September 30, 2022 | Tagged Coaching
Six ways to improve your self-discipline
Six ways to improve your self-discipline
We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.-Jesse Owens
A number of years ago at NBC Basketball Camps, we had a slogan we used for self-discipline. The coach would say, “Self Discipline” and the campers would respond, “Your best friend or your worst enemy.” The implication in the chant was to bring to mind the significance and importance of self-discipline. The consequences of undisciplined training or habits on and off the court are monumental and will influence the direction of your future as an athlete, student, and worker.
Lack of discipline in the classroom can lead to the destruction of future opportunities. Lack of discipline on the court will lead to a bad season. Excessive fun at any price will cost your future.
If you can learn to make self-discipline your friend during your time when you are stuck at home, you will see a dramatic improvement in your success.
Self Discipline is the ability to do what you know you should do, whether you feel like it or not and it is also the discipline to stop yourself from doing things you want to do – but shouldn’t.
Write down what you know you want to do during this COVID-19 time.
Write down what you know you do not want to do during this time.
Post these where you can see them.
How to improve your Self-Discipline
View self-discipline as your friend. Self-discipline will become a punishment if you don’t see it as a tool to help you get where you want to go. Your attitude about having self-discipline and seeing it in a positive rather than a negative light will help you make the first steps.
Get uncomfortable. If you are really cozy, you won’t push yourself. For example, if you come home and curl up on the couch with your favorite video game, you will find it much harder to motivate yourself to get up and work on your homework. You will be much more likely to start your homework if you go and sit at the dining room table. Don’t allow yourself to get totally comfy until your hard work is finished. Comfort comes after you have done your hard work.
Figure out what works in other areas you have self-discipline. Use areas you are self-discipline in already, to help you in areas you struggle with. For example, I struggle to find time to work out but I love a clean house. I set out objects that will bug me in the house and I make a goal not to put them away until I have worked out.
Increase your pain tolerance. When you find you want to give in or quit, make a goal to hold out a little bit longer. If you want to give in to something you know you should not do, ask if you want to give in because you want to feel better. Increasing your pain tolerance helps you push that much harder and to stop choosing comfort over your goals.
Eliminate your temptation. If you make a goal not to eat chips and you find yourself really tempted to eat some, have an alternative snack you really like ready instead. Put rules and people in place to help your self-discipline plan become a habit. Make a fence around your temptations so that it requires a lot of effort to break through to your temptation. Make breaking your goals a lot of effort. Take away things that make it easy for you to fail.
Visualize the consequences of undisciplined behavior. When you want to hit snooze instead of getting up to do your workout, picture yourself the first day of basketball practice. Imagine the feeling you would have being out of breath and getting dominated the first day because you weren’t in great shape. Post a photo of your rival team by your alarm clock. Use your imagination to help motivate you to get moving.
Finish Strong. Don’t quit until you have read the last page, completed the last rep or homework problem, or finished on a make. Cross the finish line every time.
Plan ahead. Self-discipline requires a great deal of energy. Eventually, the more disciplined you become, the easier the self –discipline becomes. In the beginning, however, beware of the law of diminishing returns. If you are not used to being self-discipline with food and you work really hard to control what you are eating, you may lose self-discipline in your attitude. You may find yourself angrier. Work to have plans in place to help you handle the let down you may have in other areas of self-discipline until your habits are in place.
Self Discipline and Your Mind
Your mind is the space you need to win the war. Your mind is incredibly powerful. You will win or lose the self-discipline battle based on your thoughts. Tough-minded people are self-disciplined people. They are disciplined with what they think and therefore their actions are self-disciplined. They don't waffle back and forth between should you eat the chip or not eat the chip. They've already determined the answer before they even see the chip.
Furthermore, if you think you are slow, untalented, ugly, dumb, etc.. you are poisoning your potential. You don’t have to think every thought that comes into your head. Build your mental muscles and keep poisonous thoughts out. Thoughts can especially disrupt your performance on the court. Don’t let yourself get distracted by worrying about missing time on the court, your coach’s belief in you, what you "should be doing"-- this is a waste of time. Keep your mind sharp, confident and brave. Eliminate any words which cause you to become rattled. Have key words that you keep in your mind. Discipline yourself to make sure the words you think and the words you say are full of power. Remember as you think, so you become.
About NBC Basketball Camps
NBC Camps are located in over 30 cities and 8 countries. NBC Camps began in 1971 with the mission to create a program that teaching intense basketball fundamentals and a clear understanding of the game as well as great personal leadership including self-discipline, gratitude, capacity to listen, mental toughness, permanent confidence, and joy even in difficulty. If you love basketball enough to work hard, we want you at NBC Camps. Find out more about our basketball camp programs and locations at www.nbccamps.com/basketball.