Self-Discipline in 10 Days (Theodore Bryan

• Self-discipline is a learnable skill that anyone can improve.

• It is important to follow the instructions and do the exercises in order to maximize the benefits.

• Our biggest obstacle to self-discipline comes from within - it is the rebellious, pleasure-seeking part of ourselves that resists structure and discipline. We call this part ‘Hyde’.

• Hyde believes that self-discipline will make us slaves to routine, lose our freedom and fun, and put too much pressure on ourselves.

• We need to understand how our personal Hyde operates in order to counteract its negative influence and turn it into an ally. This is key to success in developing self-discipline.

• The information and exercises in the book will provide the necessary knowledge and tools to transform Hyde from an saboteur into a partner in our self-discipline efforts.

• With Hyde as an ally rather than an enemy, self-discipline can become enjoyable rather than a battle.

Experience developing self-discipline as a constant struggle against the self-defeating parts of yourself, which the author refers to as “Hyde.” Hyde employs manipulative tactics to resist your efforts and maintain the status quo.

The five poisons Hyde uses are:

1. Cynicism: Finding flaws and imperfections to dismiss ideas and efforts. The antidote is having faith in your ability to improve and not expecting perfection. Respond to Hyde’s cynicism with positive self-talk.

2. Negativism: Focusing on the negative aspects of life and environment to make self-discipline seem pointless. The antidote is choosing a positive attitude and believing you can focus on the good. You create your own attitude.

3. Defeatism: Convincing you that you personally lack the ability to develop self-discipline, dredging up feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. The antidote is believing in your ability to benefit from the tools and techniques, regardless of your perceived traits or shortcomings. Many people have prospered using these methods.

4. Escapism: Seeking distractions and diversions to avoid self-discipline. The antidote is committing to your goals and the uncomfortable work required to achieve them. Take action rather than escaping.

5. Delayism: Postponing self-discipline efforts with excuses and rationalizations. The antidote is getting started right away before procrastination sets in. Take the first step now.

The key is to anticipate these self-defeating tactics from Hyde, call them out, and apply the appropriate antidotes to overcome them. Developing self-discipline requires struggling against yourself, but with awareness and commitment you can prevail.

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• Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. It involves sacrificing immediate pleasure or desire in favor of some greater good or more important goal.

• Lack of self-discipline is not caused by lack of time management, organizational skills, ambition, goals, motivation, or laziness. Those are symptoms, not causes. The root causes lie in our thoughts, beliefs, and self-talk.

• To strengthen your self-discipline, you need to identify and dispute irrational thoughts, challenge self-defeating beliefs, and replace negative self-talk with positive action-oriented messages.

• The key to self-discipline is making the choice to do what you know you should do, regardless of feelings. It is acting according to your values and priorities rather than reacting to your impulses or cravings.

• Self-discipline gets easier with practice as you strengthen your self-discipline “muscle.” Success builds upon success. Even small wins can help build your confidence and motivation.

• The payoff for self-discipline is huge. It leads to greater success, productivity, health, happiness, and peace of mind. It gives you more control over your life and a sense of purpose and direction.

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4. Understanding Self-Discipline

My definition of self-discipline is:

The ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.

In short, self-discipline is acting according to your values rather than reacting to your impulses. It’s doing what’s important rather than what’s exciting or expedient. It’s having the inner strength and fortitude to overcome laziness, procrastination, and distraction so you can achieve your goals and live according to your priorities.

Self-discipline is a habit and a skill that gets stronger the more you practice it. Like a muscle, it needs to be consistently exercised. Success builds upon success. Even small wins can help build your confidence and motivation.

The payoff for developing self-discipline is huge. It leads to:

• Greater success and achievement. Self-discipline is the foundation for accomplishing any meaningful goal.

• Improved health and well-being. Self-discipline helps you avoid unhealthy habits and maintain good ones like exercise, diet, and sleep.

• Increased happiness and peace of mind. Self-discipline reduces stress, anxiety, and regret. You feel more in control of your life.

• Higher productivity and effectiveness. Self-discipline gives you the ability to avoid distractions and focus on what matters most.

• A strong sense of purpose and direction. Self-discipline is guided by your values and priorities, not your fleeting desires or cravings.

