How to . . . learn the art of self-discipline

It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we are being self-disciplined when we are dealing with e-mails, but often we are simply putting off more important tasks, Penny de Valk, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership and Management, said. Practice self-control by turning your e-mail off for a couple of hours every day or make a commitment to checking it only a few times a day.

2 Be consistent

Self-discipline is like a muscle. “It takes about 60 days to master a new habit, so be aware that it will be difficult,” Ms de Valk said. And, just as we turn to comfort food in times of stress, we also turn to “comfort tasks” when we are stressed at work, she said. These are the things we know we can accomplish quickly and easy, but overall they may not add much value to our working day. She suggested that tackling unpleasant tasks at the beginning of each working day would soon lead to good habits: “Be aware of what you’re least inclined to do and do it first.”

3 Find your purpose

Knowing exactly what is expected of you at work and how your performance will be measured will allow you to focus on achieving your goals, Jonathan Perks, the managing director of board and executive coaching at Penna, an HR consultancy, said. “The first thing any executive needs to do is to be very clear about their own purpose. Once you understand this and are clear on how your success will be measured in your job, you’re very focused.”

4 Consider the consequences

James Caan, the entrepreneur and judge on the BBC TV programme Dragons’ Den, believes that the consequences of being undisciplined are huge when you are your own boss. “I’m paranoid about failing, so fear of failure motivates me,” he said. Mr Caan, who is launching an academy to support entrepreneurs and business owners, said that procrastination was a no-no for the self-employed. “When you’re your own boss, you’re directly impacted by a lack of self-discipline. You can’t say: ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ The buck stops with you. You need to take time to understand the importance and value of the task at hand. But the upside is that you also directly benefit from the rewards of your actions. That in itself is a motivator.”

5 Know thyself

Ernesto Reuben, an assistant professor of management at Columbia Business School, has found that while most people procrastinate, sophisticated procrastinators understand that they have a tendency to do so and naïve procrastinators deceive themselves into believing they do not. Professor Reuben suggested that understanding which category you fall into can help you to become more disciplined. Sophisticated procrastinators can adopt self-imposed deadlines, for example, while naïve procrastinators will benefit from working with others or by being given deadlines.

6 Take time out

Open-plan offices, e-mails and telephone calls mean that we are constantly interrupted by clients and colleagues, Ms de Valk said, making it hard to concentrate on big tasks. She said that leaders and managers needed to be disciplined about carving out “quiet time” to think strategically. “If you’re not adding strategic value to your company, then I would challenge how effective you are being,” she said. Ben Wilmott, a senior public policy adviser at the Chartered Insitute of Personnel and Development, said that self-discipline did not mean simply working longer hours, as this was counter-productive to efficiency. He said: “It may sound basic, but one of the best ways to mitigate stress is through exercise. Make sure you get out of the office and go for a walk.”

7 Focus on the rewards

As well as being more effective on a daily basis, self-discipline has long-term rewards. “Self-discipline gives you a personal resilience, which is critical to your sense of confidence,” Ms de Valk said. Even short-term rewards for doing unpleasant tasks, such as taking a coffee break, can motivate you to be more disciplined, Mr Perks said.

8 Make a list

Every morning, list the three most important things for you to do that day that will help you to achieve success, Mr Perks suggested. “I have a notepad and on page one I have written my life purpose, on page two my top three goals for the coming year and then I write down my top three goals for that day,” he said. “Linking your goals to your wider purpose helps keep you very focused. Ask yourself, when you’re doing any task, if it adds value towards your goals and purpose — and if it doesn’t, stop doing it.”

9 Get help

Coaching can be very helpful for self-discipline, Mr Perks said, as you will be taught how to take responsibility for changing your own behaviour. When coaching executives, he said, “we ask what behaviours they want to be different, what outcomes they want from coaching and how this will be measured”.

10 Communicate with colleagues

According to the latest quarterly outlook survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, only 44 per cent of employees said that they “usually or always” received feedback on their performance from their manager. But giving feedback to your team will motivate them to do well and be more self-disciplined, Mr Willmott said. We tend to procrastinate when we feel overwhelmed by our workloads, he added, so asking your manager or your colleagues to help you to assess your priorities can be a helpful tool for self-discipline.