How do you improve your self control?
This is most discussed topic and here are few suggestions how to do it!
A. Take ownership of your day.
Making a decision isn’t about mumbling a few words to yourself, It’s more about training your brain to get focused on what it needs to do as soon as you wake up. Here’s how I practice it. I start my day with this question: “What is the one thing I am committed to completing today?” This technique helps my brain evaluate the goals that are important to me right now and forces me to prioritize one goal that needs attention immediately. In addition, I give myself the time to think about what’s important in my life, instead of letting other people or situations dictate what I should or shouldn’t be doing.
How can you do this?
Put it in writing. Write it in big bold letters on a sheet of paper and hang it on your bedroom or bathroom wall. Read it out loud as you start your day, for example as you’re brushing your teeth or getting dressed. Come up with an answer on the spot and answer it out loud. Then follow up by taking action: focus your energy throughout the day to completing your one thing.
B. Maximize your willpower reserves.
When you wake up, it’s common to feel a sense of overwhelm because there are so many things you need to do, from small routine tasks to working on large projects towards bigger goals, both professional and personal. Your first response might be to delay doing anything because it’s hard to decide what to do, which translates into a bad habit of procrastinating. That’s a self-imposed obstacle. Why? Because all will have a finite amount of willpower that takes you through the day. And that willpower gets weaker and weaker as the day progresses. So if you think you’ll do your homework after dinner, think again.
If you want to focus on priorities, you should work on them early. As early in the day as possible — in fact, I start right after my breakfast. Do that task that you’ve been putting off all week before lunchtime.
You gain a sense of accomplishment early that will make you feel better about the whole day.
C. Pick one positive habit and keep it simple.
You’ve figured out that there’s something in your life you’d like to change because you don’t like what you’re currently doing. It can be a fitness goal a health benefit or better manage your time (to get more sleep instead of watching mobile until 2 a.m.). All those new habits you want to acquire will need time, and repetition. If this sounds unappealing, it’s because you make it sound that way: you feel like you have to be doing something difficult when you’d rather be relaxing.
Instead of saying I have to work out for two hours each evening after work, I switch to a home workout of 30 minutes. Or, I go to bed 15 minutes earlier and read so I can fall asleep faster.
D. Learn how to control “busy” thoughts.
If you feel overwhelmed, have negative or self-critical thoughts, or find yourself ruminating on past events and personal failures, you are not alone. Remember: even though you may think it, you are not your thoughts. You are much bigger than your thoughts! . You can start with a 10-minute meditation to calm your thoughts and even slow down the chaos. You can also devote 30 minutes a day to walking in a park while listening to a podcast so you can tune out the busy noise around you.
E. Most important Say no to distractions.
If you think all the gadgets we have at our fingertips today are to blame for getting distracted easily, think again. Maybe today we don’t host lavish banquets to impress guests with an endless feast of food and wine, but we do pay attention to what’s shown on social media and we observe the images of surreal lifestyles on Facebook or Instagram. And that often leads to feelings of dissatisfaction, envy, and self-criticism.
If you regularly check Instagram, Facebook, or other social media, then take everything you observe and read with a grain of salt. Chances are those pictures and updates are not a real representation of everyday life, but rather a tactic someone is using to sell a product, service, or brand. Next, don’t waste time on distractions if they don’t serve the purpose of adding value to your life. Set your phone to Airplane mode when you need to focus. Let people know you won’t be available for a few hours until you get important tasks done. Check email and social media apps in the afternoons and evening. Close all tabs in your browser that may be tempting you to unfocus from your top priorities for that day.
