How to develop self-discipline that brings balance to your life and more fulfilment and happiness?
I have often asked myself the question of how I can bring peace, contentment and stillness into my life that is also filled with rigidness, growth and rollercoaster-like flows. The former three I have learned during my yoga teacher training and yoga practice, and I would like to bring these virtues into my day-to-day life as a coach, creator and entrepreneur. It is often not easy to combine the rather two different worlds of a yogi/yogini and an entrepreneur in a capitalistic world. Seeking constant growth, performance and feeling like being on a rollercoaster versus stillness, de-growth and pauses. They are rather the opposite of each other - but just like any opposites, they attract each other, and combining these two worlds together could create more harmony and balance in your life.
How can we achieve this? The answer is simple but also complicated. In my view it is all down to your self-discipline. What do I mean by this? Self-discipline allows us to accomplish the goals we set for ourselves for our day/week ahead, maybe even for our lives - it is about creating habits but also being able to allow spontaneity, creativity and anything that the heart desires. It is being able to say no and yes to things we want/ don't want to do. Self-discipline allows you to have rigidness if you want it but also fluidity and creativity if you allow yourself to be that way. I understand that we have a schedule and meetings and to-do lists, but with strong self-discipline we can also be creative, spontaneous and go with the flow, i.e. be in balance and get the best of both worlds.
How do I achieve self-discipline? It is starting with small things. You set yourself small goals for the day, for example "I want to wake up at 7:00 am (30 minutes earlier than usual) and start my morning with a healthy breakfast or a short yoga session or meditation". The goal is then to act upon your targets and develop the strength to actually do what you told yourself to do - it is holding yourself accountable for what you wanted to achieve today. It is about following through with it and not let things slip away. Believe me when I say, that it is not easy to develop discipline, especially when you don't have rigid boundaries for yourself. It is telling your tired or lazy self: "No I actually want to get up earlier now, and I will feel better when I follow through with it". When you achieve what you set yourself for the day, it feels good and you feel accomplished. Similarly, when you feel like you have developed a too rigid schedule for yourself, allow yourself to relax and take a break. Fill your day with little things that actually bring you joy. Here it comes back down to your self-discipline to allow yourself to take more breaks and do more of the things that fill your heart.
When you feel overwhelmed, stressed or like you just had too much going on in the past days, allow yourself to let the inner yogi out. Take a walk in nature, meditate, listen to music, go on a coffee/tea break with your friend, journal for an hour, or just take time off and fill it with self-care practices that give you back energy and make you feel good.
Life is all about balance, and at the end of the day it is an art to master. Be the creator and artist of your life and paint a beautiful life/home that you want to live in or feel like at home.
I hope this helps and gives food for thought. Let me know in the comments what you think and whether this helped you.
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