How to Achieve Self-Discipline by Instructor Ma

How to Achieve Self-Discipline by Instructor Ma

My latest studies have been fascinating so I have been longing to write this article for you.

Why? Because learning the latest science and methods to improve your willpower is one of the best ways to create immense success.

At the base of all legendary performance in martial arts, business, sports, music, relationships and life lies a strong character—born from well-practiced self-control.

Study Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer. Gandhi and Zuckerberg. Darwin to Gaga. They all rose to where they are via the vehicle of inner strength.

You see it takes self-discipline to:

–put in the 10 years of practice research like Anders Ericsson’s has taught us is the minimal amount of training time needed before genius-level performances begin to present themselves.

–make the sacrifices needed to be made to get epic results. You can play video games for hours each day or become the undisputed master of your craft. But you can’t do both.

–to be relentless and display the grit needed to stay in the game and remain loyal to your vision long after the initial inspiration has vanished.

–keep learning each day, iterating your moves and optimizing your performance.

–remain focused, centered, and devoted in the face of the inevitable ridicule and laughter that your aim for iconic will generate. People residing within The Cult of Average don’t like to see others rise. It threatens their security. And spotlights their low self-worth.

As well, it’s my humble observation that we live in a world that doesn’t value the development of willpower so much. We revere the over-selfied TV stars and pedestal the viral video “fails”. But…

…the craftsperson quietly making art in her studio gets no due.

…the startup entrepreneur who gave up his luxuries to launch the dream is considered crazy.

…the mother or father who resists many social obligations to spend peak-quality time with their children is called an outlier.

…the manager who awakes at 5 am to run their morning ritual so they fly at work is labelled an eccentric.

Society invites us to pursue instant pleasure + fast bursts of joy + quick hits of feeling good.

But as you know if you’ve been following my work for a while: To have the results only 5% have, you have to do what only 5% are willing to do.

And high on the list is the pursuit of self-discipline. So here are some of the keys (many confirmed by recent research and good science) to help you to install world-class willpower in your life as a martial artist:

#1. Please know that self-control (scientists refer to it as “self-regulation”) has been found to be a lot like a muscle: the more you exercise it the stronger it grows. It’s pure myth that elite achievers are born with gifts you don’t have. And buying into that idea is a great way to avoid the discomfort of doing the work you need to do to enjoy the success you deserve to have.

#2. Research is also revealing that, every day, we draw willpower from the same reservoir. This means that checking your social notifications, watching the news, surfing the web, and shopping online steals the self-discipline that could be used for developing a core skill, scaling your business, getting ultra-fit, nourishing a gorgeous family life or strengthening your internal world.

#3. As you exercise the muscle of your will by making decisions, taking actions, and pursuing activities, your self-control “muscle” depletes. One of the world’s foremost researchers in this field, Roy Baumeister (read his superb book Willpower) calls this phenomenon “ego depletion”. This explains the behavior of celebrities that have destroyed their careers by one foolish move: they used up so much of their self-discipline energy on their crafts/practicing/performing that they had none left to wisely handle a temptation.

#4. By installing a daily routine to ensure “willpower renewal”, you’ll avoid ego depletion–and perform at your highest level. I suggest you schedule practices like visualization, conversation, smart entertainment and even napping into your day to make that happen.

#5. By pushing yourself to do what’s important but not easy, your self-control reservoir will expand. The places where your discomfort lives are the places where your power lies.

#6. Science also confirms that when we are tired, under stress and depleted, we have low glucose in our systems. And low levels of glucose diminish our self-discipline. By eating low glycemic index foods like meat, vegetables, and nuts, you’ll avoid that crash. And getting enough sleep also keeps your glucose levels where they should be. Sleep-deprived people don’t do beautiful work.

And if you want to learn a lot more of this kind of cutting-edge information so you become the highest performing person you know, completely lead your field at work and experience the success you’ve always wanted, you can contact us to join our school right away!

Hope all this helps. I know you have the capacity for your own form of greatness. I hope you’ll do whatever it takes to realize it.

About the author: Instructor Ma is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in the Korean self-defense art of Hapkido and a 2nd Dan in Traditional Taekwondo. She is a professional sports and fitness model and full time Nursing student. She is the Language, Culture and Leadership Development Teacher for the American Dragon Korean Martial Arts Academies and can be reached at www.AmericanDragonKoreanMartialArts.com