What is self-discipline? Self-discipline is the ability to control yourself and to make yourself work hard or behave in a particular way without needing anyone else to tell you what to do.
There are four components of self-discipline;
Self Control
Motivation
Persistence
Goals
Let’s take a look at what defines a goal.
Goal
Goal is an aim or objective that you work toward with effort and determination.
If you think about it, the word goal is pretty weighty. We’re taught the importance of setting goals for ourselves at an early age.
Goals Give You Direction.
Goal Setting Helps You Identify What’s Important to You.
Setting Goals Helps Us Measure Progress Towards Success.
Goals Help You Stay Motivated.
Setting Goals Keeps You Accountable.
I love setting goals for myself. I have daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. If you’ve read the previous three blog posts you probably already knew that.
I like to plan (in advance) and make lists. These things give me structure and help me be successful.
A good example is my Christmas goal. Christmas comes every December like clockwork. There’s literally no surprise as to when Christmas day will show up.
Several years ago I made a goal for myself to not go into debt with Christmas buying. There’s nothing fun about paying high credit card balances in January, when all the Christmas magic has dissipated.
I decided to start with a total goal of what I was comfortable spending on Christmas presents for everyone on my list. Divide that amount by the number of paydays between Jan 1st-Nov 30th. That specific dollar amount is then transferred to a seperate savings account labeled Christmas.
Each month I see my money saving progress. I am relaxed going into the holiday season because I know I have the money I’ll need for presents.
You may be saying to yourself, “But what if I start shopping before December?”
I do! I actually shop all year long for the people on my list. If I see something unique or special that I know someone on my list would love, I get it! I never let something like that slip by.
When I get home I make a note of it in my bill journal and when it comes time to pay my credit card I pay for that item using the Christmas money. One of the benefits of saving each month is that after a few months, I have a decent amount of money saved up so I can shop early!
I also keep a running Christmas list. I have everyone’s name and what I bought for them. No more asking myself “Who did I buy that for?” when December rolls around.
I warned you, I love lists.
You may have noticed I do not include the month of December when saving money. Instead, I use December’s money for Christmas time fun with our girls (adventures), an added gift for someone not on our list, a hostess gift if we attend a friend’s party, etc.
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love doing things for others and I love giving presents. Having a Christmas goal not only gives me the direction I want to go in, but it also helps me be accountable for my spending.
Do you have a similar goal? Are you a goal oriented person? If you are, virtual high five! If you aren’t, that’s ok! Setting goals is a personal choice. If you want to learn how to set goals for yourself there are tons of resources online to help you.
A goal does not have to be something huge. Start small and get yourself used to setting them. You can go bigger when ready. You can’t go wrong setting goals. However, one day you may kick yourself for not setting them.
Thank you for joining me for this 4 part series on self-discipline. I hope you enjoyed it.
See you next week with a new topic!