15 Tips for Developing Discipline

I used to think discipline was a gift I just didn't get.

It felt like a superpower some people were born with while I was stuck on the sidelines. I’d spend hours lost in video games, eat until I felt sick, and let my most important goals gather dust. Change felt impossible. I was trapped in a cycle of bad habits and laziness, and honestly, I didn’t know how to get out.

But discipline isn't a personality trait. It’s a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger it gets. I know because I had to build it from scratch. It’s how I quit gaming, stopped binge eating, and lost over 110 pounds. It’s how I built a life that feels productive and purposeful.

If you feel stuck like I did, I want you to know there’s a way forward. It starts with small, intentional steps. Here are 15 tips that helped me build the discipline to change my life.

First, Lay the Foundation

Before you can build anything strong, you need a solid base. These first few steps are about shifting your mindset and preparing for the journey ahead.

1. Know Your Deeper "Why". Discipline for the sake of discipline is miserable. You need a powerful reason to push through the discomfort. Ask yourself: Why do you want to change? Is it to be healthier for your family? To honor the body and mind God gave you? To build something meaningful? My "why" was realizing I was wasting the one life I was given. I wanted to live with purpose not just exist. Find your reason and write it down. Keep it somewhere you can see it every day.

2. Start Embarrassingly Small. My first step in breaking my gaming addiction wasn't to quit cold turkey. It was to simply wait until after lunch to turn on my console. That’s it. Trying to change everything at once is a recipe for failure. Pick one tiny thing. Want to read more? Read one page a day. Want to exercise? Do five push-ups. Make the first step so easy you can’t say no.

3. Forgive Your Failures Immediately. You will mess up. You will skip a day. You will eat the cookie. It’s going to happen. The old me would let one mistake derail my entire week. The disciplined me learned to say “Oh well,” and get right back on track with the next choice. Don’t let a slip become a slide.

4. Celebrate the Small Wins. Losing 110 pounds didn't feel real until I started celebrating the small victories. I celebrated the first five pounds lost. I celebrated choosing a salad over fries. I celebrated a week of consistent workouts. These little wins build momentum. They prove to you that you can do it. Give yourself a pat on the back for every right choice you make no matter how small.

Next, Create a System

Discipline isn't about willpower alone. It's about creating a system that makes good choices easier and bad choices harder.

5. Build a Simple Routine. I don’t work 8 hours a day. I’ve found I’m most productive in short bursts of deep focus, usually 2–4 hours in the morning. A routine gives your day structure and reduces the number of decisions you have to make. It could be as simple as: wake up, pray, drink water, work on your most important task for 60 minutes.

6. Remove Temptation. This is huge. If you want to stop eating junk food, stop buying it. Don’t keep it in the house. I had to uninstall the games from my computer to break the habit. Make your environment work for you not against you. Make it hard to do the wrong thing and easy to do the right thing.

7. Schedule Your Priorities. Don’t just have a to-do list. A to-do list is a wish list. A schedule is a plan. Block out time in your calendar for the important things: your workout, your prayer time, your deep work. Treat these appointments with yourself as seriously as you would a meeting with your boss.

8. Use the Two-Minute Rule. If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, do it immediately. Answering an email, putting your dish in the dishwasher, taking out the trash. These small actions prevent tasks from piling up and creating a feeling of overwhelm.

9. Prepare the Night Before. The battle for your morning is won the night before. Lay out your workout clothes. Pack your lunch. Tidy your workspace. A few minutes of preparation at night removes friction and makes it easier to start your day with intention.

10. Link New Habits to Old Ones. Want to start a new habit? Attach it to something you already do automatically. For example: “After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will read my daily Bible passage.” Or “After I finish my work for the day, I will go for a 15-minute walk.” This piggybacking method makes new habits feel more natural.

Finally, Go Deeper

These last tips are about strengthening your resolve from the inside out for long-term success.

11. Learn to Embrace Discomfort. Growth is not comfortable. Choosing the workout over the couch is uncomfortable. Saying no to a craving is uncomfortable. Writing when you don’t feel inspired is uncomfortable. Discipline is the art of choosing what you want most over what you want now. Lean into that discomfort. It’s where you get stronger.

12. Find Accountability. Tell a trusted friend or family member about your goals. Ask them to check in on you. Knowing that someone else is aware of your commitment can provide the extra push you need on days when you feel like giving up.

13. Practice Daily Gratitude. This simple habit changed my perspective entirely. Instead of focusing on what I lacked or the long road ahead, I started thanking God for what I already had. A roof over my head. Food to eat. The strength to try again. Gratitude shifts your focus from scarcity to abundance and fuels you with positive energy.

14. Fuel Your Machine. You can’t have mental discipline without physical discipline. Your brain and body are connected. Prioritize sleep. Eat real food that gives you energy. Move your body every day. When I started treating my body with respect, my ability to focus and resist temptation skyrocketed.

15. Connect to Something Bigger Than Yourself. For me, this was everything. My journey to find discipline was deeply tied to strengthening my Orthodox Christian faith. I realized I couldn’t do it all on my own. True strength doesn’t come from sheer willpower. It comes from humility and leaning on God. Prayer became my anchor. My purpose shifted from my own selfish desires to trying to live a life that was pleasing to Him. When your "why" is connected to your Creator, you find a source of strength that never runs out.

Building discipline is a journey, not a destination. I still have days where I struggle. But now I have the tools to get back on track.

So, where do you start? Don't look at all 15 tips and feel overwhelmed. Just pick one.

What is one small, embarrassingly easy step you can take today to start building your discipline muscle?