The best definition of self-discipline is ‘positive action’ – something to feel good about”. If you’ve decided to lose weight then you should be feeling good about that. Self-discipline is a form of self-control which we exercise consciously. Self-discipline is very important in our spiritual, emotional and spiritual life because it gives us the power, and the focus, to achieve what we want to achieve.
Saying ‘no’ to yourself is not easy. Denying yourself the gratification of eating something which is utterly delicious (but swarming in fats and sugars) is not easy, but the pay-off is huge. You feel really good when you’re able to resist temptation.
The temptation to find an excuse for not taking exercise, and not keeping to your personal exercise programme, has probably crossed your mind. When you have the self-discipline to cast out the demons that are trying to persuade you to be weak, the feeling is twice as good.
Napoleon Hill, author of several personal success books, put self-discipline this way: “Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you can’t control what you think, you cannot control what you do. Simply, self-discipline ensures you think first and act afterwards”.
If you want to lose weight permanently then you will need to have the self-discipline to change. You do this by learning new habits, slim habits. When you’ve achieved this – and you will – you’ll certainly have something to feel good about.