In short, self-discipline is one of the most important skills you can develop to create the life you want. But to strengthen it, you must understand what undermines it and the tools that can help build it.

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The Enemies of Self-Discipline

The primary obstacles to self-discipline are:

1. Irrational thoughts and beliefs: Things like “I have to be in the mood,” “I work better under pressure,” “I can’t change the way I am.” These kinds of thoughts will sap your self-discipline.

2. Negative self-talk: Constantly telling yourself things like “I should do this” or “I have to do that” or “I can’t do this.” This makes you feel stressed, inadequate, and powerless.

3. Poor planning: Not having clear goals, priorities, and schedules. If you don’t know specifically what you need to do and when, you have little guidance for your self-discipline.

4. Lack of values focus: Not being clear on your core values and priorities and how your goals and tasks relate to them. Your self-discipline needs to be fueled by purpose and meaning.

5. All-or-nothing thinking: Believing you have to do something perfectly or not at all. This can paralyze you and prevent you from taking action. Do the best you can and avoid perfectionism.

6. Shortsighted thinking: Only considering the immediate consequences of your actions rather than the long-term impact. You need to weigh both to make the best choice.

7. Lack of habits: Not having good systems, routines, and practices to support important goals or tasks. Self-discipline relies heavily on good habits and follow-through.

8. Poor impulse control: Giving in too easily to cravings, desires, and distractions rather than acting intentionally based on your priorities. This undermines self-discipline.

The tools and techniques in the following chapters will help you overcome these obstacles by enabling you to develop a strong, consistent self-discipline habit. But first, you must understand what self-discipline really is, and is not, so you have the right mindset.

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5. Values and Priorities:

The Foundation of

Self-Discipline

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Self-Discipline in 10 days

Your values and priorities provide the foundation for your self-discipline. Without clearly defined values and a focused set of priorities to guide them, your self-discipline will lack purpose and direction.

Values describe what is most important to you in life—the principles that guide your choices and behavior. Things like integrity, family, health, growth, justice, adventure, security, etc. Your core values shape your character and the person you want to be.

Priorities represent the most important goals or areas of focus you have at any given time based on your values. They are more short-term than values but still guide self-discipline. For example, learning a new skill, completing a project at work, spending more time with loved ones, improving your fitness, etc.

When you know your values and priorities, you have a compass to steer your self-discipline. You can ask yourself questions like:

• Will choosing this over that move me closer to my priorities?

• Will taking this action violate my core values in any way?

• Is what I’m doing aligned with what’s most important to me?

Without this compass, your self-discipline is aimless or even works against you. You’re more easily distracted or discouraged because you lack purpose. But when you can connect your choices and actions to your deepest values and priorities, you tap into motivation and meaning. Your self-discipline becomes fueled by something greater than yourself.

So spend time reflecting on your core values and priorities. Be specific in defining them. Write them down and refer to them often as a guide for using your self-discipline in a purposeful way. Let them motivate you when your self-discipline starts to weaken. With values as your compass, self-discipline becomes much more meaningful and powerful.

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5. Values and Priorities

Identifying Your Core Values

Your core values are the principles or ideals that shape your character and guide your decisions in life. They represent your highest priorities for how you want to live and interact with the world. Some common examples include:

Integrity - Honesty - Compassion - Achievement - Security - Adventure - Generosity - Justice - Wisdom - Courage - Humor - Optimism

To identify your core values:

1. Review the list above and select the values that are most important to you. Circle or highlight them.

2. Now rank your top 3-5 selected values in order of priority. These are your core values.

3. For each value, write a brief description of what that value means to you and why it’s important. How does it influence your choices and behavior?

4. Finally, think about how these core values translate into priorities and goals in your life right now. How can you express them on a daily or weekly basis? This helps give your self-discipline meaning and direction.

Your core values are the principles that you want to guide your life. They represent your highest priorities for the kind of person you want to be and how you want to interact with and influence the world. All other priorities and goals should be compatible with these deepest values.

Refer to your core values often to make sure you are using your self-discipline to focus on what matters most. Let them motivate and inspire you. They provide the “why” behind your effort and discipline. With your values as a compass, self-discipline becomes second nature. You do what you know is right for the right reasons.

