Evaluate yourself. At the top of a sheet of paper, write, “What is my favorite?” On the left side of the paper write the items that follow, giving yourself several lines in which to answer: Color Activity Season Food Music Book Movie Video Game Person

Write down the first thing that comes to mind.

Now, on another piece of paper, write down your strengths and weaknesses. Write down some of the thoughts that dominate your day and ask yourself: What do I believe is true? What motivates me to do things? What are my most common emotions? What would I be willing to die to protect? Using your answers, write a short story of your life, including only the most important parts.

Another activity that will help you to develop inner peace and self-awareness is to make your own personal vision board. Get a tri-fold science fair board or a large piece of poster board. Look for images and quotes that reflect the person you would like to be. Cut out and attach these images or quotes to your vision board.

Put your vision board where you will see it every day and change it up as often as you like. This will reinforce your self-awareness and will visually document the progress of your spiritual life.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

A truly spiritual person is able to meld the past and future into the present. The past is important, looking forward to the future is beneficial, but living in the present is essential.

• Sit in a comfortable position.
• Breathe in a normal manner and pay close attention to how you are breathing.
• Feel your breath as you inhale through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.
• Notice how your stomach expands as you take a breath and contracts as you exhale.
• Hold an image of your lungs inflating and deflating every time you breathe.
• Concentrate on just breathing, without letting your mind wander, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
• At first you may find this very difficult; after 3 minutes you may think you've been sitting there for about 20. Do not despair; this gets easier with practice.
• Try it daily for a week, and see if I’m right.

Another method is as follows:

Sit comfortably, but not so comfortably as to fall asleep. Let your mind wander wherever it wishes for a few minutes, then slowly and deliberately start to focus on exactly what is happening around youYou are in the present.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

It is important for the spiritual person to remember things that happened in the past. Some believe that humans are born as spiritual beings, we just forget easily. Remembering your past may trigger old spiritual tendencies, reawakening them into existence.

Pull out all those old photo albums you have sitting on the bookshelves or in closets.

Go through them alone or with your family. Maybe you have felt your spirituality slipping lately.

You were a spiritual person before, but situations and time have made you less so. You want to regain the spiritual presence in your life. Old photos of the past can remind you of things you did and people you knew when your spirituality was at its apex.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

For some people it is easy to be the center of attention, but not so easy to take a backseat and just observe. If you are one of these people, you may want to put aside all of that charisma for a while and teach yourself to sit back and listen, look and enjoy. On the other hand, if you are already able to stand to the side and calmly observe everything around you, take advantage of this skill and use your observational powers to learn from those around you.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 Helping others goes hand in hand with fostering compassion. Lending a helping hand increases spirituality and inner peace. Spiritual people often perform selfless acts. They are able to respond to the needs of others because they have the inner spiritual strength to look beyond their own needs.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

My journal helps me focus and it helps me remember things. Journaling has also helped to build my inner peace, because it gives me a way to process events or problems I need to work through. To start journaling, you will need a notebook of some kind. Spiral notebooks are acceptable, but I like to purchase bound journals; they look like real books so they feel special.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 Spiritual people do not have anything to be guilty about; they have no reason not to be truthful. Several different types of falsehoods exist. One type of untruthfulness is often used to save someone's feelings. We call them “little white lies” and, by and large, our culture excuses them because they are accomplishing a greater good.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Somewhere along the line, we learn to be judgmental. Our parents may have modeled this behavior. It may have been reinforced by the words and attitudes of our peers. Whatever the cause, by the time we are adults, we have most likely been wounded by others’ judgments of us, and we have learned to pass the judgment on to other people. It’s a funny thing; little children do not judge. They may be instinctively selfish, they may say things they have heard others say without knowing the true meaning, but when they are little, children rarely know what it is to judge or criticize others. They accept people at face value and that is that.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

This technique encourages you to draw energy, ideas and spiritual refreshment from the natural things around you.

Absorb each changing hue of a technicolor sky as the sun sets.

Gaze at the ancient grandeur of a mighty redwood.

Stroll down a woodland trail.

