Tag: Habits

The self-discipline trap

Posted on by philipdodson

We can shortcut self-discipline by blocking sites, putting a lock on the fridge, not having chocolate cakes in the house, not buying cigarettes to stop smoking and removing from our lives things we can not seem to stop taking, having, doing and so on.

But it is just that. It’s a trap. We believe that we have overcome a habit or dealt with a demon. We haven’t really overcome something, we have simply ‘handcuffed’ ourselves, blocked it out, but deep down the behaviour is still there.

The hard part is to stop eating cake when the cake is sat right in front of us.

To do that we have to understand why we keep doing something and then to change our habits.

Blocks, locks, and denial are a short-term fix, building a habit without the block based on a desire to want to change, is the only long-term solution.

We will only apply the real self-discipline needed to build the habit that creates lasting change once we are inspired to do so.

Seek the demon, explore why we behave that way, build strategies and then apply new habits to change that behaviour.

It’s easier said than done, but if we want lasting change, there is has to be a trade between easy fixes and commitment.

Show up

Posted on by philipdodson

If you ever feel like life is dealing you a bad hand or you’re not getting what you deserve, then stop and think, do I show up in my life? Or am I expecting others to show up and deliver things for me?

Do you perhaps tell yourself it is bad luck, or others are better?

If, hand on heart, you can answer ‘yes, I always show up’ then you won’t be feeling unlucky, or like you are being dealt a bum hand and life will be going well.

Showing up is the only way to create what you really want in life. That means matching your action with your thoughts or words. Staying true to your values wherever possible is a key component in showing up.

Stand up and put your hand ‘in the fire’, not in some macho way, but be true to yourself, deliver what you say inside your head and keep going, keep showing up no matter how hard it is.

A major part of success is about commitment and no letting yourself down, it is about being there when it is hard, when you don’t feel like it, and staying brave. It is about repetition and doing daily steps to keep your momentum going.

Showing up has a huge reward, like any habit, the more you do it, the easier it becomes, the results engender more confidence and there’s a massive feel good factor that encourages more action.

So when we feel like not going, not doing, not taking action, remember that if you don’t show up in your life, then you end your momentum, you destroy your credibility with others and more importantly with yourself.

It is always harder to start something than it is to keep it going. The longer you keep it going the more the habit becomes ingrained and will become routine and easy.

Show up for yourself, we owe it to ourselves.