Increase Self-control with 5 Simple Actions

In other blogs, you have seen the five most important actions to aid or increase self-control or self-governance. Please remember that the most important one is Pre-decide what you will do when faced with a specific problem or temptation.

Below are five additional actions to increase self-control and support a self-governing lifestyle.

Use Self-control Wisely

Remember, self-governance (self-control or willpower) is a finite resource. Research shows that staying with your good values gets increasingly more challenging as you go through the day. It clearly shows that decisions made after noon are often worse than those made in the morning before noon.

So, if poor decisions are more likely after noon, consider how bad they are after 11:00 PM.

Do Task or Do Nothing

Schedule your time for the task; if you aren’t doing it, don’t do anything else. If you are writing a book and schedule 2 hours for writing, but don’t know what to write, don’t do some other tasks just to be productive or busy.

You know the feeling! "Well, at least I got that done." Unfortunately, most often, the thing done isn't strategic and doesn't support your goals.

I have noticed that I will do things I don't like to do because I can't progress on what I need to do. I START MAKING PROGRESS when I fight the urge and refocus on the task. You can increase self-control by staying with what you said you were going to do.

Maintain Your Blood Sugar

Your body doesn't do well when you rev it up with certain chemicals and slow it down with others. One of the most critical elements to watch is your blood sugar. So, you can increase self-control by keeping your blood sugar stable during the day. 

Pick your battles

Next, some things will not fit how you are wired. Knowing how you will be most productive by taking an assessment like the Kolbe Index is essential. For me, I am more productive by staying at the big picture rather than gathering more details; it helps me know which tasks or projects need a yes or a no.

Know your limits and avoid those that don’t fit your design, if possible.

Don’t Forget the Basics

Finally, you don’t want to put all your energy into the goals and ignore eating, sleeping, or relationships.

One of the simplest ways to focus on the basics is to use H.A.L.T. This great acronym is part of most 12-step programs.

Don't get too...

1. Hungry
2. Angry
3. Lonely
4. Tired

Whether you believe it or not, you will need seven hours of sleep. Your body needs recharge time. And you need healthy food to help your body run. Additionally, it would be best if you had relationships and support. Finally, it would be best to use your emotions wisely, and anger is often not used wisely.

Try these five items and see if they help you increase self-control or self-governance. Most likely, just doing one of them will be a big help.