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Identifying Your Priorities

Your priorities represent the most important areas of focus or goals you have at the present time based on your values. They require self-discipline to achieve but also provide motivation for it.

Some priorities you might identify include:

• Improving relationships (spending more time connecting with loved ones)

• Advancing in your career (completing projects, developing skills, seeking new opportunities)

• Improving your health (exercising more, eating better, sleeping well, reducing stress)

• Gaining new knowledge or experiences through reading, taking a class, traveling, learning a skill, etc.

• Achieving an important work or home goal such as reorganizing your office or closets, redecorating, paying off debt, etc.

To determine your key priorities:

1. Review your core

The key to developing self-discipline is understanding its true nature. Self-discipline is a skill that can be learned. It involves coordinating your conscious and subconscious mind. The biggest obstacles to self-discipline are subconscious fears, especially fear of failure. Over the next 10 days, you will learn about these fears and how to overcome them through various exercises. The exercises involve writing to tap into your feelings and insights. Be honest in your writing and destroy it after if needed for privacy. The more you involve your whole self in this process, the more committed you will become to developing self-discipline.

• We fear failure because we link it to humiliation and blows to our self-esteem.

• This fear hinders our ability to fully commit to tasks and achieve self-discipline.

• To overcome this fear, we must stop linking failure to self-worth. Failure is a stepping stone, not a reflection of who we are.

• We also fear success due to the responsibilities and difficulties that come with it. This fear operates subconsciously through negative self-talk that sabotages our efforts.

• Examples of this self-talk include:

• “Maybe I don’t really deserve success.” This comes from low self-esteem and feelings of guilt or unworthiness.

• “If I succeed, others may become jealous and resentful.” We worry about how others may react and it holds us back.

• “Success means more work and responsibility.” We are wary of the effort required to achieve and maintain success.

• “Once I’ve succeeded, what’s next?” We fear success may leave us without further purpose or motivation.

• “I’m afraid of change.” We cling to the familiar rather than risk the unknown of success.

• To overcome fear of success, we must identify this negative self-talk, challenge those thoughts, and replace them with more constructive attitudes. Success can be viewed as growth and opportunity rather than a threat.

• Both fear of failure and fear of success drain our self-discipline by creating inner conflict and preventing full commitment to our goals. Recognizing and overcoming these fears is key to achieving our full potential.

• Fear of rejection is a dominant force in many people’s lives due to the human desire to be liked.

• Fear of losing favor with others can block people from pursuing their goals and exercising self-discipline.

• David’s story illustrates how fear of rejection stemming from childhood experiences with a disapproving father developed into a general anxiety about displeasing anyone, making self-discipline very difficult.

• David’s anxiety caused feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, leading to a defeatist attitude that prevented self-discipline.

• Fear of rejection leads people to seek approval and please others at the expense of their own needs and desires. They have difficulty saying no and setting boundaries.

• To overcome fear of rejection, people must learn to validate themselves instead of constantly seeking external validation. They must set boundaries, say no when needed, and pursue their own needs and desires.

• It is impossible to live without some rejection and disapproval. People must accept this and not let the possibility of rejection paralyze them. Focusing on ones values and priorities can help overcome fear of rejection.

• Perfectionism is often a cover for an underlying fear of mediocrity.

• The fear of mediocrity produces anxiety and stress, which can lead to harmful behaviors like procrastination, alcoholism, drug abuse, and depression.

• When we fear not achieving perfection, it undermines our self-discipline because we tell ourselves it’s better not to try than risk failing or being mediocre.

• Perfection is impossible, so chasing it is futile. We need to accept our imperfections and humanity.

• The exercise involved exploring three experiences where fear of mediocrity held you back, starting from childhood. The goal is to gain insight into the origins of this fear and how it has shaped your attitudes and behaviors.

• Hyde, the inner self-saboteur, will try to discourage actually doing the writing exercise. We must not listen and instead do the exercise.

• Note any physical or emotional reactions that come up during the exercise. They provide clues to how past experiences still influence you today.

The key takeaway is that we must overcome the fear of mediocrity and perfectionism to build self-discipline. Accepting our imperfections and limits is essential. Examining the roots of these fears through exercises like the one described here can help in overcoming them.