Sit beside a quiet stream or soak in the peace of a lake.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 The arts have their genesis in creativity. Creativity utilizes the part of the brain that controls imagination, color identification and spatial recognition. Although there is some controversy about how the brain dictates creativity, it is certain that without the use of this portion of the brain, artists would not be able to figure out what colors to use to paint a landscape or how much space they can use to dance without falling off the stage. Music, visual art, dance and creative writing are all inspired by what has been labeled the right brain. Brain and spirit work together in creative endeavors. Many artists consider their work to be largely a spiritual activity. Even if they deny the spirituality of their work, anyone who creates is echoing the creative work of the Source from whence they originated.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

There are various practices like fasting, discomfort, sweat lodges and many more.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 Affirmations are an uplifting way to feed your spirit and may be considered a form of meditation. For example, in transcendental meditation, the guru gives the person meditating a mantra or statement to be repeated; this often is a sort of positive affirmation.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 Do you worship God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha or another Ultimate Source? I encourage you to pursue this connection through prayer. Think about your Source frequently. Pray frequently. Keep open channels and maintain a running conversation with God. Nothing helps more than to have someone on whom you can unload all your worries and fears. At the same time, your joy is increased as you express gratitude toward your Source when things go well.

1. Sit, stand or kneel comfortably. Do not lie down as it is too easy to fall asleep.
2. Review your day, looking for the good things you were given. Thank your source for all the good things he brought into your life
3. Pray for others in need.
4. Ask for things you need.
5. Ask forgiveness for ways in which you have wronged others or dishonored your Source.
6. Complete your prayer by thanking your Source for listening to you and for responding to your requests.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Pursuing spiritual maturity and inner peace is often easier when you can share the pursuit with others. We all need friends in which we can confide, with whom we can commiserate, and with whom to share both our joys and sorrows. One way to find people who can share our spiritual quest is to look for a church, synagogue, mosque or other group.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 You can learn a lot about different things from books and videos, but sometimes what you read will not hit home until you have someone to teach you. Seek a teacher who is a priest or pastor. If you opt for a New Age approach, seek out a Reiki Master or another type of practitioner.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Many people feel they should be in control at all times. They control their kids and their partner. They control coworkers, or try to, and they control their lives and each situation that arises. To these people, the word “surrender” feels like losing control, but that could not be farther from the truth.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Changes that are made purposefully and slowly tend to stick in the brain better and become a habit, so, I'm sorry to have to inform you, there is no incantation, prayer or wave of a wand that will make change happen quickly in most cases.

In your pursuit of spiritual growth, let me encourage you to sit back and enjoy the ride. Don’t take your pursuit too seriously, but relax and have some fun along the way. So what if you skip a day of affirmations! You can always pick up this discipline again the next day. Remember to live in the moment and to smell the roses every chance you get!

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

It has been showed in many researches that the average human being can concentrate better when the number of sensory inputs is minimal. And if you can't get to a quiet place, learn to shut your mind towards the distraction.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

The key to attaining focus is to elevate the particular task in front of you to the most important status, and thereby give it your full. This sense of priority that you attach to anything will involuntarily help you concentrating better.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Concentration stems from a calm mind. When you stay calm, positive and creative energy flows through you, whereas, when you panic, the distractive negative energy deters you from being focused on the job at hand.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

You may have heard this countless times before, that you should take a break at regular intervals to be more productive. It is actually true and holds good especially for people who have trouble in concentrating. Medical research has proved it beyond doubt that the attention span of an average person does not exceed an hour and a half at a stretch.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

This flow of energy can be controlled by you to a large extent. The key here is to understand what makes you feel positive and content and then making sure that you are, in some way, in the presence of that factor when working.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Consider it as the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. Learn a few meditation techniques and make sure that you practice them daily for a minimum of half an hour to one hour.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Five more minutes, read five more pages, finish five more letters, whatever it is just do five more before you give up and give in.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Procrastinators are people who put off doing something especially things that should be done in a timely manner.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Cupping your hand around your eyes focuses your concentration on one thing at a time and you can actually train your brain in this way.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Next time you find your mind wandering away from you are and what you are doing, take a good look around you and open your eyes to what you see. Study your surroundings, truly see it and concentrate on it and your mind will snap back to attention.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

This is a method where you set yourself a timer, say for 45 minutes, and you work until the timer goes off. Then you can take a 15 minute break. But, if your focus isn’t up to scratch, you don’t want to be diving straight into it. So, set yourself a 5 minute timer. Focus completely on your work for those 5 minutes and then have a 2 minute break. Do another 5 minutes, followed by another 2 minute break. Each day, add another 5 minutes to the timer and another 2 minutes to your break. By the time 9 days is up, you should be focused enough to work for that 45 minutes without stopping, before rewarding yourself with an 18 minute break. Once you get settled in to that routine, you can work on lengthening the time you work and reducing the time of your breaks - but not to the extent where they disappear altogether.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

When you think of something you might want to check on the internet, right it down on a piece of paper and push it to one side until you are on a break or you get home.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Strengthening your willpower takes time but the best way to do it is to tackle large goals and use the pomodoro method we talked about earlier, gradually building up the time you spend on that goal. Another method that has been proven to work is to switch hands. If you are right-handed person, switch to using your left hand for a while and vice versa.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

