A lot of people begin their journey on the same path, yet just a few are able to reach the desired goal. But have you ever thought about the reason behind this? What is it that these few people have that the majority don’t?
Well, it can all be explained by a value that the majority of the people missed while the former strived hard to develop – self-control. Simply put, most people fail at achieving the desired success even if they are just a few inches away because they cannot control their desires and urges. They fail to understand how to develop self-control and discipline, eventually costing them some of the most significant life opportunities.
Self-control is the battle between your compulsions and doing the right thing. It is the ability to control emotions, impulses, and urges to achieve something greater in life. People who lack self-control face problems every step of the way. Apart from failing to achieve long-term life goals, they often give in to their impulsive urges and emotions. This way, they end up making poor life choices in the heat of the moment, causing more harm than good.
This is exactly why knowing how to develop self-control is important. To help you get started, here are the five easy and effective ways to develop self-control that you can start using today.
Learn How To Develop Self-Control In 3 Easy Ways
1. Remove the temptations.
The human brain is not hardwired to resist temptations. As per a study by Jordan Bridges, resisting temptation requires much more willpower than simply removing the choice altogether.
As per research by Malte Friese and team, repeatedly training to develop self-control does not necessarily lead to generalized improvements in a person’s ability to resist temptations. This means you can firstly stop beating yourself up for not having self-control because we are clearly not wired to have it. But if we are not wired to develop self-control, then how do people build it?
Well, they actually remove their temptations in order to create an environment that helps build self-control. You can set yourself up for success by managing your external environment and removing your temptations.
Read more: 101 Self-Regulation Techniques You Need To Know
2. Create an action plan.
Whatever you are trying to achieve, create an action plan and write it down. We can’t stress the importance of this step while working to develop self-control. How many times have you created a mental grocery list and forgotten half of it by the time to the supermarket?
Now writing down your goals and action plan on a piece of paper is not going to help you improve your self-control. We can all recall how many times we wrote folding laundry on our to-do lists and woke up to the never-ending mess of clothes in our bedroom.
To actually develop self-control, you need to take one step further. Write down all the details about how you are going to achieve your goal and when. Make sure to be as specific as you can about how you are going to achieve a particular thing. This way, you are much less likely to procrastinate on the task and get it done effectively. Now make a habit of creating an action plan every day.
3. Learn to manage stress.
Make sure to take a few breaths every once in a while during your day. This helps to decrease your heart rate and enables you to relax. Make sure you take active care of your physical health and get enough sleep. Every little thing you do will play its role in helping you develop self-control.
You are much more likely to make bad decisions and give in to pressures when you have low blood sugar or battling a lack of sleep. Learning how to deal with stress helps you resist making unhelpful decisions during times of pressure.
Read more: Effective Solutions On How To Find Motivation
Conclusion:
A lack of self-control can restrict your long-term growth and make you make unhelpful decisions. However, there is a lot you can do to develop self-control. These three easy ways are just the right place to help you get started.
Apart from self-control, patience is another important value that helps you achieve your true potential. Learn more about developing patience here.
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