How can one become more self-disciplined?

I am still trying to figure this one out, bud.

To not just trick myself into temporarily believing, but ACTUALLY believing, that my sacrifices in the name of self-discipline make me a better person. That it will get easier. That with every action I’ll get closer to “getting it” and never slide back.

But I always slide back.. bleh.

I’ve written a list of “goals” and “rules” for myself, both pertaining to my study habits and weight loss. It’s in big font and hangs above my bed and near my desk. I don’t care how dorky it looks.

One of the things is that I need to lose weight because I have PCOS. On the list, I put up a picture of a really obese women (found it on the net) and I wrote “If you don’t want to look like this, don’t eat sweets and go to the gym 1x a day!” I also wrote “You don’t want diabetes and have your feet fall off, do you?” ... I know it’s kind of weird, but man, it really helps as a reminder! It’s always in my face…I can’t ignore it!

essentially you can gain will power by doing anything you don’t normally do. for instance, if you right handed, something as little as brushing your teeth with your left hand every day will build a greater sense of willpower in everything else that you do. Keep in mind though, you get out what you put in.
I guess it all comes down to the realization that seldom do great rewards come from little investment. If you want something, you have no other choice but to work for it.

@ABoyNamedBoobs03 Someone once said to me during a ceremony, not these exact words but the same drift. Being uncomfortable is a normal part of life. It is not wrong or bad. We need to put ourselves into uncomfortable positions because that is when we get the chance to grow. If we are always comfortable then we are not growing.

Seems similar to your philosophy. We have to try things we don’t normally do.

It would really depend on what you are trying to become self disciplined at. We know that certain disciplines are harder and require more technique than others.

If you are trying to stop yourself from doing something then you need to have a way to hold yourself accountable for your poor actions. Or at least have a reward system for choosing the right actions, which is generally more productive than punishing oneself.

I am not very good at self-discipline, so I may not be the best person to answer this question. However, I have found that it is sometimes easier to go to an extreme: “absolutely no…”, because it is when you allow yourself that little feeling of anticipation and entitlement that comes from trying to compromise with yourself that it is easy to relapse against your better judgment. If you resolve to eat less candy, and a day later are really craving some sugar, you might just eat some in the assumption that you will eat less the next day. But if you resolve to eat none, then there is no ambiguity as to when you are breaking the contract with yourself.
Then, when you are good at the extreme, you can either stay there, or exercise your new control by allowing yourself some moderate indulgence.

@Jayne I have to agree with you. That has worked for me as well.

literally, you have to be self-deisciplined in order to fit the description.
the short answer, then, is simply to be self-disciplined in the relevant past.