Self-discipline best quotes, aphorisms, maxims, ideas, thoughts and words of wisdom about self-discipline or the right way to self-control and self-improvement.
Self-discipline is strictly connected with self-control and with one’s willpower, being the ability to control your actions and feelings. Having discipline helps you focus on and complete tasks to achieve your goals. That is because the more control you have over yourself, the more you can control the results of what you do. Some synonyms for self-discipline are continence, restraint, self-command, self-containment, self-control, self-government, self-mastery, self-possession, self-restraint, will and willpower.
The etymology of discipline comes from Latin, from “discipulus”, that is disciple. Therefore Discipline is something etymologically related to learning. But what is it exactly? Alongside the meaning of matter, that is, the sector of knowledge that is taught, it has an extended meaning of a system of rules – in particular, severe. In fact, sports discipline is a sport formalized with precise rules, military discipline is the iron rule of life of those in the army, and ecclesiastical discipline is that set of life behaviors that must be observed by those who want to be part of a certain church. In English Discipline dates back to the 13th century and took its meaning from the Old French word descepline “physical punishment, teaching,” and from Latin disciplina: “instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge”. The militaristic meaning “orderly conduct as a result of training” comes from about 1500.
In a world that has become so used to instant gratification, having the will power to forego immediate pleasures in favor of a more satisfying outcome is a feat in itself. Having self-discipline gives you power to say no to the misuse of your time, addictions, and other distractions. It allows you to always have the right mindset whenever challenges arise. In other words, being self-disciplined helps you find success in everything you do.
It takes a certain level of maturity to achieve mental toughness and become self-disciplined. But with conscious effort and constant practice, this trait can become second nature. Then, success comes more effortlessly. Having self-discipline is necessary for creating healthy habits, and to quote Aristotle “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” In a similar way, it is only through discipline that one can reach his or her health and fitness goals. Discipline helps a person stick to their workouts until results are achieved. It is also what prevents someone from eating the wrong foods while on a particular diet.
Through self-discipline comes freedom.
Aristotle
Fair and reasonable discipline is like a fence that provides protection and defines limits, demonstrating both care and concern.
Les Christie
Self-discipline is the magic power that makes you virtually unstoppable.
Dan Kennedy
Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.
René Descartes
Self-discipline is to do what you have to do when you don’t like or want to do it. It’s a mental and physical exercise that strengthens your willpower and can rteally improve your future life.
Carl William Brown
Discipline is like moonlight to cool the wild mind that is burning with anger, attachment, ignorance, jealousy and so forth. One becomes calm, concentrated, and magnificent, towering over ordinary beings like Mount Meru rising above the world. Others will be drawn to one’s strength and will find great inspiration and confidence in it. It pacifies our own being, and it brings peace into the way other people and sentient beings relate to us. Thus wise practitioners protect their discipline as they would their eyes.
Bstan-Dzin-Rgya-Mtsho
You must have discipline to have fun.
Julia Child
A disciplined person follows values stemming from their source – the self.
Stephen Covey
You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself.
Jim Whittaker
I can’t always control my thoughts but I can choose how I respond to them.
David Cuschieri
With self-discipline most anything is possible.
Theodore Roosevelt
The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.
William Arthur Ward
Discipline is the silent force at work that breeds success. It requires only one thing; that you sacrifice time in things you enjoy.
Anonymous
To understand human stupidity one must be animated by a strong curiosity, by an admirable self-control and a tenacious self-discipline, as well as by a frightening will. Otherwise I advise you to opt for a common blindness.
Carl William Brown
Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons in life.
Kristi Yamaguchi
Discipline is like a vaccine. It inflicts lesser pain now to avoid greater pain later.
Dan Doriani
One painful duty fulfilled makes the next plainer and easier.
Hellen Keller
Do not consider painful what is good for you.
Euripides
It is time to reverse this prejudice against conscious effort and to see the powers we gain through practice and discipline as eminently inspiring and even miraculous.
Robert Greene.
Discipline is teaching a child the way he should go. Discipline, therefore, includes everything you do to help your child learn. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most misunderstood words in the English language. Most people generally think of it as punishment or as something unpleasant. We need to understand that discipline is something you do for a child. Punishment is something you do to a child when discipline fails. Both Greek and Hebrew words denoting discipline include the meaning of chastening, correction, rebuke, upbringing, training, instruction, education, and reproof. The purpose of discipline is positive, to produce a whole person, free from the faults and handicaps that hinder maximum development.
Zig Ziglar
A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.
Ida Tarbell
Self-discipline is a habit. It is not situational, but it is applied situation by situation. Anyone can be self-disciplined on occasion, but to get consistently positive results requires consistency.
Gary Ryan Blair
Self-discipline is based on pride, on meticulous attention to details, and on mutual respect and confidence. It must become a habit so ingrained that it’s stronger than the excitement of the goal or the fear of failure.