You should get into the habit of dedicating between 10 and 20 minutes of each day to meditation. On top of that, practice being mindful all day as well. All that is, is concentrating your entire focus on one task at a time, slowing down and thinking about all of the emotions you feel while you are doing that task – physically and mentally.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Physical exercise has been shown to have a beneficial effect on mental strength and health. Exercise boosts your brain’s ability to ignore any distractions and increases your willpower as well.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Reading long articles or books can really strengthen the mind. Long articles may not automatically mean that they are better, sometimes there is a great deal of information, complex information that must be stretched over a long article or a book. To skip something because it looks too long is a definite no-no and can result in you missing out on a ton of useful information and brain stretching as well. Pick up a book tonight and really try to get into it – it will do you the power of good. As well as that, try to find the time to read two or three long informative articles a week. They will really broaden your mind, and you’ll be surprised at what you can learn along the way as well!

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

The more curiosity you have about the world and about things around you, the better your concentration will be.

• Draw a dot on a piece of paper and put it in front of you or pin it to a wall. Now concentrate on it. One of two things will happen – your field of vision will blur so that you will not really see anything or you will find yourself looking at anything but the dot. However, ask yourself some questions about the dot – how big is it, what shape, what color, etc., while you are looking at it, successive questions in your mind and you will find that you concentrate on it for much longer

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Focus isn’t just about your working habits, it’s also an essential life skill. To be able to concentrate your attention on family or friends without your mind wandering is a useful skill to learn and, while you are focusing, you are strengthening up your mind muscles.

•Find somewhere quiet where you can be by yourself and not be disturbed. •Be comfortable – most people find it easier to sit on a chair or you could sit cross-legged on the floor. You must sit with your spine erect though

•Take some deep calm breaths and relax your entire body, bit by bit, by pointing your direction to each muscle in turn, starting from your feet and working up to your head •Practice all of the exercises for 10 minutes to start with. After a few weeks you can start increasing the time to 15 minutes and so on •Do the exercises in the order they are listed in.

•Start with the first exercise and practice it every single day until you can do it without being distracted and without your mind wandering elsewhere for at least three minutes continuously

•If you do get distracted, start again until the 10 minutes has passed

•Be very honest with yourself – only move on to exercise two when you are happy that you have mastered the first one properly and have practiced it without being distracted

•Do not set yourself a timetable as this will just end up frustrating you. If you set yourself a task of practicing a specific exercise for, let’s say 5 days. Two things are likely to happen – first you will be disappointed if you can’t master it within those 5 days and second, you will move on to the next exercise before you already to.

•Remember that mastering these exercises can take days, sometimes weeks or allow yourself to think about anything else. Make sure you do not fall asleep or go off into a daydream. If you do find your mind wandering onto something else, stop and start again. Once you are proficient, carry on with the same exercise but for a longer time and try to do two sessions in one day

•Never do too much to start with and certainly do not try and do all the exercises at once. Take it easy and don’t overdo it

•Don’t be disheartened if you do find it difficult to concentrate or are easily distracted. Nobody gets it first time around; all you need to do is persevere and never, ever give up. Remember this – even those who have powerful concentration skills had to start at the beginning and learn how to exercise their minds as well.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

This is one of the simplest mind exercises ever. Take the newspaper, pick an article and start counting the number of word in the first paragraph of the article. Redo it once again to ensure the figure is correct. Go on to the next paragraph. In this fashion, cover the entire page. You can also use a book or magazine for this purpose. There is only thing that you should ensure; do not count with your fingers. The whole exercise should be done with the eyes alone.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 This one may sound simple, but only deceptively so. In your mind, without saying the numbers out aloud, start counting backwards. Easy? Then try this, start counting again from 100, but skip the 4 digits in between, for example 100, 96, 92 etc.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Sit down on a chair, pick a fruit of your choice, and hold it out in your palm. Now completely concentrate on the fruit. Run your eyes over it, think about its smell, visualize in your mind its taste, the texture, the sensation of biting into it etc. Do not think about the ancillary matters like the price, the store from which you bought it etc. The idea is to block out every other thought from your mind and think about the fruit at the most elementary level.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Take a medium sized glass of water and sit down on a chair. Extend an arm outwards and place the glass on the outstretched palm. Any tremors or shaking shall be visible by the ripples on the surface of the water. Now concentrate hard by looking at the glass. When you do this, your arms will steady themselves. Shift the glass into the other hand and repeat the procedure.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

