While many authors write on self-discipline, few authors write on self-discipline for students. In this post, I tackle this very issue and I offer tips to help students become more self-discipline – and to see the success they want to see in their lives and future careers.

Self-Discipline and the Average Student

The average student is not self-disciplined.

Students are normally not disciplined with money, they’re not disciplined with their diet, and they’re not disciplined when it comes to studying and building their careers.

Without discipline, students won’t see consistent results. In fact, they will see the antithesis of what they want – they’ll have less money in their bank accounts, they’ll gain weight, and they will probably not be working at their desired career of area of work.

What’s surprising (or unsurprising) is that every student you talk to will tell you that they can benefit from more self-discipline. And there is a lot of research to back that up. Yet very few students invest in building their self-discipline muscle.

The majority neglect it.

The importance of self-discipline is thus no secret. Everyone is already aware that it takes serious self-discipline to reach personal, professional and financial goals. But the secret is not in knowing what’s important for success, it’s in taking disciplined action.

5 Tips to Improve Self-Discipline for Students

Let me share with you a few tips that I have used to help me build my self-discipline muscle and how that can help students become more self-disciplined.

1. Focus On One Thing at a Time

Students usually want to become self-disciplined in many different areas – all at the same time.

I understand their temptation. We all want to get better at too many things and see a radical change in our daily lives and overall lifestyle.

But, from my experience, tackling a lot of things at once will not work. You will be all over the place.

For best results, I recommend focusing on improving one and only one area of your life. Pick an area where you desire to see the most change and build your self-discipline muscle in that area. In other words, choose one area and make it your focus.

2. Be Prepared to Make an Effort

For students to become more self-disciplined, they need to be prepared to make an effort.

Just like it takes hard work in the gym to lose weight or build muscle, it also takes effort to build your self-discipline.

Understanding this fact going into the process makes it easier for you to persist when you come face to face with negative self-talk. Don’t give in to the negativity, and focus on making a chance.

3. Take Massive Action And Write About it

I saw the best results when I started taking massive action on a consistent basis.

For example, when I decided to become more disciplined with writing, I made it a priority to write first thing in the morning AND to write a lot.

The more writing and journaling I did every morning, the more natural writing felt to me. Over time, I found myself being able to crank 1000 words in about an hour or two.

If you want to improve an area of your life, then start an online journal. You can also benefit from using a digital writing assistant like Grammarly – Disclosure: if you make a purchase using my link, I will receive a commission because you are using me as a referral. Please understand that I talk about this products because I believe in it and can stand behind it.

Grammarly is an amazing writing assistant tool. I sometimes feel like it can read the writer’s mind and help the writer organize content, structure paragraphs and express thoughts clearly and concisely. Countless undergraduate and graduate students have used it with great success.

If you are struggling with writing, see my post on how to write a thesis in 30 days.

4. Adopt a Growth Oriented Attitude

Becoming self-disciplined is not easy.

I recommend that students approach discipline with humility. This is a crucial and often forgotten step in the process of building self-discipline. Most students want to have self-discipline but without having to put too much effort into it.

Wanting things easy sets students up for failure. Please avoid this rookie mistake and be prepared to do some work. It’s going to take some effort and you’re going to get it wrong every now, and that’s totally fine.

Growth takes time, so stick to it and it will be worth it.

5. Do One Thing a Day

To become more disciplined, you have to get daily practice.

Try to practice your desired habit once a day every day. If you like doing a little bit today, then go for it. If you feel like doing a lot, then that’s fine too.

But don’t overdo it. Don’t go overboard one day and skip a whole week.

However, I am not against pushing really hard at the beginning of the transformation process, but only if you can continue making some effort every single day. In other words, it’s counterproductive to work for 12 hours one day and do none for 3 or 4 days in a row. But if you feel like working for 12 hours today, then you can take advantage of that momentum, but you have to promise yourself to work for at least an hour the next day.

I say this because you have to turn self-discipline into an ingrained pattern. It has to become a mode of behavior and not a once in a while act of inspiration.

Lastly, be patient. Good fruits take time to bear.