7 Desirable Attributes Of A Self-Disciplined Person
Self-discipline is inarguably one of the best skills you can have if you expect to be successful in life. There are many ways to build self-discipline, of course. And since not everybody shares the same goals, it manifests differently depending on who you ask or observe. But if you look across the board, you will find a pattern. So what makes a person disciplined? Here are the attributes that the most highly self-disciplined and self-motivated people have in common.
7 Attributes of a Self-Disciplined Person
1- Greater Self-Confidence
What comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Do people who have more self-confidence also exhibit more self-discipline? Or is it that those who are more disciplined achieve more of their goals, and thus have more reasons to be confident?
Either way, the first trait many self-disciplined people have in common is greater self-confidence as compared to those with less self-control.
If you want to improve your self-discipline, it’s helpful first to consider your self-perception and self-worth.
2- Structure & Routine
Secondly, you may have read that successful people rise earlier in the morning than their less-successful counterparts. But many don’t fit this description.
What disciplined people have in common isn’t specific times of day they rise or exact means of scheduling their time. A key characteristic of self-disciplined people is that they value and follow a routine of any variety.
Creating consistent habits in the form of steady routines can help you put much of your life on autopilot. Taking the guesswork out of many daily decisions is an effortless way to improve your self-discipline.
3- Clearly Defined Goals
Third, everybody has goals. But the highly self-disciplined individual will have goals that are crystal clear.
How many people say “I’m going to be a millionaire by the time I’m forty”? That’s a goal, for sure. Someone with a high level of self-discipline would say, for example, “I’m going to be a millionaire by the time I turn forty, and I’m going to do this by…”. They would have a much clearer goal, a plan to execute it, and already be working toward reaching it.
If you want to uplevel your self-discipline, work on clarifying your goals. Select meaningful goals that are specific, timely, and have clearly defined steps that you can work on each day.
4- Prioritize Self-Care
Next, a common trait of disciplined individuals is that they prioritize self-care. They understand that maintaining optimal health is crucial to remaining productive and sticking to their plans even when they don’t feel like it.
They are more likely to exercise regularly, eat healthfully, get enough rest, make sure they make their medical appointments and also have enough time to relax, have fun, and enjoy life.
These people understand the importance of a balance between work and play and make sure to incorporate enough of both into their lives.
How is your self-care routine? Most people could use a little work in one or more areas. Take some time to consider your physical, mental, social, financial, and spiritual wellness.
Commit to improving just a little in one or more areas, and see if your self-discipline increases as a result.
5- See Challenge As an Opportunity
Self-disciplined people also are more likely to lean into challenges and adversity, within reason. A benchmark of self-discipline is to be relentless in the pursuit of your goals.
The thing is, there are always challenges in life. Things don’t always go to plan. Obstacles get in the way, and what separates self-disciplined people from those who aren’t, is that they believe every problem has a solution.
Additionally, they recognize that the more problems they solve, the more experience they have. They understand adversity only helps them grow, and they use that knowledge as fuel to keep moving forward in spite of difficulty.
If you struggle with sticking to commitments you’ve made to yourself, consider why.
Is it because you hit a challenge and backed away?
Consider how you may change your response the next time something similar comes into play, and how you can grow from perseverance.
6- Set Strong Boundaries
Finally, people with self-discipline and self-control have healthy boundaries. They know their worth, and the value of their time, and have a clear roadmap for life.
Whereas many people struggle with saying “no” at times, preferring to “go with the flow,” those with self-discipline know the importance of weighing their options. They prefer taking the time to make the best decisions to further their goals. They know sometimes the answer is going to be “no.”
How do you feel about your boundaries? How could you improve?
7- Emotionally Resilient
Finally, self-disciplined people have learned to manage their emotions. They don’t allow emotion to interfere with the decisions they have made to achieve their goals.
Bad moods, anger, and frustration are replaced with a steady mental discipline and positive mindset that allows them to stick to their commitments no matter what. This includes the ability to say no to fleeting temptations and understanding how to delay gratification.
Final Thoughts
People sometimes assume that self-discipline means living a hard life, waking up long before sunrise even if you’re a night owl), making extreme sacrifices, and living a dull life of all work, and no play.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Self-discipline manifests differently in the lives of different people, yet if you look closely enough, you’ll find the above-mentioned desirable attributes of a self-disciplined person present across all the boards.
So, if you are not quite at your peak yet remember that although growth can be uncomfortable at first, developing any one of these positive attributes is achievable for anyone.
You just have to be prepared to put in the necessary effort to change.
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7 Desirable Attributes Of A Self-Disciplined Person