This is a slight variation of the "Fruity technique" given above. In this case, pick up a small object such as pen, pencil or paper clip and look at it, concentrating hard. But do not think about it. Just keep looking at the object without thinking anything about it. It may be a bit tough in the beginning, but you will improve with time. Keep doing again and again and it will work wonders to the level of concentration.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Okay, now here it is, just sit. That's all there is, just pick a straight back, comfortable chair and sit. Well a bit more actually, make sure that while sitting, you are not moving a muscle. Your body shouldn’t move a millimeter except your chest and nostrils, for breathing. This may sound effortless to you, but it is actually a tough one. You may not be able to do it for more than five minutes at a stretch, but practice hard and fix a target of fifteen minutes. It is a kind of compound exercise because if done properly, it can relax your complete body.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

You may already know of this but its effectiveness warrants it a place in any list of mental exercises to improve concentration. Sit upright on a chair or on the ground, with your head and back in a straight line. Press your index finger against your right nostril and breathe in gently through your left, mentally ticking off ten seconds. Now remove your finger and exhale through your right nostril, again taking ten seconds to do so. Now repeat the whole procedure with the other finger and left nostril. This exercise should be done a minimum of 20 times at a stretch.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Noise is one of the biggest reasons why we cannot concentrate and focus properly. So let us tackle it head on. The ideal place to do this will be on a park next to the road. Close your eyes and take a stock of all the sounds around you. Now, pick a sound and concentrate on it, blocking out everything else. After two or three minutes, switch your focus to another sound and concentrate on it, ignoring everything else in turn.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

We have kept the most difficult one for the last. Intentionally blank yourself out. Do not think of anything for a minute. Completely block out everything from your mind. This may prove to be extremely tough in the beginning, but don't give up. Keep working on it and gradually increase the time period to five minutes and from there to ten and so on. There is only one principle to this exercise, your mind should be completely free, and not even a single thought should invade your mind. The time of the day, where you are, what you are doing, what you have to do etc. are all thoughts that tend to barge into our mind when we try to blank out. But resist such thoughts by gaining mastery over your thought process.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

This is all about pushing your limits. When you feel saturated and think that you cannot sustain your level of concentration for another minute, convince yourself to give in five more minutes. Force yourself to read a couple of more pages. Tackle two more problems and so on. Right when the temptation to give up hits you, push for another five minutes. Those five minutes count a lot. This is akin to athletes and bodybuilders who train to go past the point of exhaustion and develop their strength and stamina. Similarly, push your mind and heighten the concentration levels.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Prioritize your tasks. If faced with multiple problems, make a mental list and take up the problem that ranks the highest and leave the rest for the moment. For this you have to analyze the different problems and plan the execution. And while doing the task at hand, don't worry about the ones that you have kept aside. Just focus on the work on hand and concentrate on that alone.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

You are reading a book and find that beyond a point, you can't concentrate? Here is a quick tip, cup your face with your hands in such a manner that your vision is restricted to just the book alone. Create a sort of tunnel vision in which you cannot see anything other than the page you are reading. This helps in focusing on the task on hand better, as this brings into your thought process under your command.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

 This tip comes in handy when you have to concentrate while looking at figures or patterns. Confront the pattern or figure as if it is the first and last time you will be looking at it. Create this sense of self urgency and your concentration will involuntarily go up in learning that fact. It is the normal human tendency to procrastinate and put off difficult things for later. This frame of mind is not conducive in improving your levels of concentration, even if you want to.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Do not doubt, even for a moment the efficacy of the methods, but you have to understand the simple fact that not everyone is alike and a method which may prove to work for one may not be fruitful for the other. And this is precisely the reason why we reckoned we should add this little tip - decide what is best for you. The human mind is an enigma, the intricacies of which have never been completely understood in its entirety. Hence instead of going by the textbook, try out and experiment the different methods and techniques that have been outlined and explained herein and ascertain which works for you the best.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Meditation helps you train your self-discipline by forcing you to focus only on your breath. It also teaches you how to resist distractions and live in the present moment. If you want to begin meditating, start small with 5-minute long sessions. Soon, you’ll be able to keep your focus for longer than just 20 seconds or so.

How do you exactly meditate? While you can read a book or two about different types of meditation, it’s not necessary for self-discipline purposes. The key in meditation is to focus on the present moment and sensations traveling through your body while you sit still.

Here’s a simple step-by-step explanation of how to do it.

