How to Build Self-Discipline: The Mindset Method

How to build discipline from first principles, starting with your mindset and working outwards.

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[dailydoseofmedicinee]

We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

[epicuber]

the fact that I voluntarily searched for this video makes myself pleased

[RealJamieBarclay]

This was a very healthy and non-toxic look at discipline, well done.

[shiny]

I have never heard anyone say that self discipline is actually self love before and I think it might just be the most useful piece of advice I’ve ever been given

[RyanMak]

My favorite mindset hack for discipline: just have a good enough reason to do it.

It was hard to come from a place of self-love back when I was depressed, but making enough money to take care of my family? A little more motivating. Find what pushes you and don't be afraid of material or "shallow" desires if that's what you really want right now.

[NimTheHuman]

Some key points for this video:
1:01 1. Reframe discipline as a function of self-love. For example, tell yourself, "I don't want you to eat that chocolate because I want the best for your health, because I love you."
2:44 2. Make discipline part of your identity. Think of yourself as a disciplined person. Envision it.
3:52 3. Reflect this new identity in your new environment. Make your environment look like that of a disciplined person (e.g., put away video games, keep your workout mat out).
4:43 4. Internalize the threat of not doing this. Loss aversion is a more powerful motivator than gain.
6:18 5. Have a good system to start things. Starting is harder than sustaining it. Remove any friction between you and starting your work.
8:33 6. Have a good method to sustain things. Create a sustainable daily/weekly/monthly routine.
9:50 7. Just do it.
10:05 Use discomfort training to help with just doing it (7).

struthless deserves way more views. :(
Not only is this channel informative and useful, it's creative and so artsy.

[brandonpetersen]

The "Just do it" method is by far the most powerful one that i've followed.

People forget all the time that life is not always about being comfortable and having fun. (Like when most of us were kids).
Once you become adult, you have responsibilities and pressure and you need to perform. If you don't, there's an internal system in your brain that fires up, making you feel all kinds of negative ways about yourself, which eventually leads to depression.

A lot of people whince at the thought of going to the gym, supermarket for groceries, work, ect. But also most of those people find that once they go, and they're there, doing the thing they need to do, all the anxiety and uncomfortable pesky thoughts associated with it dissapear.

It's like jumping in to cold water at the pool. The first few seconds you jump in, you get washed over with this liberating feeling, because the hard part is now done, you're already soaking wet now, so you might as well swim and enjoy it.

This applies to just about everything you need to do, but don't want to. Once you initiate the action, it becomes SO MUCH easier and you actually kind of enjoy it too. And that's a positive feedback loop. You'll remember how it went last time, and that it wasn't so bad. So returning to do it again will be a lot easier from the beggining. You'll level up and those tasks will become automated after a long enough time.

Hope this helps :)

[harshithasaisarabada]

I love your videos so much. Never thought that I can relate with someone so much. Bless the algorithm.
In case anyone wanna note it down ❤
1. Reframe discipline as a function of self love
2. Make discipline part of your identity
3. Reflect this identity in your environment
4. Internalize the threat of no doing this
5. Have a good system to start things
6. Have a good method to sustain things.
7. At some point the only true path is to just do it.

[thechancellor-]

To the *incredible person* that's seeing this, I wish you all the best in life❤ don't over blame yourself, accept things and go forward. Don't let others define what “success” is for you. Get up, learn the skills needed and get after it, all the keys to a happy life is in your hands. Keep pushing.

[yesno]

i pray all of us can see it through to the end of our lives successful in our individual missions. its never going to be completely smooth sailing. good luck to you all.

[mariesdiariesss]

Hello, your tips work really work for someone like me - someone who procrastinates often, gets bored easily, hates routines - to think that I can tie my IDENTITY into someone who's self-disciplined sounds waaay better forcing ourselves to be someone we're not! also, I love the lose aversion tip as well, since most of my motivation surges when I'm close to the deadline, which means that i fear of NOT submitting the work on time. 😂😂 Thank you Campbell, this motivated me to work on my digital art 😀

[KunamaElgar]

Thank you so much for acknowledging those of us with chronic illness. I love self development content and consume it wherever I can get it, and while I take what I can from it and ignore what won't work for me because of my illness it wears on me a bit to feel invisible. It's so refreshing to have someone in that field acknowledge that their advice might not work for everyone 🙂

[hihelloitsmo]

step 1 to self-discipline: watch this video every morning

[owlexb]

Thank you for always recognizing folks with disabilities and health issues in your tips!

