To achieve anything in life, or simply accomplish different goals in our personal lives and careers, it’s obvious that one has to go an extra mile to be able to meet this. One of the things that can assure this, however, experts believe is by developing self-discipline in all areas.

Max Imanirabaruta, a career expert and motivational speaker, working in Rubavu District, says success in anything starts with self-discipline.

Self-discipline, he says, helps with performing excellently at work, chasing our goals, to staying professional in our careers.

Besides, he points out that its vital to put into consideration that when one develops self-discipline as a trait or a life skill, it helps them to be motivated, work hard in life, and most importantly, inspire one to always go for long term goals which are fundamental as far as building your career is concerned.

Self-discipline is the ability to push yourself forward, stay motivated, and take action, regardless of how you’re feeling, physically or emotionally.

Imanirabaruta, however, says that it’s good to understand that when we talk of self-discipline, it’s far different from self-motivation, where people at times find it hard to differentiate the two.

"Self-discipline is all about that ability to follow through your aspirations which includes working hard to achieve them, while motivation just contributes to yourself discipline,” he says.

 According to Irene Uwamahoro, a kindergarten educator in Kigali, when one is self-disciplined in their lives; it means they are motivated to stay professional with their work.

"In the workplace, one is only able to stick to what they believe to be appropriate, which in the end results in achieving tough goals that they have set for themselves.”

Meanwhile, from the education point of view, the educator cites that it improves learning and enhances performance for learners.

Learners with self-discipline are able to retain more knowledge than those without it, which helps them excel in all areas of academics, she says, noting that, these learners tend to be more careful in everything they partake in, meaning that when this skill is transitioned in any working environment, it results in better performance all the time.

How to go about it

An educator and counsellor, Diana Nawatti, believes that in order to be self-disciplined, there are minor things that you should focus on that will help guide you to achieve that.

First and foremost, she mentions that it’s ideal for one to go by a specific goal in life and that this should be something you fully need to focus on.

Also, she says this can be as simple as concentrating on a piece of work for a specific period of time without checking your phone, which is a common habit among people.

On the other hand, Imanirabaruta says another way of being self-disciplined is by looking for things that keep you going in life.

For instance, he says after choosing a goal, coming up with reasons you would love to achieve it. This, he says is important as when one has reasons to do something, it becomes much easier to achieve what they want.

Nawatti says it’s also necessary to always figure out some challenges that may hinder you from progressing in life.

When you identify some obstacles or challenges, it can guide you in coming up with a strategy to overcome such.