1. Sit still in a comfortable position. Don’t stand up, don’t lie down – sit with an upright posture. Forget about the cross-legged lotus position you know from movies unless you’re super flexible. The three most common positions for beginners are: - sitting at the edge of the chair with your back straight. Yes, it can be as simple as that. No need for exotic positions. - sitting cross-legged. It’s easy and common among beginners, but I find it too straining for my back. Hence I prefer the third option… - seiza position. Fold your legs underneath your thighs and rest your buttocks on your heels. For more comfort, you can put a pillow under your rear. You can use a simple app to limit your session to five minutes or set an alarm on your phone (just don’t use an obnoxious, loud alarm that will give you a heart attack).

2. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Simple counting – one (inhale), two (exhale), one (inhale), two (exhale) works best. You can also count each breath until you reach 100. At first, don’t expect to reach more than 20 before you lose your concentration. Once you get better, you can stop counting your breaths and focus on the general feeling in your body.

3. Focus on the sensations in your body as you inhale and exhale. Start from your feet and go upward, trying to relax every little muscle. You’ll be surprised how much tension you store in certain parts of your body – including tension in the places you weren’t aware of before, such as your chin. If you lose your focus, bring it back to your breath and the sensations in your body. You’re not doing anything wrong if you lose your focus – it’s a part of the process.

Repeat the practice every single day. Morning works best for most people, but it doesn’t matter when you do it as long as you keep it a part of your routine. Don’t make your sessions longer until you become comfortable sitting still for five minutes. It’s better to add an additional minute every other week or so, rather than get discouraged when you transition to fifteen minutes and find yourself unable to focus.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Cold showers, although extremely painful during the first minute or two, can help you deal with challenges better. It takes a lot of willpower not to jump out of the shower or turn the knob back to the hot water.Consequently, you’ll be more at control when faced with an overwhelming temptation to give in.

However, it’s a good idea to take cold showers for a week or two as a short-term experiment. It will teach you a lot about your limits. You’ll understand when you cross the line from, “I’m going to freeze,” to, “I can stand it,” to, “It’s not that bad.” Soon, you’ll apply your findings in other areas of life, most notably during strenuous physical exercise.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Fasting, even infrequent, will help you better control your urges. A cold shower takes 5 minutes, while fasting takes at least 14-16 hours to benefit from it.

The temptation to break the fast and eat is always there – up to the moment you get used to the new way of eating. It’s not something that fits everyone, but it won’t hurt to try it as an experiment and see how it affects your willpower.

Studies show that intermittent fasting has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems and is a potential eating pattern for successful brain aging. It is also a powerful practice to develop your self-discipline.

It’s especially useful for anyone who wants to change her relationship with food and become better at controlling cravings. You don’t need to eat five meals a day to lose fat or stave off hunger. Neither does fasting reduce your cognitive performance, sleep or mood.

You can skip a meal or two, stop eating for a full day or temporarily change your eating pattern (you can always go back to your usual patterns if you find it’s not for you).

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Learning to control small things can help you control bigger things. Treat it like a workout and start from monitoring simple things. Then go on to harder.

For instance, many people have a tendency to slouch (it might be you right now). Make it a challenge to keep your back straight throughout the day. Do you have a habit of swearing when you’re stuck in a traffic jam? Resist the temptation and switch your mind to something more positive.

 Additional self-control will help you manage your anger better. Do you leave your bed unmade when you wake up? Resist the temptation to leave it unmade and spend two minutes making it as perfect as if you expected someone to come over. Do you always want to prove other people wrong? Exert your self-control to put an end to this behavior and keep your tongue behind your teeth.

You can also use various online tools and apps to track the small things in your life – your spending habits, time spent browsing through entertainment sites, time spent watching TV.

Self-monitoring will help you pick new challenges that will help you improve your self-control. Start with one little thing and get better at controlling it. Increase the difficulty by picking a thing that’s a bit harder to control. Keep challenging yourself to gain more control over the little things in your life you usually do mindlessly.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Test your boundaries. The first feeling of fatigue is your body’s reaction under stress, but it doesn’t mean you can’t go on any longer. Push your limits to see how much more self-control you can squeeze out of yourself.

Sir Roger Bannister, who was the first man to run the mile in less than 4 minutes in 1954, said in 2000, “It’s the brain, not the heart or lungs, that is the critical organ, it’s the brain26.” Studies show that the first feeling of fatigue is an emotion, not the signal that your body is spent and can’t go on any longer.

Consequently, you can learn how to exert more self-discipline when you decide to go past the first feeling of fatigue and see how much further you can push yourself. Obviously the easiest area where you can introduce this finding is exercise.