Gary Ryan Blair
Doing your best is more important than being the best.
Author Unknown
Of all the dust thrown in men’s eyes, gold dust is the most blinding.
Author Unknown
Restraint and discipline and examples of virtue and justice; these are the things that form the education of the world.
Edmund Burke
Discipline is just doing the same thing the right way whether anyone’s watching or not.
Michael J. Fox
Do not bite at the bait of pleasure till you know there is no hook beneath it.
Thomas Jefferson
What lies in our power to do, lies in our power not to do.
Aristotle
By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.
Grenville Kleiser
Discipline yourself and others won’t need to.
John Wooden
The first and best victory is to conquer self.
Plato
To put a tempting face aside when duty demands every faculty is a lesson which takes most men longest to learn.
Gertrude Atherton
Whoever submits himself to a super-discipline can expect great triumphs.
Samael Aun Weor
Your level of success is determined by your level of discipline and perseverance.
Anonymous
It’s about staying ahead of what happened yesterday. When you just in your mind think … nothing’s going to stop me. I don’t care how I felt yesterday. I’m gonna go out today and do what I know I can do. If you can just tell yourself… no I’m stronger than this, no I’m better than this, no I’m faster than this, no I’m tougher than this. I think you can make it through situations that your never thought possible.
Sanya Richards
One painful duty fulfilled makes the next plainer and easier.
Helen Keller
Robert Collier said it best when he said, ‘All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck, who keeps right on going, is the man who is there when the good luck comes, and is ready to receive it.’ So next time you feel like you don’t have any luck, remember these wise words and keep on going – step by step, with enthusiasm, discipline and persistence, and you will find luck!
Catherine Pulsifer
The fact is, discipline is only punishment when imposed on you by someone else. When you discipline yourself, it’s not punishment but empowerment.
Les Brown
Good discipline is more than just punishing or laying down the law. It is liking children and letting them see that they are liked. It is caring enough about them to provide good, clear rules for their protection.
Stanley Greenspan
Discipline is the silent force at work that breeds success. It requires only one thing; that you sacrifice time in things you enjoy.
Anonymous
We don’t have to be smarter than the rest; we have to be more disciplined than the rest.
Warren Buffett
Self discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don’t talk back.
W. K. Hope
Being professional in whatever you do is important. Talent alone is not enough.
Kathy Ireland
He who conquers others is strong. He who conquers himself is mighty.
Lao-Tzu
Brave is the lion tamer, brave is the world subduer, but braver is the one who has subdued himself.
Johann Gottfried Von Herder
Heal yourself first before you heal others.
African Proverb (Sayings of African origin)
Since we didn’t say anything, he thought he could do whatever he wanted to.
Algerian Proverb
If you can command yourself, you can command the world.
Chinese Proverb (Sayings of Chinese origin)
If someone transports dung and does not eat it, it should not be concluded that he is an honest person.
Taiwanese Proverb
The satisfaction of seeing the incremental gains, through discipline alone, gives inspiration to apply the same methods in other areas of your life.
Keith Hill, Jr.
Discipline strengthens the mind so that it becomes impervious to the corroding influence of fear.
Bernard Law Montgomery
Putting off an easy thing makes it hard, and putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.
Geroge Lorimer
Incident piled on incident no more makes life than brick piled on brick makes a house.
Edith Ronald Mirrielees
Discipline is something we despise for the moment… We all look for a place to run, an excuse with which to stall. No one enjoys it. Yet those of us who have endured it know that the fruit it produces and the pain from which it ultimately spares us makes it worth the agony.
Charles F. Stanley
Knowledge can determine your persistence but when it is not put into practice through skills or properly applied through attitude then knowledge will be useless.
Thelma Barnes
When discipline is sown, like a good seed, it yields a harvest of things that fulfill and satisfy us–things that make us happy and release peace and joy in our lives.
Joyce Meyer
Self-discipline is the key ingredient which separates the rich from the poor and the winners from the losers in life.
Gary Ryan Blair
Every goal you want to achieve requires the enforcement of self-discipline, self-control and self-awareness. That’s a rule without an exception.
Gary Ryan Blair
Not being able to govern events, I govern myself, and apply myself to them if they will not apply themselves to me.
Michel Eyquem De Montaigne
If you are willing to discipline yourself, the physical universe won’t need to discipline you.
Leonard Orr
A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.
Dalai Lama
It doesn’t matter whether you are pursuing success in business, sports, the arts, or life in general: The bridge between wishing and accomplishing is discipline.
Harvey Mackay
I don’t count my sit-ups, I only start counting when it starts hurting, when I feel pain, that’s when I start counting, cause that’s when it really counts.
Muhammad Ali
It’s all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back.
