if you want to build self-discipline you'd do well to listen to the words of Marcus Aurelius he was the emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 A.D and is considered as the last of the five good Emperors during his rule Aurelius found the time to construct a series of autobiographical writings now known as the meditations in these writings the Roman Emperor offered a number of key insights on how to build self-discipline here are 10 of the most important of those insights for self-discipline from the writings of Marcus Aurelius number one self-discipline starts with finding your
purpose Marcus Aurelius says I have to go to work as a human being what do I have to complain of if I'm going to do what I was born for the things I was brought into this world to do or is this what I was created for to huddle under the blankets and stay warm Marcus Aurelius believed that we each have a purpose something that we were created for it's our duty to carry out that purpose because its purpose that gets you out of bed each morning if you have a clear understanding of your goals
and how your task fits within them you're much more likely to complete those goals for example say you have a flat tire and need to change it your purpose is clear change the tire as quickly as possible so you can get on your way you're going to do that task no matter how tired you feel the biggest source of self-discipline is to have a reason to do the task if you don't know what to do just start if you want to be a writer write every day if you want to be an artist draw and
create every day anything you want to do you don't need any more motivation or research or advice you just start practicing something you're interested in and Tackle every day as it comes because it's your purpose that will give you an internal desire drive and motivation to propel you forward towards your goal self-discipline is about finding compelling reasons to do something then committing yourself to see that task or activity through to the very end number two count on yourself according to Marcus Aurelius you should turn your desire to Stone quench your appetites keep your mind centered
on itself after you have a solid purpose it's time now to build a practical plan of action to help you accomplish your goal you shouldn't just commit to your goals but commit to all the little actions that you'll take along the way in pursuit of those goals we must be fully committed to doing whatever it takes to get the job done no matter what challenges get in the way self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action to do what you need to do regardless of your physical mental or emotional state everything you want
in your life everything you want to have be and do depends on your ability to get yourself to take the necessary actions to achieve your goals whether you feel like it or not you can start with forming an effective plan of action that is comprised of a deadline for accomplishing your goal it must also be built on the foundation of many Milestones that break your goal down into manageable chunks many Milestones will ensure that you're working towards your desired outcome in small pieces and time blocks this tactic puts you in the driver's seat it gives
you a sense of control over the tasks and projects that you're working on what you're ultimately trying to avoid is succumbing to being overwhelmed overwhelming can quickly digress to procrastination and procrastination can subsequently lead to stagnation and of course where their stagnation self-discipline cannot exist number three show up every day Marcus Aurelius says You must build up your life action by action and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible and no one can keep you from this even after having a solid purpose and a practical plan 95 of us fail
to achieve our goals we fail because we fail to be consistent we need to show up every day and put in the work the simple act of showing up and immersing yourself in your craft does wonders for mental endurance you build focus and come to terms with the arduous process that it takes to achieve anything great you have to put in countless hours of work before you reap any of the benefits self-discipline is nothing more but the habit of consistency finding the motivation to do something again and again until you do it on autopilot and
start seeing results so even if you fail once for example if you didn't exercise when you know you should have this doesn't Define your character your ability to keep going is what molds you into a disciplined and strong person a bad day doesn't have to become a bad week A bad week doesn't have to become a bad year the moment you wake up remember that new day is a new new life and move forward by opening your eyes and focusing on what's in front of you which is life itself number four practice voluntary hardship in
the words of Marcus Aurelius we should discipline ourselves in small things and from there progress to things of greater value if you have a headache practice not cursing don't curse every time you have an earache and I'm not saying that you can't complain only don't complain with your whole being voluntary hardship is one of the ways we can build our self-discipline voluntary hardship means constantly testing ourselves and by making life routinely uncomfortable in some way we're hardening ourselves for the day we need to live it for real a voluntary hardship might be skipping a meal
and going hungry for a night having a cold shower not smoking sleeping on the floor leaving your jacket at home when you know it's cold and raining out or donating half of your clothes to charity you could choose to go without social media for a few days or throw your smartphone in the draw do it often enough and you begin to understand what scarcity and hardship feels like and that you can live with both if needed number five practice dichotomy of control Marcus Aurelius says you have power over your mind not outside events realize this
and you will find strength being distressed being bothered by Small Things instantly is terrible for discipline you have a goal you're working and then thoughts and distress about something external meaning it out of your control derails you the best thing you can do in these circumstances is to apply epictetus's dichotomy of control reinforce to yourself what's within your control and what is out of your control if you Embrace what's out of your control and accept it you'll experience Tranquility refer to the following wording next time you're distressed and distracted do you have a problem in