If you go to the gym, don’t be afraid to go past your original limits and see if you can push a little bit more. Make it a priority to do it in a safe way, though – with the proper form and a spotter to help you. I do it from time to time at the gym, and it helps me explore my true limits and discover that frequently it’s only my mind that limits me from achieving more. If you run long distances, push yourself to beat your personal record and finish your usual distance in a shorter period of time or run farther.

Going beyond the first feeling of fatigue will help you move your limits and increase your capabilities to control yourself under overwhelming pressure. After all, if you could push through extreme exhaustion and complete yet one more rep with a heavy bar on your back, you can also resist the temptation to eat a chocolate bar, right?

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Grow closer with your future self. People who prefer to get less now instead of more in the future are more likely to give in to temptations and fail at achieving their long-term goals.

For instance, when you see a chocolate bar on your desk, think about the future reward first (a healthy mind and body) and then compare it to the present reward (a brief burst of energy). Your mind will consider the second choice less attractive than if you switched the order and treated delayed gratification as the loss of the chocolate bar.

Envisioning your future self – whether you motivate yourself by imagining your feared-for or hoped-for future self is another helpful technique to increase your self-control.

Keep in mind this exercise isn’t about visualizing your success – it’s just about bringing your future “you” closer to the current day to encourage you to take care of your future.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

When faced with the possibility of an instant gratification, think about the reward from your long-term goal first. It tricks your mind, making it easier to stay disciplined.

If you find you’re assuring yourself you’ll start as soon as you feel like doing it, revisit your goals. Self-discipline depends on your motivation. With no motivation, there’s little to no self-control – no matter how disciplined you otherwise are.

If you find yourself constantly procrastinating, chances are it’s not the right goal for you. Let’s say your original reason to lose weight was to make others jealous of your new body. If you find yourself constantly postponing the day of introducing new eating habits, perhaps it was the wrong reason. In general, a powerful, encouraging goal is based on an internal motivation. You’ll get much more drive from your internal need to become a better person than from trying to please someone, make someone jealous or enjoy other trivial external benefits of reaching your goal (men working out to attract women, women losing weight to seduce men).

While there’s nothing wrong with making a trivial motivation a part of your “why,” your main reason for changes should come from within you (your own desire to become healthier, stronger, richer, etc.). Research conducted in an academic context of motivation36 suggests that intrinsic personal goals (health, personal growth, affiliation, community contribution) increase both the short-term and long-term persistence of learning than extrinsic personal goals (fame, physical appearance, financial success). Come up with a strong “why” that will keep you going when the first rush of motivation goes away, replaced by the hard reality where success requires stick-to-itiveness..

When faced with the possibility of an instant gratification, think about the reward from your long-term goal first. It tricks your mind, making it easier to stay disciplined.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

False hope syndrome refers to a behavior of setting unrealistic expectations about the speed, amount, ease, and consequences of the changes you’ll make in your life. If you want to wait until you feel like doing something, reconsider your motivation.

Come up with a goal fueled by inner motivation – health, personal growth, affiliation, community contribution, than external motivation – fame, physical appearance, financial success.

The first part of the change – making the decision to make a change and setting an unrealistic goal – gives you a powerful boost of hope that makes you feel good. It’s typical instant gratification – you haven’t achieved anything, but you already feel like you’re on top of the world (or just an inch from reaching it). False hope syndrome makes you come up with unrealistic goals because you’re overexcited about reaching them. The next time you’re setting your goals (and especially if they’re related to something you have little idea about), set your mind on the action steps you need to take to reach your goal.

And although dreaming big is an admirable quality, find out what average people achieve and adjust your goals accordingly. Thanks to this simple change in your attitude, you won’t get discouraged by not reaching your (unrealistic) expectations.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

The more decisions you have to make, the worse the quality of your decisions will be. Spend your decision-making energy wisely. Reduce the number of decisions you take each day to reduce the effect of decision fatigue in your life. Make important decisions after a break or early in the day.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Stress kills your self-control. Make it a priority in your life to keep your stress levels in check. If you need to relax, choose activities that will promote long-term wellbeing rather than techniques that will result in a short burst of relief.

Since physical activity is one of the best ways to reduce the level of stress, it should be the first keystone habit to introduce in your life. If you already exercise on a regular basis, here are a few more ways to reduce your stress:

1. Read a book. Reading a book in silence is a simple way to forget about the world around you and restore your energy.

2. Go for a walk (especially in nature). Studies show44 that exercise in green spaces such as forests and parks promotes well-being and recovery from stress.

3. Meditate. We already discussed how powerful it is.

4. Get a massage. Some people still consider it awkward to get a massage from a stranger, even though it has been proven45 to be a powerful way to alleviate stress.

5. Spend time with friends and family. Enjoying the company of people close to you will help you forget about your troubles. And once you focus on your problems again, they will be easier to solve.