Mick Jagger
Success is created through the performance of a few small daily disciplines that stack up over time to produce achievements far beyond anything you could of ever planned for. Failure, on the other hand, is just as easy to slip into. Failure’s is nothing more than the inevitable outcome of a few small acts of daily neglect performed consistently over time so that they take you past the point of no return.
Robin Sharma
Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It requires you to connect today’s actions to tomorrow’s results. There’s a season for sowing a season for reaping. Self-discipline helps you know which is which.
Gary Ryan Blair
The individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break those habits that can break him and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires.
J. Paul Getty
Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.
George Washington
It is better to conquer self than to win a thousand battles.
Buddha
The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.
Vince Lombardi
Rule your mind or it will rule you.
Horace
A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.
Dalai Lama
The great master key to riches is nothing more or less than the self-discipline necessary to help you take full and complete possession of your own mind.
Napoleon Hill
Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them, and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them.
Zig Ziglar
It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.
Dennis Waitley
Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the trade-off they’re making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as a punishment. And that’s the difference.
Lou Holtz
I could only achieve success in my life through self-discipline, and I applied it until my wish and my will became one.
Nikola Tesla
Leaders are rarely born; they are made. Persistence and circumstance play a bigger role in developing a great leader than initial circumstances ever will, so it is this discipline that you must work on, building within your personality.
Kula Sellathurai
Self-discipline is a self-enlarging process.
M. Scott Peck
Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.
Michel De Montaigne
Discipline is wisdom and vice versa.
M. Scott Peck
Discipline without freedom is tyranny. Freedom without discipline is chaos.
Cullen Hightower
Self control is the key to self esteem and self confidence.
Laurance McGraw V
Rule your mind or it will rule you.
Horace
Discipline is like a muscle: the more you practice it, the bigger it gets.
Steve Demasco
Discipline is important simply because we live in an organized society where, if you have not learned life’s requirements at early age, you will be taught later, not by those whose love tempers the lesson but by strangers who could not care less about the harm they do to your personality.
William E. Homan
Discipline is like spinach. We may not care for it ourselves but feel sure it would be good for everybody else.
Anonymous
Accept hardship as a necessary discipline.
Lailah Gifty Akita
Success doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional about it, and that takes discipline.
John C. Maxwell
Do not consider painful what is good for you.
Euripides
Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.
Clint Eastwood
Discipline imposed from the outside eventually defeats when it is not matched by desire from within.
Dawson Trotman
Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind-you could call it character in action.
Vince Lombardi
The discipline you enforce today determines the successes you’ll enjoy tomorrow.
Gary Ryan Blair
Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.
Gary Ryan Blair
The best sort of character, however, cannot be formed without effort. There needs the exercise of constant self-watchfulness, self-discipline, and self-control.
Samuel Smiles
There is no magic wand that can resolve our problems. The solution rests with our work and discipline.
Jose Eduardo Dos Santos
Discipline is necessary to curb the mind, otherwise there is no peace.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Every act of self-discipline you engage in moves you one step closer to, or further from your goals.
Gary Ryan Blair
Discipline like deadlines are either self-imposed or externally imposed by others… it’s your choice.
Gary Ryan Blair
What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not do.
Aristotle
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.
Lao Tzu
There is no magic wand that can resolve our problems. The solution rests with our work and discipline.
Jose Eduardo dos Santos
Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.
Napoleon Hill
Never believe a promise from a man or woman who has no discipline. They have broken a thousand promises to themselves, and they break their promise for you.
Matthew Kelly.
Self-control is strength, right thought is mastery, calmness is power.
James Allen
Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing.
John C. Maxwell
Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.
John C. Maxwell
Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
The most powerful control we can ever attain, is to be in control of ourselves.
Chris Page
Without self-discipline, success is impossible.
Lou Holtz
Discipline in its highest notion is not punishment or self-punishment. It is rather something seminal to the self. It is our foundation. It is our architecture. It gives us structure. It allows us to steer our energies and pull our wagon.
Noah Benshea
If you will discipline yourself to make your mind self-sufficient, you will thereby be least vulnerable to injury from the outside.
Critias of Athens
Striving to be good is the ultimate struggle of every man. Being bad is easy, but being good requires sincere commitment, discipline and strength. We have to work hard every day just to remain good.
Suzy Kassem
If you do not learn to discipline yourself, you are guaranteed to be disciplined by others.
Gary Ryan Blair
We do today what they won’t, so tomorrow we can accomplish what they can’t.
Dwayne Johnson
If we don’t discipline ourselves, the world will do it for us.
William Feather
When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.
Albert Einstein
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.
Roy L. Smith
Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don’t talk back.
W. K. Hope
I think self-discipline is something, it’s like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.
Daniel Goldstein
He conquers twice who conquers himself in victory.
Jyrus
The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.
Bum Philips
Self-discipline is the smartest, simplest and fastest way to make your goals a reality.
Gary Ryan Blair
A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.
Dalai Lama
Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.
Jim Rohn
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