Here is a summary of Day Five - Fear of Risks:

• Fear of risks holds you back from taking opportunities to strengthen your self-confidence and self-discipline. It causes you to avoid unfamiliar situations and stay in your comfort zone.

• Self-confidence and self-discipline feed off each other. When you avoid risks, your self-confidence atrophies, which weakens your self-discipline.

• You can overcome fear of risks by changing your attitude. View risks as opportunities, not dangers. Challenge catastrophic thoughts about what might go wrong.

• Do the exercise to explore past experiences where taking a risk led to regret. This helps you identify where your fear of risks originated and the emotions involved. Recognizing these experiences defuses their power over you.

• Make a list of the 5 subconscious fears from the previous days and rate which influence you the most. This helps imprint them in your mind so you can recognize them when they affect you.

• Remember that Hyde, your inner saboteur, will try to get in your way. Review the information on Hyde to stay motivated.

• You’ve made progress but still have more work ahead. Keep learning about subconscious beliefs and using the tools to build your self-discipline. Staying aware of psychological barriers is key.

The summary outlines the main takeaways around fear of risks, gives an overview of the key exercise, and encourages you to keep making progress by continuing to gain self-awareness and work on your self-discipline. The assistant focuses on the essential points you need to know while keeping the summary concise. Please let me know if you would like me to clarify or expand on any part of the summary.

The “All or Nothing” attitude refers to a belief that there are only two extremes: winners or losers, all or nothing. This belief fosters self-defeating behavior and paralyzes efforts to develop self-discipline. It equates stumbling with failing completely and prevents people from starting tasks because they feel they must do them perfectly or not at all.

To offset this attitude, use visualization. Visualization refers to creating mental images and is a powerful self-discipline tool. It works by programming your subconscious mind and reducing the influence of self-defeating thoughts and fears. To use visualization, consciously create vivid and detailed mental images of yourself achieving your goals or completing the steps of your project. Include senses like sight, sound, and smell. Practice visualization regularly before starting a project, even if just for a short time. This will increase your confidence and motivation, strengthen your commitment, and make you less susceptible to negative thoughts that undermine your self-discipline.

In summary, replace an “all or nothing” way of thinking with visualization to build your self-discipline. Visualizing the details of your success will maximize your chances of achieving your goals.

• Perfectionism is an anxiety provoker that leads to procrastination and hinders self-discipline. Challenge the belief “I must be perfect” whenever it arises.

• Realize that getting it done is more satisfying than dreaming of perfection. Perseverance produces more than talent, smarts or luck.

• Do the mediocre letter exercise to reprogram your attitude about perfectionism.

• Use a systematic reward system to motivate yourself:

• Private praise: Congratulate yourself for every small step. Use supportive phrases from someone who believed in you.

• Contracts: Make specific self-contracts, quantify them if needed, to reward steps toward your goals. Reward yourself immediately.

• Gradual steps: Break down big goals into small, manageable steps. reward yourself for each step. This builds momentum and reduces anxiety.

• Do not berate yourself for slip-ups. Say “I’ll do better next time.” Punishments do not work as well as rewards.

• Smile when you give yourself praise or rewards. This reinforces the message for your subconscious mind.

• Reward systems are the easiest, most effective way to motivate self-discipline. Use them consistently for best results.

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list I will give myself a reward of ten points. For every 100 points I accumulate I will give myself $10 to spend in any way I choose.”

Now write out your self-contract and post it where you will see it daily. And be sure to give yourself the reward immediately upon accumulating the points. The psychology here is that your mind and behavior will connect the dots between the steps you take and the reward you receive. This connection then gives you an incentive to continue taking steps toward your goal.

Gradual Steps: Break down large, difficult-to-achieve goals into a series of small, manageable steps. Then systematically reward yourself for the completion of each step. This important technique reduces anxiety and fear of failure. It also builds momentum.

For example: Let’s say you want to write a short story. Don’t begin with the idea of writing the entire story. That looks too big, too difficult. Instead, break it down:

Step 1: Reward yourself for coming up with an idea or topic.

Step 2: Reward yourself for outlining three major events in the plot.

Step 3: Reward yourself for fleshing out the details of event one.

Step 4: Reward yourself for completing a rough draft of event two.

And so on…all the way to the completion of your short story.

