By Mark David Peters

You have probably heard about self discipline before, but do you actually have it? This article examines the importance and development of self discipline in life.

The Temptation To Live An Undisciplined Life
In today’s society we live in a world where temptations are everywhere. We have TV, video games and sports to ensure we never get bored.

So is it any wonder that people struggle to focus on their school work, their jobs or their relationships? After all, why should you do something which is boring or hard, when you can do something that’s easy and fun instead?

Well the reality is you don’t have to do boring stuff and work hard, no one is forcing you to do that. Although if you choose not to do these things it is very likely that your school grades, job or relationships will suffer as a result.

Why? Because the things that are worth having in life, the things that have real long term value and meaning, are often the things that require time, effort and hard work.

But if we live in a society that makes having fun so easy, how can we focus on obtaining the things that really matter in life, when temptations make it so easy to do otherwise?

Self Discipline In Life
The answer to this question is self discipline. Discipline is the ability to force yourself to do something that you know you must do, even if you don’t feel like it.

In other words, discipline allows a person to resist the temptation of TV, video games and sports. Thereby allowing them to concentrate on their school work, jobs and relationships. The things that really matter and add value to your life.

At the risk of sounding like a bore, I don’t mean to say that discipline means you can’t have fun in life. No, that would be silly. We all need time for fun and entertainment, but there must be a balance, otherwise you will most likely fail to succeed in life.

This is the reason self discipline is so important in life, especially in today’s society which is constantly tempting us to choose the easy way out.

Developing Self Discipline
Whilst practicing self discipline may require lots of hard work and a strong will to master, eventually the more you discipline yourself to resist succumbing to the temptations of life, the more your self discipline will strengthen. In turn this makes it easier to apply discipline in the future.

So developing self discipline is just like any other skill in life. At first it will be hard, but the more you practice the stronger and easier it will become.

In a world that is made up of largely undisciplined and lazy people (especially those living in developed countries) having strong self discipline will give you an enormous advantage in life.

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