Coaching Yourself COURAGEOUSLY – Mastering Motivation: How to Become Your Own Disciplinarian

“Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.” – Unknown

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Raised by Nuns

Did I ever tell you I was educated by Nuns for 13 years; from Kindergarten to High School? Some of the harsh stories you may have heard about Parochial schools are pretty spot on.

• Yes, I had my knuckles smacked by rulers on more than one occasion.
• I will admit to having blackboard erasers thrown at me once or twice if I looked like I was not paying attention.
• I was told to lower the hem of my skirt more than once; gosh, why those skirts had to be so long I’ll never know.

Despite those minor inconveniences, these nuns were model disciplinarians; it was an experience I am forever grateful for.

Why, because I learned the importance of discipline and commitment; something I have used throughout my life but especially needed now living through this pandemic of 2020.

Motivation

A common theme I’ve heard during the Coronavirus lockdown is lack of motivation. Despite having so much time on our hands, people lack the energy and enthusiasm to be motivated.

Understandably, lives have been disrupted so finding and sustaining motivation is certainly a challenge but one that can be overcome with a few insights and adjustments.

In this blog post, I will share 3 effective ways that you can build discipline during this transitional time and use it as momentum moving forward into a Post Covid19 world.

My goal is that you will learn to be your own disciplinarian and inspire yourself to be motivated despite adverse circumstances.

3 Ways to Become Your Own Disciplinarian

1. Be Purpose-Focused

One of the most powerful motivators to help you become your own disciplinarian is something you already have inside of you; your purpose.

Your purpose is the reason for which you were created, the reason why you get up every morning.

Those who know their purpose live their lives with a greater sense of meaning and significance and rarely struggle with sustaining motivation. They are not standing on the sidelines of life; they are fully engaged and have a compelling reason to wake up every morning.

Purpose-driven people have clarity on who they are and why they do what they do; they are connected to what fuels their behavior. They live more intentionally and tend to be happier and have more meaningful lives than those who aren’t aware of their purpose.

The power of purpose will keep you focused and push you towards your goals despite the difficulties you will encounter in life. In the words of Victor Frankl,

“Those who dedicate their life to something can face any pain or hardship.”

Purpose is the gravitational pull that compels you to move with enthusiasm from survival to success to significance.

2. Be Intentional With Your Routine

Motivation is such a huge force in life and most people don’t realize they have the power to light the fire of self-motivation.

Contrary to what some believe, motivation is not a switch you turn on or off.

You cannot wait for enthusiasm or inspiration; you must take ownership and create it yourself. Having routines in place feeds the flow of motivation.

Routines require discipline and discipline grows more discipline which in turn fuels motivation; it’s a commanding cycle.

Your routines are your anchors in life; they keep you from drifting into the sea of apathy, and the just getting by mentality.

If you want to build self-motivation and achieve lofty goals, you have to be intentional about disciplining yourself to create solid routines.

The foundation of strong routines is found in 3 areas:

• Restful Sleep
• Intentional Morning Routines
• Calculated Bedtime Routines

Restful Sleep

It is vitally important that you learn to listen to your body and keep a consistent schedule of when to wake up and when to go to bed; this is called your circadian rhythm.  According to research published by the National Academy of Science, circadian rhythm influences immune response efficacy; this is important because it keeps your immune system strong and healthy.

Intentional Morning Routine

Studies show that having a morning routine is essential for your success. Your morning routine helps you stay on track with your goals and keeps you focused and motivated.

“Morning routines give you a psychological edge over your enemy.” – Jocko Willink

To create a state of motivational flow in your day, set a strong intention for what you want to accomplish for the day before it even begins. Start your day by creating healthy habits that enhance your energy; not drain it.

Jumping on your cell phone and checking emails first thing in the morning puts you at the agenda of others; not your own.

Intentionally control your day or it will control you.

Calculated Bedtime Routine

What does your bedtime routine look like, do you even have one? The purpose of a nighttime routine is to help you wind down and get ready for a restful night’s sleep.

You can use this time to deregulate and decompress your thoughts and stressors from the day. This will enhance your mind-body connection and create an environment to help you get to sleep more easily.

Before you go to bed, plan what you are going to do in the morning. Envision something you can look forward to in the future. This will give your brain something positive to focus on.

3. Tap into Your Creativity

When it comes to creativity, there is a misconception that creativity is a gene given to those artistically gifted; that is not true. Creativity is a trait; a powerful skill you can tap into and develop.

Research shows that creativity is a learned skill; so like any skill, you can make it stronger to find motivation.

I never thought I was a creative person; I have absolutely no artistic or musical talent whatsoever.

However, I learned that I am a very creative problem solver. Being a creative problem solver was not something I was born with. Because of the many obstacles I faced, I was forced to either sink or swim and I chose to swim. I developed this skill by expanding my thinking from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

So if creativity is a learned skill, what can you do to boost yours?

• Be curious. Ever notice how kids ask endless questions based out of a sense of awe and wonder? That’s the first step to start strengthening your creativity muscle. Be curious about learning new things and building new skill sets.
• Connect with others. Research confirms that collaboration or connecting with others also stimulates creativity. Seek out relationships or collaboration opportunities with those who also share a thirst for newness.
• Think in terms of possibilities. This will expand your decision-making process. You will empower yourself to see new possibilities by switching from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

Learning to be creative is a necessary ingredient for creating motivational flow, but it’s also essential to mastering your life.  Developing the skills of expectancy, curiosity, and creativity helps you build discipline.

Ground Your Thoughts

I know I told you I’d share 3 ways you can build discipline and master motivation but I lied; I have a fourth one.

My closing thoughts to you, no pun intended; control your thoughts. If you don’t, your thoughts will control you. None of the 3 anchors I shared with you will be beneficial without your thoughts being grounded.

Mastering your thoughts is foundational to becoming your own disciplinarian; you don’t even have to have a nun to guide you; you can do this yourself.

When you are tempted to attend a pity party; smack yourself with a ruler and decline the invitation.

When you find yourself focusing on all the negative things in life, hit yourself on the head with an eraser, and reframe those thoughts.

When you’re feeling blah; be thankful you don’t have to secretly roll your skirt up at the waist every day after school; use humor to find optimism.

Make it a courageous day!

Keep believing,
Rita