Can you see the power in this approach? By rewarding the small steps, you are building your motivation, reducing anxiety, gaining enthusiasm, building confidence and creating momentum. Please use this proven technique for any goal that looks too big or difficult. Break the goal down into small, doable steps and reward every step. You will be amazed at the results.

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11.”I MustBe Perfect”

Intelligent beings seek rewards. The most intelligent beings systematically plan their rewards to maximize desired results. Applying this sound system of rewards and proximal goals to your own self-discipline is guaranteed to make the journey much smoother, while getting you to your destination.

Here is an example of writing affirmations using the Vitamind technique:

I, Susan Johnson, walk two miles a day, five days a week.

You, Susan Johnson, walk two miles a day, five days a week.

Susan Johnson walks two miles a day, five days a week.

I, Susan Johnson, walk two miles a day, five days a week.

You, Susan Johnson, walk two miles a day, five days a week.

Susan Johnson walks two miles a day, five days a week.

I, Susan Johnson, walk two miles a day, five days a week.

You, Susan Johnson, walk two miles a day, five days a week.

Susan Johnson walks two miles a day, five days a week.

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The key steps are:

1. Select a goal or task for which you want to build self-discipline.

2. Write an affirmation sentence for your goal using first, second and third person.

3. Copy the three sentences two more times so you have three groups.

4. As you write, pay attention to any negative or resistant thoughts and write them down separately.

5. Focus on writing in a thoughtful, intentional manner rather than mechanically.

6. Use the affirmations regularly, especially when you feel resistance or procrastination regarding your goal. Repeat them out loud or silently.

The power of affirmations comes from retraining your subconscious mind. At first, your negative and resistant thoughts may seem louder. But as you continue to repeat the affirmations, your positive messages will become dominant. Be patient and consistent, and you will find your self-discipline and motivation increasing steadily.

The Vitamind technique provides a simple but powerful way to motivate yourself from within. When you use affirmations along with the other tools and strategies recommended in this book, you will be well on your way to achieving any goal or developing any habit you choose. Success is within your reach! Now get started writing those affirmations.

Here’s a summary of the key points from this section:

• People change constantly, but they must choose to change. Developing self-discipline requires choosing to change your habits and behaviors.

• Your past does not dictate your present or future. You can break free from past patterns and reinvent yourself through conscious choices and decisions.

• Taking personal responsibility for your life and circumstances is key to developing self-discipline. Blaming external factors prevents you from taking action.

• Reducing stress, anxiety, and tension increases your self-discipline. Relaxation techniques can help decrease these feelings and make it easier to take action.

• Hyde creates anxiety and stress to prevent you from stepping out of your comfort zone and being self-disciplined. The “Avoidance Process” leads you to escape the task to relieve this discomfort, even though you know there will be negative consequences later.

• Identifying which specific tricks Hyde is using against you, and why, allows you to counteract them. Relaxation techniques are one way to overcome Hyde’s resistance.

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can then decide to either negotiate with or overcome the resistance. Once you understand that the stress you feel in these situations is largely manufactured by Hyde for the express purpose of keeping you stuck, then you can do something about it. You can relax.

Here is a quick relaxation technique called Mini Relaxation. Use it anytime you need to decrease stress and increase self-discipline. It takes only 30 to 60 seconds, so you can do it almost anywhere without calling attention to yourself.

Mini Relaxation

Sit or stand with good posture. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose and silently say “relax” as you inhale.

Do a quick body scan, mentally checking your body for any noticeable tension. Release any tension with your exhale.

Take another deep breath through your nose. Relax your facial muscles. Let your jaw drop slightly open. Relax your forehead and eyebrows.

Take another deep breath. Relax your neck and shoulders. Let your shoulders drop. Relax your chest, back and abdomen.

Take another deep breath. Relax your arms and hands. Let your fingers gently curl. Relax your legs and feet.

Take one more deep breath. Feel relaxation flowing through your entire body.

Open your eyes and continue what you were doing before Mini Relaxation.

Use Mini Relaxation before confronting any task or situation where Hyde is actively trying to weaken your self-discipline. It will help neutralize the avoidance process by reducing anxiety and fear. The more you practice, the more proficient you will become. Soon, you’ll be able to relax at will, even in difficult situations. This ability alone can greatly strengthen your self-discipline.

