5 Tips to Stay Disciplined

I cannot stress enough how critical it is to be disciplined. 

This isn’t a groundbreaking statement but its widely applicable, and in my world of financial strategy and money management the impact of discipline seems to be multiplied. The most (theoretically) foolproof strategy is nothing without the discipline to follow it. 

Discipline is such a simple practice, yet it challenges so many of us as it clashes with our tendencies. But if we can master this one thing - at least - I believe we’d overcome more than half the battle of reaching our goals. 

Here’s what I tell people who lack financial discipline.

 1.     Set realistic goals. Your financial strategy should be based on what you want or need. But you should be careful not to set goals that are so unattainable that it’s difficult to stretch yourself enough to reach them. Setting winnable goals, even if that means setting micro-goals along the way to the bigger goals, might be more doable.

 2.     Focus on building new habits instead of breaking old habits. The end result is the same, but in my unprofessional opinion it’s a little easier psychologically to task yourself with doing something new than it is to stop yourself from doing something you’re accustomed to. For example, if your goal is to stick to a budget, instead of thinking “I need to stop shopping”, you’d think, “I’m going to save my excess cash”. 

 3.     Set it and forget it. (Well, don’t literally forget it :/.) There are ways you can execute money moves automatically without having to remember or decide to do so each time. For some people, such options are a great way to stick to their plan. So, it may be worthwhile to consider the pros and cons of any such options you have and implement what’s right for you.

4.     Get excited about your expected outcome. I could go on about this one, but the headline is to focus on the end and how good that achievement will feel. If the end goal isn’t strong enough to pull you through the steps required to reach it, it’s ok to rethink that goal. 

 5.     Get an accountability partner. You are human, and sometimes pushing yourself isn’t enough. In that case, an objective, supportive ally who’s not afraid to call you out or tell you what you need to hear (not what you want to hear) might be helpful to keep you on track. (Btw, I’m a pretty objective, supportive ally to my clients, check out my website, williamsonross.com, for more info.)

In any case, don’t feel bad if staying disciplined is a struggle no matter what you try. You are not alone.