How I Improved My Life in a Year With Self-Discipline
Here’s how I stopped making excuses and accomplished my goals in a year
Everyone has dreams, their goals in life. But not everyone is willing to work for them. A while ago, I was one of those people. I had my goals, but I never seemed to accomplish any.
I wasn’t happy. I didn’t feel alive. I would stress about the things that aren’t important. I felt like I needed to change, so I did just that. One day I decided it was enough. I changed my daily routine and stuck to it for a year.
The main thing that was ruining my happiness was school. I would go to school, waste my day, and then go to training in the evening. I train basketball. I used to make excuses, like how I couldn’t work because of school. I always had excellent grades. I thought you couldn’t do anything besides studying.
I also had goals for basketball. I was improving, but slowly. So I stopped making excuses and started working more. But I still made myself a promise that I would be an excellent student.
So one night, I was lying in my bed and thinking. I have to get in better shape, study, and put in more work in basketball. How hard can it be?
Well, it was pretty hard at the start. But I was dedicated, so I quickly learned some things that helped me get through it. But before telling you those things, here’s my typical school day.
I would wake up at 6 AM. Make myself a smoothie and go to the gym. I would work out till 8 AM. Because I lived far from my high school, I wouldn’t go home. I would get something to eat and then go to school at 9 AM. My classes would finish at 3 PM. Then I would go to the basketball gym straight from school. Once I finish my training, I finally go home. I get home at about 6 PM, eat and rest a little. Then go to my team training at 8 PM. Once it’s finished, I get home, eat and shower. And all of a sudden, it’s 11 PM. That’s when I start doing my homework.
And I did that for a year. I improved in so many ways. Physically and mentally. I got in better shape and noticed changes in my body. I also got mentally tough. I achieved my goals in basketball, but I still am not satisfied. I want more. And I will work for it. I won’t stop. I got addicted to working, to self-improvement. And so should you.
Here are some of the things that helped me achieve this.
Self-discipline
There were times when I wouldn’t want to go to the gym. Times when I would only want to sleep. But I stayed true to myself and was disciplined. At the start, I made it clear to myself that I would accomplish my goals. And I didn’t let anything stop me.
I put myself through hell. That’s the thing you must do if you want to achieve anything. At the time, I had a lot of problems. One of them was burnout. Trust me. Burnout is real. But I had to make a choice. I chose to suffer now and enjoy later.
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
-Jim Rohn
But don’t get me wrong. Sleep is also very important. I would nap before my training to get my mind right. Sometimes, when necessary, I would sleep less in order to finish my homework. But most of the time, I would get about 6 hours of sleep.
I already wrote an article about self-discipline. If you want to learn more, go here: Mastering Self-Discipline (How To Achieve Goals And Fulfill Your Life).
Avoiding distractions
Usually, when I got home from school, I would grab my phone and start scrolling. Removing this from my daily routine was a game-changer. Not only did I get more time, but I also started thinking more clearly.
The funny thing is that I got better grades than when I had more time. It’s weird but true. And now I still hear people make excuses about not having enough time.
“It’s not that we have little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it.”
-Seneca
You have to sacrifice some things to succeed. Don’t go out every night. Use the time to work on something. Do it consistently, and it will pay off.
Working for myself
All of the things I did, I did for myself. Not for anybody else. Everyone at school probably used to think I was normal. They thought I would get home, lay in bed, and waste time. But there I was, in school at 9 AM, already having a more productive day than anyone else in there. But I didn’t say anything to anyone. I kept it to myself, and I found happiness in doing it.
Don’t tell people everything. They’ll try to ruin it for you. You might even start questioning yourself. But remember, any type of success breeds envy.
“When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Those were the things that helped me in my journey. I accomplished some of my goals and came closer to my dreams. I hope this article will help you do the same. Discipline is everything. Once you realize this, you’ll become unstoppable.
Here are some of my other articles that can help your self-improvement journey: Emotional Intelligence (How To Achieve Personal Growth With Stoicism) and Self-Improvement (How To Improve Your Spirit and Mind).
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