14 Ways to Improve Your Self-Discipline

Whether you have a bad habit you want to kick or a goal you want to achieve, the difference between failure and success often comes down to self-discipline.

You’ve promised yourself to exercise every day. You’re going to quit sugar. You’ll run a marathon by the end of the year, and you’ll have bagged that promotion at work. But on day one you find yourself already struggling. How can you raise your levels of self-discipline and achieve your goals?

There are many factors that affect your willpower — from your economic situation to what you’ve had for breakfast. While some causes are out of your hands, there are plenty of proven steps you can take to boost your willpower.

We’ve created a new infographic that gathers 14 such tips into one place and each and every one of them is backed by scientific research. Whatever your willpower is up against, we’ve got a technique to help.

Self-discipline is not luck. It’s a matter of planning, taking action and asking for help. Figure out what works for you, and you’ll be surrounded by goals you can hit right out of the ballpark.

14 Ways to Improve Your Self-Discipline Infographic

Sources
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Duckworth, A., et al. (2011). Self-regulation strategies improve self-discipline in adolescents: benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions. Educational Psychology, 31, 17-26
Milkman, K. Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling. pubsonline.informs.org
Painter, J., et al. (2002). How visibility and convenience influence candy consumption. Appetite, 38, 237-238
Christian, M. (2013). Examining the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Workplace Deviance: A Self-Regulatory Perspective. amj.aom.org
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Galliot, M. (2007). The Physiology of Willpower: Linking Blood Glucose to Self-Control. journals.sagepub.com
Loersch, C. (2014). Intoxicated prejudice: The impact of alcohol consumption on implicitly and explicitly measured racial attitudes. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Rogers, T., & Milkman, K. L. (2016). Reminders through Association. osf.io
Shea, T. (2013). Low on Self-Control? Surrounding Yourself With Strong-Willed Friends May Help. psychologicalscience.org
Muraven, M. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: does self-control resemble a muscle?. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Bernheim, B. (2013). Poverty and Self-Control. isites.harvard.edu
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Dubner, S. (2015). When Willpower Isn’t Enough. freakonomics.com

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