GOOD GOVERNANCE AND

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
THE VALUE OF SELF DISICIPLINE IN GOVERNANCE
SELF DISICIPLINE: THE KEY TO
ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL
Lecture series 5
Thoughts to ponder
Thoughts to ponder
Start by defining your Goal
 What is your Goal?
 Become a better leader
 Improve my parenting abilities
 Start and build my own business
 Win a promotion
 Be more healthy
 Lose weight
 Be more productive
 Save money
 Keep a cleaner or neater work environment/home
 Others
 Whichever goal we choose, it will likely require us
to change certain behaviors or commit to certain
practices over time. Many goals ultimately require
that we make a “lifestyle” change, meaning they
call for us to modify parts of the way we live our
daily lives, in service of maintaining the results over
an extended period of time, or permanently.
SELF DISCIPLINE PRINCIPLES
PRINCIPLE #1

BELIEVE that it IS  In order to achieve

any goal, the first and
Possible to most important
Develop Self- element that
determines your
Discipline and success is the sheer
Achieve Your belief that you can
Goal make the appropriate
behavioral changes to
get there.
 If you have any doubts at all, the subconscious
conversation in your head lies in wait to convince
you that it’s not possible. You’ve probably already
experienced such thoughts in the past, as have we
all. This harmful internal dialogue is especially
powerful when you’re at your most vulnerable, like
when you’ve had a long day, or any kind of set-back.
This first principle focuses on our belief around the
notion of change of any kind. Up until recently, the
scientific community believed that once our brain
matured, it was impossible to change.
Norman Doidge
 In 2007, a Toronto-born psychoanalyst named
Norman Doidge authored a book called The Brain
that Changes Itself, which outlined a series of
breakthrough discoveries that revolutionized our
understanding of the human brain. Because the
brain is seen as the primary control center of human
activity, this research has literally transformed our
world. We now know that the brain is plastic (which
is short for neuro-plastic). Basically, it has been
proven that the brain can change its structure and
its function as we go along.
Take-Away #1 – BELIEVE
 In order to develop the self-discipline you need
to achieve your goals and dreams, you must
BELIEVE that you can. If you need more proof,
take some time to research more about the
brain. Believing that you can is the
foundational step in the process that keeps you
on track long term.
Principle #2

Harness the  Small steps that seem

insignificant on their
Power of the own have significant
Compound impact when added
up over time. You don’t
Effect by realize this until you
Developing look back at the
Healthy Habits compound effect.
Take-Away #2 – COMMIT TO SMALL,
INCREMENTAL
 STEPS The Compound Effect shows us that we need not
set extreme, out-ofreach practices in order to have
success. Smaller, incremental efforts add up quickly to
become healthy habits. It is more important to commit to
smaller and more consistent practices than to set the bar
so high that you fall off and never get back up. Be
specific about the habits that will help you reach your
goal. Be specific about the habits that hinder you from
reaching your goal. Rank them in order of priority, and
choose one to focus on until you install it as a new habit
or uninstall an old one.
PRINCIPLE #3:
 Develop True Grit  Most of us think, oh
to Step Outside pleasure good, pain
bad. But nothing
Your Comfort Zone happens when you’re
and Sustain Your comfortable. Changing
Effort and growing, by virtue
of what that is -
basically doing things
you’ve never done
before - requires you to
step outside your
comfort zone. There’s no
other way.
Take-Away #3 – DEVELOP GRIT
 There’s a misconception about pleasure and pain.
Expect and accept that it will feel uncomfortable,
and that’s actually a good thing. Set realistic
expectations and prepare to work hard. It takes
stepping into your discomfort zone and true grit to
achieve anything of import. It means you’re
challenging yourself to achieve your full potential!
PRINCIPLE #4

