Many students know the value of self-discipline. With self-discipline, not only do you achieve more academically, but you also learn how to focus well and be more careful and attentive in class.
Self-discipline means having the willpower and control you need to study, complete your work, and prioritize your academics over the many distractions you have at home, at school, and on social media.
Fortunately, you can learn to be self-disciplined, and the work can start at any time.
What can you do, starting today, to become a more disciplined student? Try these:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your personal experience and education level, you may excel at some subjects and struggle in others.
– Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can find a way to work around them.
– For example, if you know that you are not as good at math as your friends, you can study topics that interest you, such as science or history, rather than mastering the more complicated formulas and equations used in high school math.
– The point is, you’ll have an easier time building discipline if you can anticipate your struggles and plan around them. - Uncover what motivates you and when. Most of the time, motivation goes unnoticed. You may find yourself going into a flow as you handle a specific assignment. But you may not realize it because you don’t usually pay attention to it.
– So the next time you find yourself especially enjoying a school assignment, pause to ask yourself why you like it so much. It could be because the subject is fascinating to you. Or it could be that the assignment allows you to let your creative juices flow freely.
– In any case, take the time to figure out what motivates you. Then use it as a basis to set clear goals and pursue them relentlessly. - Invite others to join you in your self-disciplinary efforts. You may be spending a lot of time alone working on your assignments, but organizing a group work session can be a great way to stay motivated and accountable.
– Share this experience with another classmate, arrange a study session with friends, or find a few classmates who are ready to put in the work as well. It’s much easier to stay disciplined when you know you have a support group. - Admit your downfalls. When you notice you’re getting distracted, take note of the events that led to those pitfalls. For example, suppose you have a roommate that comes home at night.
– But then you find that you keep having long conversations and have trouble falling asleep. Your roommate might be a great distraction, but being able to pinpoint why this occurs is essential. With that in mind, it’s easier to deal with the situation.
– You could leave the room for a while, which will end the distraction, or try organizing your time a little better so that you don’t need to be interrupted. - Remain positive. You might find yourself slipping. But that’s okay. Everyone falls off once in a while. No one is perfect. But sometimes, we might get discouraged when we find that we’re losing control.
– Remember that you’re working hard. It’s normal to be in a bad mood sometimes. But put this negative mood aside. Keep your focus on your goal. It will only help you in the long run.
It’s important to realize that self-discipline is something you can learn. You can learn it by watching other students and by setting clear goals.
Discipline comes with rewards as well. When you become more disciplined, you will be able to accomplish more with less effort, which makes it all worth it!
Self-discipline might not be easy initially, but it will reap benefits in the long run!