From the topic 7 Healthy Habits for Sportspersons, we understood that the first healthy habit is ‘A Life of Discipline’.
All sportspersons are actually sure that to be successful the word ‘Discipline’ must be carved into stone. ‘Discipline’ has got several meanings, but here I am using the word ‘Discipline’ in a particular sense. That is, developing the habit of planning and executing the chosen action.
All thoughtless actions will lead to adverse consequences, which will affect the sports performance. So detailed planning and preparation, towards your food habits, exercise schedule, resting schedule, socializing and other schedules need to be carefully understood and executed.
Hence a life of discipline is the starting point for a sportsperson.
The problem arises when we say we agree with the view, however do not know how to become disciplined, which actually means Self Disciplined.
By following a 5-fold strategy we can become Self Disciplined.
I must at the beginning caution you that you must take ONE TASK PER MONTH. Don’t try doing it any faster, otherwise the results won’t come. The mistakes we all human beings make is that after wanting to become disciplined, we start enthusiastically, but within a few weeks that enthusiasm is lost.
Why is that enthusiasm lost?
Because we do too much in the beginning and therefore can’t sustain it. So we must remember that we take up ONE TASK PER MONTH !
1.MAKE A RESOLVE (resolve means to decide firmly on a course of action)
Resolve: We on a daily basis, start the day by writing the resolve. Start with a new notebook (Lets call it the “Resolve Notebook”), in that notebook early morning , just after you wake up, write 24 times, the resolve that you have made. Let’s say if we were to resolve that I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may. Then in the notebook, just after I wake up, I will write my resolve. Please make sure it is YOUR resolve, not your mothers, fathers, coaches or anyone else. It is YOUR resolve and YOU want to improve that area of your life. So, we will write on the page the date and then start writing the resolve we have made as under:
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
…….
……
24 times in the resolve note book early morning.
2.BE ALERT
The problem is that all our lives we have made various resolves, but unfortunately, we have not been able to keep them. Why?
Because we are not alert towards our resolve.
We need to be alert. Alertness is the key, we cannot be negligent and complacent in all activities in life. Which unfortunately we are.
How does alertness help?
Alertness works by keeping us focussed upon our resolve, which we have made early in the morning by writing it in the resolve notebook.
Keep in mind that most problems & big tragedies when checked backwards started with small, very small, very very small issues.
“ Even the largest fire can be put out by a cup of water if noticed and tackled at the right time.”
Had we been alert, these tragedies wouldn’t have happened, however, by being negligent, we allowed a small problem to become too big to handle, eventually it becomes a disaster.
Precautions are within our capacity, when neglected consequences can be terrible.
So, we have to be ALERT throughout the day towards our resolve, it must be in the back of our mind, as the day progresses.
3.MANAGEMENT OR RESTRAIN
We human beings are failing in our resolves because of our lack of alertness. This lack of alertness is the starting of our downfall. Before the downfall becomes unmanageable, we need to learn to manage and restrain the situations that are caused by our letting down the alertness. We need to be alert again and again, after every downfall, so that it doesn’t become a tragedy.
Knowing that the fire has started we have no option but to manage it, contain it as soon as possible, otherwise it will become a disaster.
Similarly if after taking the resolve first thing in the morning that:
‘I will not eat chocolates from today, come what may.’
I notice that because of a force of habit or due to my internal weakness, I actually go ahead and eat a chocolate at 12 noon, then that event is done, I have eaten a chocolate, though I resolved not to.
Now what can I do?
The only thing that I can do is to ensure that I manage and contain it to only that one chocolate. So here I have to manage and restrain myself from eating another chocolate, for the remaining part of the day. That’s all I can do. I can’t undo eating the chocolate, it in my stomach and digested. All I can do after eating is NOT eat more in the day.
To manage and restrain, you have to be alert again, because it was lack of being alert that caused you to eat the chocolate, even though YOU HAD RESOLVED NOT TO!
4. INTROSPECTION
At the end of the day, we look back at our behaviour (introspection) and check how much we kept to the resolve. Write what you think in a small paragraph or as bullet points in the notebook and put today’s date at the top. For every violation you made in the day, write 24 times in another notebook, (which is for introspection and penalising yourself), what ever sentence that you wish to write as a self punishment for NOT following your resolve. I give an example below of what you may write, the choice is purely yours, what to write as punishment.
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
“May the powers that be give me the strength to keep to my resolve”
…………
…………
24 times x the times you ate the chocolate. If you ate two chocolates then:
If 2 mistakes then, 2×24 = 48 times write in the introspection notebook.
TO GET FULL BENEFIT FROM THIS TECHNIQUE, DON’T CHEAT. WRITE IN THE RESOLVE NOTEBOOK YOUR PUNISHMENT. CHEATING YOURSELF WON’T GET YOU THE RESULTS!
You may ask, why should I write?
When we write then we get 3 benefits:
- A sense of understanding.
- In time the occasions will get less and less. We will see improvement.
- We will have a change in our attitude towards situations. We will stop justifying them. In time to come your mind will come under your control and start showing you reasons why not to do the wrong actions.
5.STUDY THE BENEFITS OF YOUR RESOLVE
Study the significance of whatever we have resolved to do. The most important point is to study the value of the resolve taken by me to make me a better sportsperson, a better human being. Why am I doing it? Read about, collect information, and share the importance of what you are trying to achieve for yourself. By spending only one hour a week towards this effort, we make implementation of our resolve (decisions) possible.
So follow this 5 fold strategy!
First Step =MAKE A RESOLVE
Second Step = BE ALERT
Third Step = MANAGEMENT OR RESTRAIN
Fourth Step = INTROSPECTION
Fifth Step = STUDY ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF YOUR RESOLVE
Having followed this process for at least 30 days, you will notice results. These results will help in making the resolve again for another 30 days till you are a master and not a slave to tendencies, which you have resolved to improve. Continue for as a long as you have to.
May your journey to Self Discipline be a fulfilling one!
For more https://www.quora.com/profile/The-Sports-Mind-Training
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