It doesn’t really matter what you’re talking about, there is always a way to have too much of something. That includes having too much self-discipline. There is a time when that control is not even self-discipline anymore but has become self-abuse. If you’ve gone too far, you may end up having some characteristics about your personality that aren’t beneficial. Let’s look closer into some signs that things may have gone too far.
You Can’t Make Decisions
You’re overly cautious when you try to make choices. You can’t choose what to eat for dinner, you can’t pick which movie to go to, and you can’t figure out what to do with your life. You’re scared of making the wrong decision, so you tend not to make any. Thus, you make no progress in life.
You Have Become a Perfectionist
Some people think the word “perfectionist” makes them sound smart and important. However, the truth is a person who has become a perfectionist is usually not full of self-confidence. Their perfectionism is really an excuse never to do anything or finish anything due to fear of success or failure.
You Are Too Focused on Rules and Regulations
Following the law is good and it’s great to care about rules and regulations. However, you can take this too far if you cannot play a game or do anything without pointing out the rules everyone else is breaking before you can have any fun. Plus, if you nitpick every little thing, you will never get anything done.
You Can’t Take Breaks
While sticking to a schedule is a good thing – especially if you are a manager, a business owner, or a parent, you can take that too far. It’s imperative to set up your day so that you have time for breaks and set up your schedule and task list with breaks in mind. A person who is all work and no play will not end up being successful long term without burning out.
You Feel Lonely
If you’re not taking breaks and you cannot make decisions, you may start to feel lonely and out of touch with others – even if they’re there with you. You feel detached from others because you must be regimented in everything you do.
Has your quest to have more self-discipline crossed over to become a serious problem of being too controlled to the point that you cannot be yourself, feel stressed out all the time, and cannot make decisions due to being so risk-averse? If this happens, it’s time to get back to normal self-discipline. The point is to learn to retrain yourself now so that you can meet long-term goals in work and in life – not to end up miserable.