your life no then don't worry yes can you do something about it yes and don't worry no then don't worry number six never play the victim in the words of Marcus Aurelius do your job without whining have you said any of these I was just born this way I'd never learned anything different my parents set a terrible example everyone else does it what are these excuses that people use to justify staying as they are instead of striving to become better you need to assume responsibility the why me mentality is an enemy to mental toughness you
might not be at fault but your life depends on you determining what's within your control and taking those things into your own hands you must train yourself to frame these things this way instead of immediately resorting to self-pity it's certainly easier to Pawn off blame on others when something goes wrong but only those with a degree of mental fortitude are able to step up even when it's not their fault and right the ship be that person who steps in to take action not the one who looks the other way and casts blame when you victimize
yourself or your current position you relinquish control and absolve yourself of personal responsibility and without a sense of ownership meaningful progress becomes an impossible task number seven practice delayed gratification in the words of Marcus Aurelius so you are born to feel nice instead of doing things and experiencing them don't you see the plants the birds the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks putting the world in order as best they can and you're not willing to do your job as a human being why aren't you running to do what your nature demands
delayed gratification involves the ability to wait to get what you want imagine a company Christmas party when you encounter platters of delicious and tempting food when you're trying to lose weight if you give in and fill up your plate with fattening goodies it might derail your diet but you will get to enjoy a bit of instant gratification if you manage to resist and spend the evening eating salad and munching on carrot sticks then you'll presumably receive an even greater reward down the line shedding those unwanted pounds and being able to fit into your favorite pair
of skinny jeans this ability to resist temptation and stick to our goals is often referred to as self-discipline and delaying gratification is often seen as a central part of this Behavior we put off what we want now so that we can perhaps get something else something better later on number eight ignore naysayers Marcus Aurelius says when another blames you or hates you or people voice similar criticisms go to their souls penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are you will realize that there is no need to be wrapped with anxiety that they should
hold any particular opinion about you whenever you step out from the norm and declare even if only to yourself that you believe you have a special purpose in life and that you're going to do whatever it takes to achieve it you will attract naysayers naysayers are the people who criticize object to or oppose something the naysayers just love to say nay they might love you but they're afraid of progress so they're against everything and their opinions are just terrible for your self-discipline you need to realize that allowing yourself to be upset by the opinion of
someone you don't know or don't respect is as foolish as getting upset about the weather it's a waste of energy their voice does not deserve to be heard don't hand over your peace of mind to Outsiders to disrupt as they please you should actively seek honest feedback from those you respect but if someone just has a history of being a naysayer ignore them number nine find wise people to emulate Marcus Aurelius says it'll even do to socialize with men of good character in order to model your life on theirs whether you choose someone living or
someone from the past it's time now to look outward for answers to help strengthen your self-discipline specifically let's identify Role Models Your Role Model could be your friends family or colleagues who've already achieved a goal you're working towards ask yourself who's doing this right now who's successfully achieved this goal who has successfully mastered this habit who has successfully made this change who has the necessary self-discipline in this area and what can I learn from this person that can help me along my journey take time to ask these people how they disciplined themselves ask them how
they followed through with specific actions that got them their desired outcome then use their experience to help you discipline yourself along your own personal Journey number 10 honestly review your day in the words of Marcus Aurelius these are the characteristics of the rational Soul self-awareness self-examination and self-determination it reaps its own Harvest it succeeds in its own purpose one of the best ways to become more disciplined is to scrutinize yourself and find your weak spots be brutally honest and use this time to connect with your subconscious practicing evening retrospections on a consistent basis will allow
you to become more self-aware through every step of your day because you will be actively gathering information to formulate and articulate constructive answers to these questions ask yourself what did I do well today where were my discipline and self-control tested where did I do good what did I do bad why did this occur and furthermore how can I improve now you know how you can improve tomorrow but don't beat yourself up be like Seneca and forgive yourself have some self-compassion research shows that it's forgiving yourself not beating yourself up that prevents you from continuing to
put things off and don't just be critical of yourself think about what you did well so you can repeat it tomorrow be grateful for the good that happened today if you like this video please do make sure to check out our stoicism playlist and for more videos to help you find success and happiness don't forget to subscribe to us thanks for watching
