Self-discipline is a quality that many of us aspire to have in our lives. It’s the ability to stick to our goals, even when the going gets tough. In a world where every person, gizmo, and gadget is fighting for our attention – improving on our self-discipline can feel like an uphill battle.

We start out with the best intentions but life has a way of, well, getting in the way. Before we know it, we’re back where we started. Is it really motivation or drive that we lack or is what we need more self-discipline?

It’s one of the most important qualities we can develop in order to achieve the dreams we want in life. Discipline isn’t something you either have or don’t have. We often seem to refer to it as some innate talent a person is born with. The reality is, it’s a skill that can be developed, cultivated, and improved at any age through practice and repetition.  

Is Knowledge Enough?

As a high performance coach, my advice to improve in this area of your life looks something like this:

1. Be clear on the goal you’re going after.
2. Review it every single day. (Fail to do this part and you don’t stand a chance.)
3. Have a clear battle plan.
4. Schedule it. (If you don’t schedule it, it’s not real.)
5. Celebrate small wins along the way.

If it were this simple, everyone would be living it up on the beach with a Mai Tai in hand and a fat bank account.

As a lifelong student and facilitator of somatic techniques, I often use embodiment as an additional tool with my private coaching clients, I believe that building self-discipline is more than just a mental exercise. It involves cultivating a deep awareness of your body and how you’re responding to the challenges you face. 

Let’s explore why people lack discipline in the first place and the practical strategies for cultivating it in order to achieve your goals – from a somatic perspective.

What is Embodiment?

Embodiment is a holistic approach to personal development that emphasizes the mind-body connection. The study of embodiment recognizes that our bodies hold the key to unlocking our full potential and creating a lasting transformation. Through somatic practices such as breathwork, movement, and mindfulness, we become more aware of our bodies, emotions, and thoughts. This deep awareness allows us to develop greater self-regulation of our nervous system and overall discipline.

Somatic refers to the internal experience of the body, while embodiment refers to the external expression and interaction of the body and how we respond to the world around us. You’ll see the two terms often used together to describe the interconnection between mind, body, and our environment.

Why People Lack Discipline

There are a ton of reasons we lack discipline. From a somatic perspective though, one of the main reasons is a disconnection from the body. I think it’s safe to assume we spend a lot of time in our heads. It’s important to understand we are multi-dimensional beings. Lacking discipline could also mean there is a disconnection either mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or energetically. 

This sense of disconnectedness can cause a lack of alignment between our goals and values. I find that whenever I set goals that are not in alignment with my deepest values, it’s difficult to stay motivated and disciplined. 

An Embodied Approach To Improving Self-Discipline

Now that we’ve explored some of the reasons why people lack discipline, let’s look at some practical strategies for improving it from a somatic perspective. 

Building self-discipline requires a combination of mental and physical strategies. Here are some powerful techniques that can help you cultivate more self-discipline.

Be clear on your goals everyday.

As mentioned early, one of the keys to high performance is having clear goals and reviewing them every single day. It is mission critical to how you start your day. There are far too many distractions that can pull you in a hundred different ways. When you start your day with mental clarity about what you’re working towards in life and why, then you’re more likely to stay on track.

Connect Your Body to Your Values

To stay disciplined, it’s important to deeply connect with your values. Take some time to reflect on what’s most important to you in life. What do you value most in this season of your life? How do your goals align with your values?

Make a list and for each value, close your eyes and focus on your breath. How aligned does it feel? Something you valued 5 years ago can feel differently today. A clear understanding of your values can be used as an inner compass. For example, if the reason behind your goal is to please someone else, your body knows you’re out of alignment.

Living out of alignment with your values for too long can be detrimental to your mental and physical health, as well as your relationships and your overall well-being. It can lead to stress and anxiety leaving you feeling uneasy. It can manifest into physical symptoms like headaches, tension, and lack of sleep.

Living out of integrity with your true self can also cause guilt and shame, relationship problems, and lack of fulfillment so it’s important to take the time to identify your values and strive to live in alignment with them in order to lead a fulfilling and healthy life.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. It’s essential to improving self-discipline because it helps you become more attuned to your impulses and triggers. By practicing mindfulness, you’ll learn to recognize when you’re tempted to stray from your goals and that moment is the difference maker.

It’s everything.

That moment before you decide to crack open that sugary drink or open that bag of chips can either keep momentum going or break it.

Body Awareness

Similar to connecting your body to your values, you can practice tuning into your body regularly. It helps you identify what’s truly important to you. When you think about your goals, do you feel a sense of excitement and possibility, or do you feel dread or overwhelm? Pay attention to your physical sensations and emotional responses.

If you’re being asked to a party and it’s not a full body yes, then you can feel pretty good about honoring yourself in that moment and saying thanks but no thanks. Think about how much time you just gave back to yourself do things you actually want to do, yeah!

Claim it

Now that you’ve done the work to connect back with your authentic self, say hello to your inner power. That untamed driving force that doesn’t waste any time focused on what you can’t do but rather on what you can do. Use that force to decide that as of today I AM the kind of person who follows through on my commitments. Now, don’t just think it EMBODY IT! Say out 3x out loud. Roar it. Feel it. Jump around. Dance. Claim it.

Rituals

Like anything else, improving a skill takes practice. Intentional practice every single day. Here are a few rituals you can use as you cultivate more discipline into your life:

Body Check-Ins

Take a few minutes each day to do a body check-in. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and scan your body from head to toe. Notice any areas of tension, discomfort, or pain. Use this information to adjust your goals and strategies as needed. For example, if you notice that you’re feeling physically exhausted, it might be a sign that you need to adjust your plan, schedule or take a break to recharge.

Visualization

Visualization is a powerful somatic embodiment technique that can help you stay accountable to your goals. Take a few minutes each day to visualize yourself achieving your goal. See yourself taking action, overcoming obstacles, and ultimately succeeding. This works wonders to sustaining motivation and focus, even when unexpected challenges come your way. 

Movement

Move your body. Do what feels good to you. Try yoga, running, dancing, or switch it up and try doing something else entirely. Movement can help you release stress and tension, increase your energy levels, and boost your mood.

Journaling

My personal favorite, journaling. Yes journaling is also a somatic embodiment technique that can help you improve self-discipline. Writing gives you a space to take what’s in your head and place it on paper. I recently switched from writing in my journal to typing 750 words every morning. Think complete brain dump. I’m emptying out the cache, deleting old apps, clearing the inbox, and hitting refresh.

Take a few minutes each day to write about whatever is on your mind. It doesn’t have to make sense. You don’t have to judge it. It can be related to your goals or a fun story you thought of. You don’t have to look at it ever again but you could very well use that information to notice patterns about yourself.

Reflect and Evaluate

Feelin stuck? Here are some journal prompts you can use to get started:

• What does my highest self want me to know right now?
• What am I most grateful for in my life right now and why?
• If I could focus on just 3 things to move me me closer to my goals today what would they be?
• Where am I holding myself back in life out of fear?

I hope this gentle intuitive approach offers a new perspective into how you can improve this area of your life. This holistic approach can be incredibly powerful to follow through on those daily habits. Compounded overtime and you’ll be living the life you desire in no time.

I want to hear from you! Which technique did you find the most helpful? Drop it in the comments below.

PS If you’ve never tried a habit tracker to get you closer to your goals, it’s an absolute game-changer! You can download it free here.

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