[KnitsFromTheVoid]

Thank you so much for re-framing discipline for me. The concept of discipline used to be so toxic and destructive for my mental health that I effectively abandoned it. Now I realize, that wasn't discipline, it was me torturing myself into obedience.

[abcxyz]

🧡for the undisciplined among us🧡(jk) :

Discipline
definition (noun):
doing the things that i said i was gonna do despite resistance

1. Reframe discipline as a function of self love
- it's a spiral: self love can give you discipline, but discipline can also give you self love.
- buy acting like somebody you respect, you naturally (by definition) respect yourself

2. Make discipline part of your identity
- accept that being a disciplined version of yourself is inevitable
paint a clear picture of:
- who would i look like if i was disciplined
- if i did the things i said i would do
and also:
- what does their day look like
- where do they live
- what do they eat
- what do they wear
- what does their week look like
- what do they do for work
- who are they surrounded by
- what do they think and feel
- what do they say no to
- what do they say yes to
- write any other details that you think will help you describe this person
mental gymnastics: fully accept that at some point in the future you'll be this person
just be open to this possibility.

3. Reflect this new identity in your environment
- you want your environment to look as much like what your disciplined self's environment would look like
- tangible things that keep you reminded of the future you could have

4. Internalize the threat of not doing this
- loss aversion is proven to be a more powerful motivator than gain
- you would rather avoid losing a dollar than gaining a dollar
- the way we can use this to our advantage to trick our own brains is to make us feel we're losing something if we're not disciplined
- make a loss aversion commitment, unless i do this one thing which i said i was gonna do, that money (e.g. €200) is going to a cause that i hate
- the theory is that my drive to not lose money is stronger than my drive to skip a week
- try and turn one of the habits you want to build into a system where loss aversion can motivate you and then replicate that loss aversion in your life in a healthy way in order to get you going

5. Have a good system to start things
two systems:
- starting systems
-- whatever gets you going
-- an author that starts writing what he hates for 5 minutes
-- or making starting non-negotiable, like someone who uses a barcode alarm that forces you to get up and scan a barcode somewhere else
- eliminating friction
-- taking out the steps between you and whatever your toast is
-- if it's drawing it's having your book and pencil ready to go before you start work
-- if it's running it's having all your gear at one spot

6. Have a good method to sustain things.
-- the most sustainable method for one might be the work week
-- find a weekly, daily or a monthly routine, then make sure that you are not getting exhausted
-- finding what you can do when you're not working that fills you with energy
-- for 30 days you can ask yourself, what energized me today?
-- then at the end of the month, look for commonalities

7. At some point the only true path is to just do it.
- discomfort training (to your advantage)
-- how you do anything, is how you do everything
-- the way that you act in small situations, will often be the way you act in bigger ones
-- doing small things that make you uncomfortable
-- if you're someone who gets bored easily, next time if you're in a waiting room or in a queue, don't play your phone
-- if something takes less than two minutes do it immediately

[nahbruvv]

This came at just the right time, I've been really struggling to stay (my idea of) disciplined ~

That part you said about toxic self discipline making you feel guilt and shame and drained really struck a cord with me - I think that's where I am now - i don't let myself rest when I'm not working because I don't want to be stuck here forever but i think I'm self sabotaging by not letting myself rest and my self care takes a hit from it - it makes me feel awful and I don't even benefit from any enhanced productivity lol usually I'm so drained, it has the opposite effect!

..but today I woke up and took my multi vitamin, I've eaten a good meal for breakfast and lunch and have got a healthy plan for dinner ( no skipping meals today!!! ) I snacked on some hummus and veg instead of crisps AND I haven't forced myself to do anything work related, I've just let myself rest :) i think these basic things will be hard to keep up with on work days but its a start, I'm so glad I have seen this video, theres a lot in this I can work with!

I didn't realise self discipline doesn't mean i have to work like a machine all the time,

[Kazlauskas]

I used to party hard, use drugs. I continued that into my early mid 20s. I had to make small changes of course but what really helped me was “playing the whole tape through” to me that meant remembering how I would feel the next day and/or what would follow in the coming weeks.

Just remember to “play the whole tape through” in every aspect of your life.

[matildefantacci]

was going to write a long comment on how you've helped me feel more comfortable with who I am and how you've pushed me to become a better version of myself, but I think this will do as well: thank you.

[Arissiah]

I am awful at procrastination and have been trying to find a method for me. Out of all the "get motivated" "how to be productive" "organize your life" "start a habit" etc. style videos I've seen, this is the ONLY one that resonated with me. All of it.