The Science of Self

Naps can be useful but only when done correctly. Nap for no longer than twenty minutes, and avoid napping if it compromises your sleep quality that night.

• Next, we turn to the literal fuel for o…

A point of distinction must be made between introverts and highly sensitive people—HSPs. They may appear identical at first glance, but that’s where the similarities end. The HSP is characterized by …

There are four basic chronotypes—bears, lions, wolves, and dolphins. By understanding your chronotype, you can plan your day around your peak periods of productivity. To find your most productive hou…

Even though Carl Jung defined these two terms and forever created a spectrum, he recognized that it was impossible for people to not be in the middle. These are called ambiverts, and the vast majorit…

Procrastination can be a sign that your organization, goals or mindset are not where they should be, but all of us procrastinate out of laziness from time to time. Fix the problem by restoring moment…

Another way to look at it is by taking the circadian rhythm and extrapolating it into our ultradian rhythms, which are the rhythms that move with us through the twenty-four-hour cycle of our lives. S…

The personality spectrum has been defined in many ways throughout history, but people have increasingly gravitated toward classifying themselves in terms of their capacity for social interaction and …

• Not everyone will follow the same sleep/wakefulness cycles; it’s up to you to understand your own rhythms and work with them. Identify your peak energy periods and schedule your most important …

People are not machines with uniform, unwavering energy levels no matter the time of day. Firstly, bear in mind that there is nothing innately superior about being a “morning person,” and you won’t m…

The personality spectrum has been defined in many ways throughout history, but people have increasingly gravitated toward classifying themselves in terms of their capacity for social interaction and …

Willpower is a limited resource but so is time. Self-discipline requires conscious control over how we spend our time. Follow Stephen Covey’s advice and “put the big rocks first”—the less important t…

• Delayed gratification is a process wherein you forego a short-term reward or some temptation in favor of a bigger reward that comes later. The ability to delay gratification has been closely li…

• When we talk about energy, we must start with the physical aspect. Our bodies are our engines, and they must be properly fueled to perform well, or at all. We have to eliminate all of our physical-…

Here is a brief passage from Meditations by the Roman emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius that illustrates what we lose by surrendering to discomfort (of which is no concern to him) and not taking st…

Two months of consistently performing any action will generally turn it into a habit, but until we reach that point, we have to put active effort into creating a new routine. We must make a choice no…

Knowledge is power, and self-knowledge is self-power. If you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can consciously work around your blind spots while maximizing on your good attributes. Don’t see y…

Next, we come to the practice of discomfort and all that it entails. By definition, anything that requires exercising self-discipline is uncomfortable. We’d rather not do it, otherwise it would be kn…

The energy pyramid is a helpful way to think about the role of energy and how to manage it. It has four tiers that depend on each other: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It lays out a blue…

A major stumbling block for those wanting to develop better self-discipline and improve their lives as letting their ego get in the way. The ego is a mask; it’s not the real you. Regularly remind you…

The final piece of the puzzle for greater self-discipline and sticking to your guns is to change your thoughts. Thoughts, of course, lead to behavior, and behavior is what we want to change in the en…