 Take Charge of  An athletic maxim says

that sports are 90 per
Your Inner Critic cent mental and 10
- Manage the per cent physical.
That’s why the
Conversation in conversation in our
Your Head head is so critical to
success in any
endeavor.
Take-Away #4 – MANAGE YOUR
INNER DIALOGUE
 The conversation in your head determines your
success. Identify what your inner critic is saying, and
then consciously develop a more positive dialogue
that will encourage you to persevere. Consider
writing a script that includes specific directives and
encouragements to help you stay on track,
especially during the challenging moments.
PRINCIPLE #5

Manage Your  In order to maintain

self-discipline and self-
Energy with control over time, it
Proper Self Care takes energy. With
everything we’ve got
going in life - all our
priorities, work, kids,
family, other
responsibilities, how
can we manage that
energy?
Take-Away #5
 TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH WITH SLEEP, DIET,
EXERCISE AND PRACTICES THAT HELP CENTER AND
CALM YOU Taking care of our physical and mental
health has far-reaching positive impacts, including
providing us the fuel and stamina to achieve our
goals. Any small commitment in this area will help
you manage your glucose levels, which will support
your ability to self-regulate during the day.
PRINCIPLE #6

 Create Support  Support structures can

be images, reminders,
Structures to and processes that can
Stay on Track help keep us on track
in maintaining
selfdiscipline.
Take-Away #6 – BUILD IN STRUCTURES THAT
SUPPORT YOU IN ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL

 Support structures are the anchors that keep you on

track on a day to day basis. Support structures can
include reminders and motivating sensory cues, the
choice of environments we inhabit, and the people
with whom we choose to spend our time. Reflect on
what structures will facilitate your goal achievement
and fold them into your plan.
PRINCIPLE #7
 Focus on One  Remember when we
talked about ego
Small Step at a depletion, we saw that the
Time, Then Move more choices we make
that are unimportant, the
to the Next less capacity we have to
make important choices.
The reason why most
people struggle to stick to
their goals is that they set
the bar way too high, they
get overwhelmed and
discouraged, and then quit
before they see any
results.
Take-Away #7 – ADOPT A LASER
FOCUS
 Focus allows us to channel our efforts into a specific
direction, which is a more economical way to
manage our limited energy. The more we focus the
more we increase our chances of achieving success.
Focus on one small step, master it, and then take
another small step toward your goal.
PRINCIPLE #8

 Build a Gradual Plan Over Time

Take-Away #8 – BUILD A STEADY,
GRADUAL PLAN
 Just like merging onto a highway, building a steady,
gradual plan that progressively increases
momentum has a greater chance of sustainability
and success than abrupt, jerky and impulsive efforts.
PRINCIPLE #9
 Don’t get  A ‘growth mindset’ is a term
coined by Carol Dweck, a
Discouraged by renowned professor who
Setbacks – taught at Columbia University,
Harvard University, and the
Develop a Growth University of Illinois before
joining the Stanford University
Mindset in 2004. Her research concurs
with Angela Lee Duckworth -
intelligence is not a key
indicator of success. She
believes that success depends
on whether or not an
individual has a growth
mindset.
Take-Away #9 – CHOOSE A GROWTH
MINDSET OVER A FIXED ONE

 When we adopt a growth mindset, we look at

setbacks as a natural part of our journey toward
reaching our full potential. We understand that
mistakes are a part of the process, learn from them,
and move forward to the next level, with greater
clarity and wisdom than before. A growth mindset
gives us the resilience we need to reach our most
ambitious goals and dreams. Ask yourself how you
can cope when you have a setback. Create a plan
that allows you to manage your thinking when this
inevitably happens.
HOW TO MASTER THE ART OF SELF-
DISCIPLINE
 How to develop self-discipline:
 1. BELIEVE that it IS possible to develop self-discipline and achieve
your goal
 2. Harness the power of the compound effect by developing healthy
habits
 3. Develop true grit to step outside your comfort zone and sustain
your effort
 4. Take charge of your inner critic – manage the conversation in your
head
 5. Manage your energy with proper self care
 6. Create Support Structure to Stay on Track
 7. Focus on one small step at a time, then move to the next
 8. Develop a gradual plan over time
 9. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks – develop a growth mindset