North Country Reporter

White Mountains Community College issued the following announcement on Aug. 4.

Wellness Wednesday: Self-Discipline and Self-Compassion

Over the years I've come to realize that the things I am passionate about and want to get good at, all require the same two deceptively straightforward rules/traits: Self-Discipline and Self- Compassion. To make long term improvements in anything- from fitness to gardening to art- we need to do it consistently. But we shouldn't beat ourselves up, when we don't. It sounds simple, but I've learned it isn't easy.

Rule # 1: Do it!

If we're not out there getting after what we want to do, we will never get good at it. Showing up day in and day out is critical to achieving any lasting progress. In a world flooded with prescribed hacks, quick fixes, and addicted to immediate results, it's easy to forget the importance of hard work. Even the most talented athlete or gifted artist is nothing without the daily grind of practice.

Rule # 2:

Go easy on yourself when you don't do the thing. Doing something for the long haul means you'll make mistakes and have bad days. But beating ourselves up when we don't do the thing or do it badly, is a waste of time and energy. It does nothing to change the past, feels lousy in the present, and is not helpful for the future. Instead of dwelling on mistakes and getting angry, we analyze them in a detached manner, take what is helpful, discard the rest, and move forward.

Making progress at something - whatever it may be - will take us to hard places. It requires self-discipline and persistence to keep going. Taking mistakes and bad days in stride is what enables us to brush ourselves off and stand up again when we are down. Put them together and what we get is long term progress.

It reminds me of a Japanese proverb I like: "Fall seven times, stand up eight".

Self-Discipline and Self-Compassion my friends. - Jeffrey Swayze, Program Counselor

Original source can be found here.