Self discipline requires you to be able to take appropriate action regardless of the emotional state you are in. It is a conscious decision that will take you through whatever you have set your mind upon.
It does not happen overnight, it takes time to build. An analogy of self discipline would be building of endurance. You start off with small steps and gradually progress to a higher level. Your effort has to be consistent and it must not be effected by external conditions such as mood, fatique or time.
Everyone has a different level of self discipline but it doesn’t mean that they have to stay at that level. Your current state of self discipline has a lot to do with your way of thinking and the type of lifestyle you choose. A person with lower self discipline isn’t necessarily weaker in his will except that he may not be conscious at this point about what he wants and has not taken the appropriate action to achieve it. On the other hand, a well discipline person may not be strong will or have a great character, but at some point in his life, he has decided on what he wants and makes a conscious effort to change his situation. Hence, everyone in some point of their lives can make a conscious decision to take control of their situation and make changes to their lifestyle.
It is a common mistake to set your expectations too high initially, when it comes to self discipline. Since your mind is not condition for the work , you give up when you don’t see the results coming through. Very often we hear people talk about how self discipline a person is or isn’t and we jump to conclusion about the person’s character. Sure, a person’s character and determination will affect his decision to take action in the beginning. However, overtime even a man of great persistent will give up if he doesn’t see any results. Self discipline is not about how well you start , but how you carry yourself through in times of trial and adversary. It is a journey not a destination.
The trick to doing it is take small achieveable steps. Do it consistently without fail until you see results. ( its much easier to do simpler , repeatative task ) Naturally these results will motivate you to take the next level and over time, a habit is formed and your mind is convinced. A thing to note here is that you must not be complacent. Once you have achieve your target, you must alway tell yourself you can do more. That way, you stay motivated which is the key to self discipline.