In this day and age you hear a lot of young people say they need an accountability partner, but what they really want is someone they can relinquish all the responsibility of their life to.

Someone who will spoon feed and baby them through life while they do the barest minimum.

They don’t realize that the person with the first and most responsibility for your life is YOU. As I’d often say, you are the CEO of the organisation called YOU.

One ingredient we need in order to live an excellent life is SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Self-discipline will help you hold yourself to a higher standard, you won’t be able to wallow in the murky waters of average and mediocre.

The scripture above says a person who is indisciplined is like a city without walls.

A city without walls is unguarded, unprotected, anyone can just walk in or walk out.

Same thing with an undisciplined life. It’s a life where anything goes, no rules, no standards, no restraints.

We’ve looked at different tools for achieving an excellent life in the course of the month, none of these tools can be effectively utilised without self-discipline.

When the chips are down and there’s nobody to monitor what you’re doing, it’s your personal discipline that will keep you going. I learnt something that stood out for me. Self-discipline is hard because the things you’re supposed to do are things your present self must put in the hard work and your future self will take the credit.

1. Set standards for yourself and stick to them: Every time your break your own set standards, you disempower yourself and downplay your ability to be a person of your word. Recognise that you are your first accountability partner, don’t disappoint you. Respect yourself enough to value and stick to your set standards.

2. Let your goals be realistic: Based on where you are in your life’s journey at the moment, set goals you can keep. Of course, you want to stretch yourself, but on the other hand, you want to also be sure that the reason for your failures is not that your goals are too lofty to be attained at the moment. Doing this may result in constant failures which will, in turn, weaken your resolve.

3. Develop a personal reward system: Those things you really like, set them as a reward for when you do well. You deserve a pat on the back, some ice cream, and some fun so make it happen. Yes, you’re building discipline but don’t be too hard on yourself.

4. Your mind is where it all begins, feed it the right mental food. What resources are you engaging with?

5. Take up affirmations: The words of your mouth are one way you can voice print your reality and tell your mind what to believe!

6. Associations: Move with people who are themselves disciplined and it’ll definitely rub off on you.

Excellence is a culture that can be built, self-discipline is one tool that heightens your chances of achieving it. 

Article by © Barr. Mrs Ubong Ayiri-Sagay, Legal Adviser, CYMI

Photo: Nik and Brett Jordan

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