Discipline as an Act of Self love | Sibylle

“Strangely, life gets harder when you try to make it easy.

Exercising might be hard, but never moving makes life harder. Uncomfortable conversations are hard, but avoiding every conflict is harder. Mastering your craft is hard, but having no skills is harder.

Easy has a cost.” – James Clear

I remind myself daily that there is no such thing as long-lasting motivation, and that discipline is an act of self love. 

Motivation is overrated. It is an illusion and if you wait for motivation to kick in, you may never love yourself and never treat your body as you would your best friend.

Marc Steinberg, founder of Creative Consciousness speaks about tough love with self, I call it discipline as an act of self love.

How do I do this? How do I practice discipline as an act of self love?

1. It starts with commitment and language: I practice discipline as an act of self love. Not there shall be self love or I promise to be more self loving. I practice conscious manifestation of self love that is NOT coming from lack. It is already present in me.

2. Now that you have your umbrella or governing context: I practice discipline as an act of self love, as a Consciousness Coach I recommend you come up with a question to support your creation. The kind of question that gets you straight into action. A question that keeps you creating and cementing new neural pathways. For example: If I knew that I really and truly love myself, how would I show up? What would I say to myself? What would I eat today?

3. Then you make commitments that are within a 20% stretch: For example, if you exercise rigorously 5 times a week, a stretch could be to add a gentler Yin Yoga class harmonizing body and mind to your exercise regime. 

4. Make sure your commitments are measurable: How much, how often, what and by when? For example: If you do no gym at all, a 20% stretch could be a 2km walk in the neighborhood twice a week. If you eat no salad whatsoever, start adding it once or twice a week to lunch or supper. If you spend your entire evening online, a 20% stretch could be to put the phone aside during mealtimes.

5. Then you need to tap into the Yin after all that Yang: With that I mean it’s time to surrender and trust that the HOW of BEING self love presents itself. Your commitments are in place. You are doing what you said you would. As self love is already happening, trust that life supports you. Trust the universal law of integrity and attraction.

6. Oh yes, and one more thing: Always remember to exercise your Power to Act – independent of your thinking and feeling. The alarm goes off at 6am for yoga. Are you hitting the snooze button or are you getting out of bed BECAUSE you said so? Not because you think you should, or you feel like it. Here we are getting back to the motivation trap. Motivation does not last. Commitment, the right context, and surrender does.

Another effective way to work on self love is to identify and replace assumptions and belief systems. In my Time to Think process, you will come up with your own personal incisive questions that support the rewiring process of the brain to become your very own best friend. 

Let me know how you are faring in a month or two. Or contact me at hello@sibylle.co.za for Consciousness Coaching sessions where we go into the tools I mention above in more depth. 

If not you, then who? And if not now, then when?