Discipline

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A client recently declared that she “lacked discipline.” According to her reasoning, discipline is a fixed character trait: some people are more disciplined, others less so, and there’s not much one can do about it either way. She considered herself to be on the less disciplined end of the spectrum.

But what exactly do we mean by discipline? Is it true that some people simply have more, and others less? And, if you have less discipline, is there really nothing you can do about it?

Let’s say for the sake of argument that discipline is the ability to stay focussed on professional obligations (as unpleasant as they may be) without being distracted by more appealing tasks (so-called “emergencies” all too often provide an easy excuse for putting off less-enticing work for another day).

Sure, research on restraint and grit — led most famously by Walter Mischel and, more recently, Angela Duckworth — suggest that discipline (or something like it) is established at an early age. But that by no means implies that you must simply accept working inefficiently if you feel like you lack the discipline your peers have.

If you are reading this article, it means you are interested in your professional development. That means you have already undoubtedly spent considerable time and effort to get where you are today. Indeed, your successes up to this point are proof that you know how to do what it takes to rise above challenges in your professional life. That same ability to learn, improve, adapt, and in general do whatever it takes to keep advancing in your career, can also help you to make up for any lack of discipline you might have — real or imagined. 

But how? Two characteristics set humans apart from most other animals: (1) our ability to use tools; and (2) the determinative role that social connections play in our capacity to thrive. These two hallmarks of humanity provide the leverage that you can use to get yourself a bit of extra discipline where you think it might be lacking.

In some cases, tools can help you to modify the way you approach a task in order to render that obligation a bit less daunting. 

For example, I helped a client to overcome what he described as a lack of discipline regarding his email inbox by helping him to develop a new approach to what for him was a tedious endeavour. Since he was much more at ease vocally, he experimented with dictating his emails using a transcription app. Sure enough, this allowed him to draft responses much more quickly than typing them out. This small adaptation — developed based on careful reflection about his thinking style — transformed an onerous task into one that was relatively painless.

In other cases, social ties are your best bet for shoring up your discipline. 

For example, the people around you can help with encouragement, gentle reminders, or simply by refusing to enable you when you are seeking distraction; all you have to do is ask. Friends, colleagues and family members are all potential sources of support to whom you can reach out when you need help with discipline (just make sure the people whose help you enlist are dependable).

So what will work best for you? Each person is different; finding the solution best-matched to the lack of discipline you perceive can take time. However, the time you ultimately save will more than outweigh the investment

Not sure you have the discipline to invest this time? A good coach can help. Drop me a line here to explore how; you can take a look here if you would like to know more about me first.