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13. “I Cant Change”

The more you practice relaxation in general, the more naturally self-disciplined you will become. Here are some other things you can do to strengthen the relaxation-self-discipline connection:

• Spend more time engaging in hobbies and leisure activities you enjoy. Make sure to schedule them into your life.

• Get light to moderate exercise on a regular basis. Go for walks, do some yoga, lift weights. Exercise releases endorphins that improve your mood and act as natural relaxants.

• Practice deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques can deeply relax your body and mind. Even taking a few deep, slow breaths can help you feel calmer.

• Limit stress and stimulation. Reduce noise and chaos in your environment. Limit screen time and social media use. Spend time away from technology out in nature.

• Get enough sleep every night. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep to feel well-rested. Lack of sleep increases stress and impairs self-control and decision making.

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Limit sugar, processed foods, and caffeine which can increase stress and anxiety. Focus on whole foods like fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Staying nourished gives you energy and helps you feel good.

• Do something kind for someone else. Helping others gets your mind off your worries and boosts your own wellbeing through the release of oxytocin, the “love hormone.”

• Practice mindfulness exercises like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga. Spending just a few minutes focused on the present moment can induce a deep state of calm.

The more you actively strengthen the relaxation-self-discipline connection, the easier it will be to overcome Hyde’s tricks. You will get very good at spotting anxiety and fear, decreasing them, and then taking action toward your goals.

• We have an exaggerated fear of catastrophic events happening to us. This is an evolutionary mechanism to keep us safe, but it can be taken too far.

• Our subconscious mind will often bring up the worst possible outcomes and remind us of past failures when we try to take risks or pursue goals. This can paralyze us with fear and inhibit our self-discipline.

• The belief “Something Terrible Will Happen” operates in subtle ways. We need to be aware of when this belief is inhibiting us so we can challenge it.

• We need to determine if our fears are based on real concerns or exaggerated catastrophic thinking. Challenge unrealistic fears with rational thinking.

• Goals need to be turned into concrete plans to have the best chance of being achieved. A “goal sheet” is a tool to help turn dreams into actionable goals.

• A goal sheet includes: the goal, reasons for wanting to achieve it, obstacles, strategies to overcome obstacles, target dates, rewards, and accountability.

• Reviewing and updating your goal sheet regularly keeps you on track and maintains motivation and self-discipline.

• Share your goal sheet with others for support and accountability. Let them check-in on your progress.

• Start working on your goal sheet today for your most important goals. Turn your dreams into reality through concrete planning and action.

Does this summary cover the key highlights from the passage on overcoming the belief that “something terrible will happen” and using a goal sheet? Let me know if you have any other questions!

Here is a summary of the Decision Stage:

1. Choose a goal that you really want. Make sure it is your goal, not someone else’s expectation of what you should do.

2. Clarify the specifics of your goal. The more specific and detailed the better. Write your goal down.

3. Determine why this goal is important to you. Write down your purpose and benefits. Refer to these when motivation lags.

4. Anticipate what you will have to give up to pursue this goal. Make sure you are willing to accept the sacrifices. If not, rethink your goal.

5. Use visualization to strengthen your motivation and build self-confidence in your ability to succeed. Repeat regularly.

6. Deal with any self-doubt or guilt feelings related to pursuing your goal. Become aware of Hyde’s tricks. Don’t believe everything you think.

7. Tell family and friends about your goal, as long as they are inclined to support you. Ask for their encouragement. Public declarations strengthen commitment.

8. Make an open-ended decision. Commit to pursuing your goal for a limited period of time, say 3 months. You can always renew your commitment, but this approach reduces pressure and fear of long-term sacrifice.

9. Use the Goal Sheet to transform your goal into a concrete and achievable one. Refer to it often to keep you on track. Update as needed.

10. Start a success journal to record your progress, thoughts, feelings, learnings, and victories. Refer back regularly to maintain motivation and confidence.

The Decision Stage puts the psychological foundation in place. Do it thoroughly before moving on to the Preparation Stage. Success depends on it! The more work you do at the front end, the less struggle at the back end.

