Freedom in self-discipline | Doing what we set out to do

KEY POINTS
> We can achieve freedom by having self-discipline.
> Using routines, habits and time management, we can instill self-discipline within us.
> We are free to choose. This makes our self-discipline take us from life’s prison and be able to do what we want.

Freedom in self-discipline

Self-discipline is the ability to control oneself. It is being able to control our own thoughts, emotions, and behavior to reach our goals. It is a mastery to resist any temptation that veers us away from accomplishing what we set out to do.

By having the ability to control our emotions, thoughts, and behavior which most of the time are reactive to external stimuli, we can have more freedom in how we live our lives.

Imagine no one dictating to us what to do. Imagine that we get to decide what we want to do. Picture a life in which we get to determine every action we take without anyone telling us what to do. A life like that means we are our own boss.

It’s about being your own boss, designing your own life, deciding what you’ll do and won’t do.

It’s about giving us the control to choose what’s best for us. It’s not about being trapped, but freeing ourselves from urges and short-term pleasures that could obscure our real goals.

This is where freedom results from having self-discipline. We become free to do what we want and need to do in order for us to accomplish our goals.

Self-discipline for freedom

Before we get that freedom, we must be clear with our personal goals. Goal setting is the process of identifying what we want and developing a plan for achieving it. Once we have that plan, it is a matter of willpower and motivation to get us going. In order for us to see it through, it is necessary to make it easy for us at the minimum. This takes building a routine, habit, and time management.

I. Routine

A routine is a set of activities done regularly in a particular order. This could be simple as waking up, having coffee, working out, and taking a shower. It could also be more complex as a regular training activity for a competition such as basketball or marathon.

By establishing routines, we create a world of our own that only us can dictate what to do. It does not depend entirely depend on other people telling us what to do. Our routines are what we decided to do. Anyone breaking our routines makes us irritated. Thus it is important that our routines are doable as this takes us closer to our goals. We are free to do what we want.

II. Habits

Habits are regular behaviors that are repeated consistently and are subconsciously triggered. In comparison to routine, which are activities we decide to do, habits are more dependent on actions taken or events that took place.

For example, drinking coffee can trigger us to smoke a cigarette. Or, after finishing a task at work or a meeting, we get up to get coffee or smoke. These are small actions we develop over time because we design ourselves to do it automatically.

It takes 60 days to build a habit. And once it is established, it is automatic for us even if our minds at preoccupied with thinking of something else. Brushing our teeth after a shower while thinking of how our day will progress can be automatic.

By creating our habits, and deciding what to do after a certain event, puts us in control of our lives. No one told us to smoke a cigarette after the meeting. We decided that for ourselves. No one told us to have a coffee in the morning. We liked that. We have the freedom to choose what habits we want to have for us to achieve our goals.

III. Time management

Time management is the process of conscious planning, allocating, and controlling how much time is spent on activities or tasks to achieve certain goals. We dictate when to do what, how much time to do what, and what to do to accomplish our goals.

We alone manage this. No one could tell us what to do with our time. It may have dependencies with others but still, it is our decision what to do with our time. We are in control as it is a possession no one really owns.

By having mastery of our time, we take control of our lives. We become free to use our time whatever we see fit. Being in control of our time sets us free from the chaotic demands of our world.

Self-discipline and freedom

Many of us think that having self-discipline limits us and surrenders our freedom. This is apparent in some activities that we must do such as working out when we need to follow a regimen to get fit that we do not get to do what we want. Or, eating certain food to stay healthy that prevents us from eating other food. It could also be said that our work schedule takes a hold of our time that instead of doing something fun, we feel like in prison in the office.

But these are all choices. Choices we make because we are free. When we have a clear goal, it is a choice that we make to achieve it. We create routines, and habits, and allocate time to accomplish our goals. We choose. We are free.

Self-discipline gives us freedom. There is freedom in self-discipline. By having the self-mastery to control our emotions, thoughts, and behavior, we create freedom for ourselves.