Podcaster Suggests Ways to Be More Disciplined

On one of his Mindset Mentor podcasts last week, personal development coach Rob Dial brought up the topic of discipline...specifically self-discipline...and discussed some methods he has used over the years to help himself stick to the tasks he knows he needs to accomplish.  He starts off by describing discipline as taking action even when you don't feel like it...to that I respond, "No kidding!" Then Dial goes down a list of seven points to follow: (1) focus on the opportunity, not the obligation...even though you're obliged to do the task, visualize more the positive effects doing it will produce down the line. (2) Do the small things well. In other words, master the fundamentals.  (3) Design your environment to make the right action easier, eliminating distractions and temptations around you.  (4) Make your body move...Dial suggests an easy five-minute movement routine of your own design.  (5) Count down and go. Dial acknowledges that another self-improvement figure, Mel Robbins, promoted this notion with her book The Five-Minute Rule, but that he had been practicing it longer, basically rehearsing difficult activities at least as far as their beginnings and then counting down 3-2-1 and plunging into them.  (6) Explore how to make taking the necessary action easier on yourself.  And finally, (7) get an accountability partner.  Suggestions #1-6 all sound painfully obvious when I write them down here, but #7 isn't quite so clear-cut.  An accountability partner is someone chosen to, well, hold oneself accountable in certain specified areas of his or her life.  I've never felt the need for one, thank you, and moreover, think some folks use the idea in a manipulative, hurtful way. If you decide to have an accountability partner, that person should not be involved in the immediate social/professional circle you are in, in order to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest...I saw this crucial principle badly violated last year with two good people losing their jobs as a result, largely due to badmouthing behind their backs.  Plus, as Rob Dial pointed out in his given example, the accountability topic should be limited to specific issues. The relationship should not degenerate to where the two sides...or maybe just one...cries on the other's shoulders about the difficulties he or she may be experiencing with certain people over whom that partner has authority: that is deceitful and unethical behavior on the part of both participants. So, I say yes to nearly all of Rob Dial's presentation about discipline, but regarding accountability partners I have some really deep trust issues...