Personal Discipline

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bonekd12
bonekd12 Posts: 6 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Does anyone have a tip or two on developing the discipline needed to reach health goals? I did fine about 10 years ago, but have been way too lazy as of late and have no good excuses. Thanks for any feedback...

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  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
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    Everybody approaches it a little differently, but I've always found it helpful to define my end-state / long-term goal, and then define smaller supporting / short- & mid-term goals that will help me get there.

    The shorter-term goals are good for highlighting progress and help keep the longer-term goal in sight. As you go through your day-to-day activities, it becomes easier to think about what you're doing is helping you reach your goals or not - and you can adjust your behaviors accordingly.

    Good luck!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    Everyone is different but I think the Weight Watchers way is good - it's constant support.

    Motivation only lasts so long and discipline also sort of wanes. You need a tribe - friends at the gym and to talk to about healthy eating and exercise. Read Fitness magazine and other such types of publications.

    Of course, we're always around here on mfp !!!
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Being active on my newsfeed with my MFP friends has been crucial for me. It makes me feel accountable to post what fitness related activities I have done throughout the day, even if no one would really notice if I didn't. I FEEL like they would, and I don't want to disappoint. I think without that, I would too easily say...ehh....I don't feel like working out this morning, I'm just going to lay in bed.
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited April 2019
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    @MostlyWater

    No definition of "discipline" that I am aware of implies that it "wanes".
    That is one reason why it is intrinsically different than motivation.
    Motivation does wane, but true discipline does not.

    discipline noun
    dis·​ci·​pline | \ ˈdi-sə-plən \
    Definition of discipline
    1a : control gained by enforcing obedience or order
    b : orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior
    c : SELF-CONTROL

    Also, just because you may "need a tribe", does not mean everyone else does.
    Actually the argument could be made that if you "need a tribe" to achieve your goals then you may not have much discipline.

    Sorry to be pedantic, but words mean things.
    When you start distorting the meaning of words then you make it harder to properly communicate.

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