Going From Thinking to Doing -- Guide to Self- Discipline

So you set your goals for the new year, now what? START, and be DISCIPLINED about it!

It's just about the middle of January 2021. How many of your goals have you started working towards? Did you make any steps towards any long term goals? The momentum of the first month of the new year is still upon us, however, I can't say there hasn't been some struggles in these first 13 days, but goals don't just happen, you have to work hard to get them. There is a discipline that not everyone has (a discipline everyone is constantly working towards). Not to get all scholarly, but an American Entrepreneur, Jim Rohn said "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments." In other words, self-discipline is how you go from just setting your goals to accomplishing them. Let that quote sink in and realize that the only thing standing in the way of you and your goals, is you and ONLY YOU! 

Here are some ways I've found to live a happier and more disciplined life:

• GET OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD!
  It ALL starts with you! Make sure your goals are aligned to what makes you happy, and the person you want to be. Once you set your goals, it's time to begin. A BIG STEP, but a much needed one -- new year, new me am I right? Starting is the hardest part of anything because anxiety and self-doubt creeps in and we begin to feel overwhelmed and (in my case) procrastinate. I end up losing motivation and get in a creative slump. BUT, I guarantee that once you begin a step toward your goal, the weight of starting it will lift off your shoulders. You'll become more happy and confident in achieving your goals. 
• WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!
  I have become so much more productive now that I put my planner to use. Anyone else buy a planer because it was cute and you thought you'd use it, but it ended up in your desk drawer for the whole year? Just me? Didn't think so. BUT THIS YEAR, one of my goals was to use my planner at least twice a week. So far so good, and I've checked a lot off my to-do lists. Any time I have an idea, thought, or think of something I need to do, I write it all in there. Even a copy of my most important goals are in there. No matter when I look through my planner, there is always something to check off and there is always some sort of inspiration around it! 
• GIVE YOURSELF TIME!
  Long-term goals are just that, LONG. They take time and you have to be okay with that. Believe me, there are a billion things I wish I could be working on to better myself, my brand, and become the person I want to be, but there is only so much time in the day. In that time, you have to remember your well-being -- take time for yourself. You are doing this for you, but you are still exerting yourself. You need time to rest, recuperate, and reset your mind for a new day. Allow yourself time to grow and experience the journey of achieving your goals. 

If anything else, make sure that all of your goals and what you are doing to achieve them are aligned with your happiness. If you are chasing goals are not yours or some you created with wrong intentions will not be achieved. What is for you will come, and what is not, will not. Everything happens for a reason, and God doesn't make mistakes. That does not mean you won't make mistakes. Not every step you take will be in a step in the right direction but there is always time to adjust and refocus yourself. Focus on your growth, happiness, and love, and you will be able to share it with anyone you come across.