6. Cuddle or have sex. Physical intimacy (even a simple hug) results in the release of oxytocin, and serotonin, two powerful stress-relieving hormones.

7. Listen to music. Music helps relieve stress and improves mood. Studies have also found it has a small pain-relieving effect.

The key to reduce stress effectively is to focus on techniques that provide a longer stress-relieving response, not a quick release of tension.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

People with little self-control tend to overestimate their ability to control their urges. Assume you’re not as good as you think to avoid overexposing yourself to temptations.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Status quo bias is a preference to keep things as they are. Any change from the current state of things is perceived as a loss. As a result, making positive changes in your life can be much harder than you think – simply because you will perceive them as losses, even if the current state of things is no longer optimal for you. There are several biases that interact with the status quo bias, such as loss aversion (tendency to strongly prefer avoiding losses to acquiring gains) and endowment effect (tendency to ascribe more value to things merely because you own them).

Avoid the status quo bias by: asking yourself if the status quo serves your goals, asking yourself if you would still choose it if it wasn’t in place, coming up with more choices, and not choosing the status quo because it’s difficult to make a decision.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Making yourself accountable and setting stakes are two powerful ways to get external motivation to stick to your goals. Come up with a punishment for breaking your resolutions and you’ll think twice before giving up.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Small wins will encourage you to keep going during the first, usually hardest part of forming a habit or making any other change in your life. Make sure your process is small-win-friendly by setting mini goals that can be achieved with relative ease.

Studies show that people who lose the most weight in the initial weeks of their diet lose more weight in the long term – even if they follow an extreme diet. Other studies discovered that among middle-aged obese women, those who lost weight most rapidly were the most likely to keep it off after one and a half years.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

We cave to temptations because of an impulse. One second we see a chocolate bar, the next second it’s in our mouth. We see a discounted item we don’t need, and then we find ourselves paying for it at the cash register. If you’re an impulsive person, put roadblocks that will serve the role of your self-discipline.

Instead of testing your self-discipline, put roadblocks and make choices before you’re forced to react to an impulse. Think when your self-control is going to be tested and prepare for it – either by making the threat disappear altogether (avoiding a specific situation) or to make it easier to bear.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Prevention is the best medicine, and so is planning for your temptations. If you’re always hungry at three PM, pack a healthy lunch instead of grabbing your spare cash and getting a chocolate bar from a vending machine. If you want to stop arguing with other people and know a person who always drives you crazy, come up with a plan to avoid this person. When you plan for situations that can challenge your self-discipline too much, you reduce the risk of giving in to a temptation. Consequently, you prevent cravings instead of fighting against them.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Reward yourself with days of indulgence from time to time. All of us give in to temptations on occasion. Instead of making yourself feel guilty about an occasional slip-up, plan when you’re going to do it. And enjoy it.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Habits will help you automate your behaviors and introduce changes in your life without exerting huge amounts of self-control.

What I didn’t mention in the first chapter, though, is the idea that you can combine your existing habits with new good ones.

For instance, if you always brush your teeth right after you wake up, associate the act of brushing your teeth with a short meditation session afterward. Once you establish a new pattern, brushing teeth will remind you of the meditation.

When you establish the habit of meditating after brushing your teeth, you can add another good habit on top of these two habits, say writing down three things you’re grateful for.

Stacking habits on top of the existing ones is easier than coming up with completely new cues and routines and will help you form habits with more ease.

Associate new habits with the existing ones to make it easier to introduce a new routine in your life.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Bestselling author Jack Canfield once said, “You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going.” When you feel overwhelmed and ready to give up, tell yourself you’ll try something for just five minutes and then you can stop.

When you start and five minutes pass, more often than not you’ll want to keep going. What’s hard is starting – not continuing once you get it going.

For instance, if you introduced a habit to exercise for 30 minutes three times per week, tell yourself you’ll put your running shoes and go for a quick 5-minute jog around the block.

If you can’t force yourself to go to the gym, tell yourself you will only perform one exercise and then you can go home.

 If you have a hard time meditating, tell yourself you’ll only meditate for one minute.

Make the act of starting as painless as possible. Once you overcome the initial resistance, you should find it much easier to keep going.

Avoid procrastination by telling yourself you’ll only perform a certain task for five minutes. Chances are that once you start, you’ll want to keep going.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

60% of the time we feel hungry, it is actually because we are thirsty. Many people do not drink enough water on a daily basis. You need about 64 ounces a day or about half or your body weight in ounces of water per day. If it is hot outside or you have been active you will need more. So when it is warm day enjoy a glass of refreshing cold water. But if it is cold outside, opt for sipping on some warmed water to help avoid eating.