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To be ready for the Action Stage, you need:

1. Knowledge of the psychological principles of self-discipline and how your personal Hyde operates. Know Hyde’s tactics, when and why Hyde uses them.

2. Proficiency in using all five self-discipline tools: Visualization, Vitamins, Relaxation, Self-talk, and Rewards. The more you use them, the easier self-discipline becomes.

3. Ability to identify self-defeating thoughts from Hyde that cause resistance to action. Counter them with the tools.

4. A habit of consciously using the tools, especially Visualization, Self-talk, and Rewards, throughout the day and at key times like before sleep and upon waking.

5. Awareness of Hyde’s attempts to minimize the impact of self-discipline failures or justify roadblocks. Have prepared responses ready.

6. A simple daily plan in place to provide guidance and reminders. Break big tasks into small, manageable steps.

7. Psychological preparation through using Visualization, Vitamins, and Self-talk prior to and during action.

With the knowledge, skill, awareness, and preparation, you are ready to successfully navigate the Action Stage. Follow your plan, use the tools, and counter Hyde. Success is built step-by-step through consistent action and perseverance. Stay focused on progress, not perfection. You’ve got this!

Here is a summary of the key points for the Completion/Maintenance Stage:

• Be aware and alert for Hyde’s tricks to undermine your progress. Relaxation and self-monitoring help with awareness.

• Maintain a positive attitude. Use self-talk, visualization, and Vitaminds to counter Hyde’s attempts to negatively impact your attitude.

• Continue taking action and monitor your consistency and progress. Don’t slack off just because you’re close to completion. Use rewards to keep yourself motivated.

• If you encounter difficulties, pinpoint the specific action you’re avoiding and explore why. Uncover the payoffs of avoiding it and the consequences of putting it off. Visualize the benefits of success.

• Personalize the tools and techniques to find what works for you. Vary their use to keep them effective. Give Hyde a friendly name to build a more supportive relationship.

• Lack of progress in this stage may indicate you didn’t put in enough effort in the Decision and Preparation stages. Go back and strengthen those foundations.

• Self-discipline is a lifelong process. Maintenance never really ends. Stay aware and keep using the tools and techniques you’ve learned.

The keys to success in this stage, as in all the others, are awareness, attitude, and action. Maintain vigilance over Hyde’s tricks, believe in yourself and your ability to succeed, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You can do this! Stay focused on your goals and keep your eyes on the benefits of completion. With practice, self-discipline will become a habit.

As a child, you may have had a nickname that only your close family and friends called you. Using that childhood nickname when addressing your subconscious mind (represented by Hyde) can help make Hyde more receptive to your messages. Salespeople frequently use a customer’s name to build rapport and make the customer more open to their sales pitch. You can employ a similar technique by using a friendly nickname when communicating with Hyde. Addressing Hyde by a personalized name can help encourage maximum cooperation and minimal conflict, allowing you both to achieve your shared goal. Using this simple tip from the sales world may yield surprisingly helpful results in strengthening your self-discipline.

Self-discipline is a skill that can be learned and improved through practice. It is not an inherent personality trait. Regularly applying the techniques you have learned, and occasionally reviewing the material, will help make exercising self-discipline easier and more automatic over time.

For more information about self-discipline courses, resources, and speaking engagements, contact:

Theodore Bryant, MSW c/o HUB Publishing Box 15352 Seattle, WA 98115

Mr. Bryant welcomes readers to share their own self-discipline stories, tips, and advice with him by writing to the address above.

Theodore Bryant is an expert in human behavior and has taught self-discipline courses for over 10 years. He is the author of Self-Discipline in 10 Days. Through teaching, writing, and media appearances, Mr. Bryant has helped many people strengthen their self-discipline. His courses have reached individuals from diverse fields and backgrounds. Mr. Bryant’s engaging and lighthearted teaching style makes learning practical and effective. He combines humor and wisdom to help listeners quickly grasp concepts to improve their self-discipline.

Mr. Bryant has a background in psychotherapy, gerontology, writing, and public speaking. He is a former faculty member at the University of Utah’s Graduate School of Social Work. He has lectured at multiple universities and developed training materials, handbooks, and other resources for government agencies, private businesses, and consumers. He has served as a consultant on government-funded projects aimed at innovation and supporting developmentally disabled populations.