Don't make excuses, make progress. What a great quote, right? But maybe you're not even making excuses, or you don't know what they are, but you still don't feel like you're making progress. There are things you want to accomplish, but you just can't seem to make time for them.
Here are my personal top 5 when it comes to maintaining self discipline:
1. Don't sit down, if you sit down, you're done! Primarily at night, I can't let myself sit down, if I do, I will NOT get anything else done from that point forward, so I have to remind myself to keep pushing through and finish up that one last thing I want to accomplish - and then sit down and relax.
2. Change your environment. Switching up your daily routine by changing your environment is a great way to bring fresh inspiration and motivation to your work, workouts, or family life. Sit at the table with your spouse at night over a glass of wine instead of the couch or go to a new coffee shop to work, or go walk or run on the beach for a day instead of hitting the gym - just doing things slightly differently once in awhile can prove to be a game changer.
3. Do it first. If you're backed up with your work, reading or workouts - try this - make it the FIRST thing you do after brushing your teeth - do nothing else - immediately start your day with your first priority.
4. Make space for quiet. First thing in the morning, mid-day, or at night are the easiest times to accomplish this - when we make space for quiet and capturing thoughts that come at some point during the day, we will get used to writing them down and then seeing how they transform into initiatives we can put into action over time.
5. Be flexible with where you get things done. If you go on a run, do some writing or brainstorming after your run when your mind is most energized and you're in focus mode, and any other times you notice that new thoughts come to mind...make sure you keep a note in your phone for this or a notebook in your car to capture thoughts on the go.
The combination of these things will lead to greater productivity and more time for cultivating new ideas to grow your life and your business.