This will keep you hydrated. It will also keep you occupied if you just need to chew or have an oral fixation.

When you have a nice clean mouth, it will decrease your desire to eat. Try it. It does work because no one wants to dirty their pearly whites. The added bonus is that your dentist will be happy too.

This helps occupy you while giving your mouth something to do. Plus most foods don’t taste that great with a minty mouth, so it will help you avoid unneeded food.

Many times we eat out of boredom or habit, therefore by breaking that cycle by moving around a bit, we can help avoid eating for no reason. This also helps you burn calories.

This really helps during that night-time want-to-snack-for-no-reason moments. I recommend making a list of things that you like to do and/or a list of things that you may need to do around the house. Then if the urge to snack hits you, you can go to this list and do something fun or productive instead.

Play some of your favorite tunes. Music is actually a natural appetite suppressant because it actually triggers some of the same endorphins as eating.

Eat breakfast everyday to help kick-start your metabolism and energize you in the morning. From there you should be eating every 3-5 hours depending on how much you are eating. Measuring portions is essential to avoid overeating. So learn how much you should be consuming and measure food accordingly.

Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Now rate how hungry you are from a scale of 1-10. One being not at all and ten meaning you are actually physically very hungry and in need of some food. With this assessment you can do one of the above tricks to avoid overeating if it is a small number or realize it is time to actually have a snack or meal.

When you are in the flow, never do anything in one turn, keep a piece of work for later, but “contaminated” with the positive energy that started the whole lot. When you are doing stuff enthusiastically, you tend to consume everything, to live it totally and end up tired and somehow empty. Allow yourself “to be continued” in another episode of the same movie… In terms of GTD it might translate as a “Someday/Maybe” promise that you will actually enjoy to do and enjoy to see when you are doing your weekly reviews.

Please refer to the blog for more details on this activity.

Enjoy as much as you can what you do. The higher the pleasure you take from doing your stuff, the easier to remember. Each action resulted from enthusiastic processing it’s actually a positive milestone in your brain, a positive memory that can easily be reproduced, or at least used as a “state-igniter” in other contexts.

Please refer to the blog for more details on this activity.

When you are in the flow your attention is much more detached and capable of understand and see things that you can imagine. Only because you feel monolithical it doesn’t mean you can’t actually understand far more that you could understand from your environment than in a normal state. So, knowing that, make a special attention to the periferical signs of pleasure and joy that you encounter in each specific action. There might be signs that you don’t even notice, but remembered lately, and create a favorable context.

• Try to identify the zones of comfort and organize them.
• Consequently, make as much as attention you can to the discomfort signs you perceive. You can be enthusiastic and your energy can surpass a lot of the difficulties from your environment, but that doesn’t mean there are not real problems. But identifying each stress and discomfort sign makes it easy to organize them somehow and, next time, to avoid them.
• Understand what you like to do and what you don’t. You cannot always be energetic. There will be periods of boring and depression in your life. Being attentive on your periferical signs doesn’t mean you will eventually eliminate all the negative expressions of yourself, but you will be capable to shorten their manifestation, episode by episode, if you consciously acknowledge the existence of those situation and the fact that they have a beginning and an end.

Please refer to the blog for more details on this activity.

This one relates closely to the last one: encourage the favorable contexts of your actions. Once you have identified your favorable contexts try to use them as frequently as you can. If you are a person that enjoy socializing, try to put your @Phone context higher than @Computer context. You will act more often on that context and you will feel less stressed. But if you are more like an introverted person don’t hurt yourself with higher social endeavors and push the @Computer context first. And don’t be guilty about that also. That’s the trick.

Please refer to the blog for more details on this activity.

Prioritize emotions instead of thoughts. Once you have consistently integrated the collection habit enjoy your RAM emptiness and don’t feel guilty if you don’t think at anything for 30 seconds. Or 2 minutes. Or 10 minutes. Give yourself the very rare benefit of not thinking and only let your emotions to surface.

Express them in language, physical exercise, specific activities like playing with your kids, talking to your wife or relaxed conversing with your colleagues at work, but let your thinking aside. Your growing emotional energy will seed your future enthusiasm.

Please refer to the blog for more details on this activity.

And the last one: if you don’t feel enthusiastic at all, don't blame yourself. If you don’t blame yourself and let your energies constantly grow. If you constantly consume your feeble resources with guilt and desperate bets on your next enthusiasm state, you will eventually consume every little piece of common sense left and get burned out pretty soon.

Please refer to the blog for more details on this activity.