips that you take and implement immediately. You’re in luck because that’s exactly what you’re going to get in this article.

For the past 10 years, I’ve been obsessed with how to lock in self-discipline. I’ve experimented with dozens of habits, from waking up early and healthy eating to cold showers and journaling. So, keep reading to learn my best self-discipline tips.

1. Track Everything

What if I told you there was a simple way you could cement any new discipline into your life?

Would you be open to hearing about it? You would? Good. Here it is: Track everything. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. As a result, you need to begin monitoring your actions, habit by habit.

Is it sexy? Not even close.

Is it effective? You bet, and probably more so than anything else you’ve tried.

For this reason, I recommend you try a habit tracker. It’s a simple change that can make a massive difference if you stick with it over the long haul. Here are a few ways using a habit tracker can help:

• Motivation boost: Seeing your daily progress gives you a jolt of motivation, which keeps you from tapping out on your new habits and disciplines prematurely.
• Micro-wins: Every habit on your habit tracker that you complete is a micro-win that builds confidence and self-trust. Never ignore the power of the little things.
• Better habits: Of course, the best part of using a habit tracker is that you actually integrate better habits into your life.

The best part is that habit trackers are easy to use.

All you have to do is punch in your daily habits as you practice them. And before you know it, you’ll have a string of wins underneath your belt. When you lock this in, you’ll be much more likely to stick with your new habits as you’ll see the progress you’re making with each one.

This will keep you from tapping out prematurely.

2. Follow The M.A.P. Method

The M.A.P. Method is a proven system I developed for building consistency.

What’s more, it’s one of the best self-discipline tips I can offer. Any major goal I’ve ever achieved was the result of using this system. Here is a quick breakdown of my method:

• M—Make success easy: Start small with your habits. For example, if you want to get in shape, instead of saying you’ll go to the gym for an hour each day, commit to a 5-minute walk around the block.
• A—Amplify your efforts: Starting small is great; however, that’s only meant to ease you into the process and build your foundation. You don’t want to stay there. Eventually, you want to amp up your efforts and do more. Piggybacking off of our last example, a 5-minute walk around the block can turn into a jog, then a run, followed by a gym membership, and then adding weight training, and so on.
• P—Play the long game: This is probably the most impactful of all my self-discipline tips. Once you amplify your efforts, you now need to hang in there. You have to play the long game. While there is no “magic number,” a general timeline for habit formation is anywhere from 18 to 266 days. So, you have to stay the course.

You can get a more in-depth understanding of my M.A.P. Method here.

3. Find Accountability

This is the most effective of all the self-discipline tips I could give you.

Get an accountability partner. Seriously. There’s a reason why coaching is such a powerful method of achieving your goals, and it’s because of the built-in accountability. And while your accountability partner is not necessarily your coach, the same principle applies.

When you have someone else to report to, it becomes harder to make excuses.

I talk about this idea a lot: An accountability partner helps you lock in. They can help you go from scatterbrained distraction to rock-solid focus. And research agrees. In fact, one study revealed that you can increase your chances of sticking to a commitment by up to 95% if you share that ambition with someone who will hold you accountable.

I don’t know about you but I like those odds.

Conclusion

These are basic self-discipline tips; however, they are enough to get you on the right path. But if you’d like some extra motivation on your self-improvement journey, be sure to check out my ebook The Disciplined Mind.

And remember, stay Motivated And Disciplined.

Peace.