What is self-control? 

It can have multiple definitions and these are applicable to different instances. Few of these are:

• It's a kind of art to push yourself to achieve something in a given timeframe(or doing some/complete chunk of work by not distracting yourself in taking rest or involving yourself in some other activity.) even if you temptation to distract you is more than the temptation to fight it and complete it.
• Refraining yourself from things like alcohol, fast food etc which you like the most and you know these are bad for your health.
• Checking your limits of doing or refraining from some of the activities.

Self-control is one of the most important muscle in a Bawse(a person who just does not survive, but conquer life) and like any other muscle, it should be worked out to make it stronger. We do a hell of things than working on self-control. This is a key thing when it comes to finishing up tasks. But that's easier said than done. So there are two important questions before we start working on self-control:

• How do you obtain it?
• How do you make it stronger?

As like some other physical exercise, we need to create a workout plan that's right for you. These are few exercises to build self-control.

Set goals: 

• Create a schedule and try completing the task by a certain time. It is difficult to accomplish at the start, but do these things to make it work. Don't cheat yourself.
• Give some bounty to yourself when you complete tasks on/before the scheduled time. example: If you complete task before time, spend that time on the activities you like.(example: playing table tennis, or watching a TV series you love or something else you love to do.)
• Try to divide your task into chunks and set target for doing an x amount of task before you call out for the day or start some other activity

Reward yourself:

• It can be a break in between tasks. It can be a big reward at the end of the day or even bigger at the completion of the whole task
• Make sure rewards are well-earned and are reasonable. You don't want to reward yourself by writing a paragraph or after replying to an email. This reward system works as long as you don't cheat. Be honest with yourself and the work.
• If you don't achieve something in a given timeframe, then offer those rewards to others which were set for you. Example: giving away the ice-cream you thought of rewarding to yourself for completing and x amount of assignment by the certain time.

Challenge yourself:

As in physical exercise, to strengthen a muscle, you need to gradually increase reps or increase weight. Apply the same principle here as well. Challenge yourself to do something you don't like or don't do something you like for few hours first or for few days. If you break this and reset. Example: If you are an alcohol lover, try to set a goal not to drink for 5 days, if you drink, reset it and be honest in doing so.

                                                                          This helps you in building stamina for self-control. Push your limits high. Challenge yourself to achieve tasks even if you are exhausted. Example: Try reading 15-20 pages of a book every day before you to sleep. At the start, this can give you hard time. By challenging yourself develops self-control which is earned not possessed, discipline and a good habit of reading. Or it can be some other activity related to your professional work you want to complete before you go to sleep.

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And if you are still struggling to exercise self-control when it comes to finishing your work, then try to get to the roots. Maybe its time to question your work, if you really like what you do. There are many people who work straight for 12 hours or more because they like what they do and they push themselves to finish up the tasks(or chunks) and achieve (even more) what they set for the day(s).

STAY TUNED!