r/getdisciplined Jul 13 '25

[META] Updates + New Posting Guide for [Advice] and [NeedAdvice] Posts

24 Upvotes

Hey legends

So the last week or so has been a bit of a wild ride. About 2.5k posts removed. Which had to be done individually. Eeks. Over 60 users banned for shilling and selling stuff. And I’m still digging through old content, especially the top posts of all time. cleaning out low-quality junk, AI-written stuff, and sneaky sales pitches. It’s been… fun. Kinda. Lmao.

Anyway, I finally had time to roll out a bunch of much-needed changes (besides all that purging lol) in both the sidebar and the AutoModerator config. The sidebar now reflects a lot of these changes. Quick rundown:

  • Certain characters and phrases that AI loves to use are now blocked automatically. Same goes for common hustle-bro spam lingo.

  • New caps on posting: you’ll need an account at least 30 days old and with 200+ karma to post. To comment, you’ll need an account at least 3 days old.

  • Posts under 150 words are blocked because there were way too many low-effort one-liners flooding the place.

  • Rules in the sidebar now clearly state no selling, no external links, and a basic expectation of proper sentence structure and grammar. Some of the stuff coming through lately was honestly painful to read.

So yeah, in light of all these changes, we’ve turned off the “mod approval required” setting for new posts. Hopefully we’ll start seeing a slower trickle of better-quality content instead of the chaotic flood we’ve been dealing with. As always - if you feel like something has slipped through the system, feel free to flag it for mod reviewal through spam/reporting.

About the New Posting Guide

On top of all that, we’re rolling out a new posting guide as a trial for the [NeedAdvice] and [Advice] posts. These are two of our biggest post types BY FAR, but there’s been a massive range in quality. For [NeedAdvice], we see everything from one-liners like “I’m lazy, how do I fix it?” to endless dramatic life stories that leave people unsure how to help.

For [Advice] posts (and I’ve especially noticed this going through the top posts of all time), there’s a huge bunch of them written in long, blog-style narratives. Authors get super evocative with the writing, spinning massive walls of text that take readers on this grand journey… but leave you thinking, “So what was the actual advice again?” or “Fuck me that was a long read.” A lot of these were by bloggers who’d slip their links in at the end, but that’s a separate issue.

So, we’ve put together a recommended structure and layout for both types of posts. It’s not about nitpicking grammar or killing creativity. It’s about helping people write posts that are clear, focused, and useful - especially for those who seem to be struggling with it. Good writing = good advice = better community.

A few key points:

This isn’t some strict rule where your post will be banned if you don’t follow it word for word, your post will be banned (unless - you want it to be that way?). But if a post completely wanders off track, massive walls of text with very little advice, or endless rambling with no real substance, it may get removed. The goal is to keep the sub readable, helpful, and genuinely useful.

This guide is now stickied in the sidebar under posting rules and added to the wiki for easy reference. I’ve also pasted it below so you don’t have to go digging. Have a look - you don’t need to read it word for word, but I’d love your thoughts. Does it make sense? Feel too strict? Missing anything?

Thanks heaps for sticking with us through all this chaos. Let’s keep making this place awesome.

FelEdorath

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Posting Guides

How to Write a [NeedAdvice] Post

If you’re struggling and looking for help, that’s a big part of why this subreddit exists. But too often, we see posts that are either: “I’m lazy. How do I fix it?” OR 1,000-word life stories that leave readers unsure how to help.

Instead, try structuring your post like this so people can diagnose the issue and give useful feedback.

1. Who You Are / Context

A little context helps people tailor advice. You don’t have to reveal private details, just enough for others to connect the dots - for example

  • Age/life stage (e.g. student, parent, early-career, etc).

  • General experience level with discipline (newbie, have tried techniques before, etc).

  • Relevant background factors (e.g. shift work, chronic stress, recent life changes)

Example: “I’m a 27-year-old software engineer. I’ve read books on habits and tried a few systems but can’t stick with them long-term.”

2. The Specific Problem or Challenge

  • Be as concrete / specific as you can. Avoid vague phrases like “I’m not motivated.”

Example: “Every night after work, I intend to study for my AWS certification, but instead I end up scrolling Reddit for two hours. Even when I start, I lose focus within 10 minutes.”

3. What You’ve Tried So Far

This is crucial for people trying to help. It avoids people suggesting things you’ve already ruled out.

  • Strategies or techniques you’ve attempted

  • How long you tried them

  • What seemed to help (or didn’t)

  • Any data you’ve tracked (optional but helpful)

Example: “I’ve used StayFocusd to block Reddit, but I override it. I also tried Pomodoro but found the breaks too frequent. Tracking my study sessions shows I average only 12 focused minutes per hour.”

4. What Kind of Help You’re Seeking

Spell out what you’re hoping for:

  • Practical strategies?

  • Research-backed methods?

  • Apps or tools?

  • Mindset shifts?

Example: “I’d love evidence-based methods for staying focused at night when my mental energy is lower.”

Optional Extras

Include anything else relevant (potentially in the Who You Are / Context section) such as:

  • Stress levels

  • Health issues impacting discipline (e.g. sleep, anxiety)

  • Upcoming deadlines (relevant to the above of course).

Example of a Good [NeedAdvice] Post

Title: Struggling With Evening Focus for Professional Exams

Hey all. I’m a 29-year-old accountant studying for the CPA exam. Work is intense, and when I get home, I intend to study but end up doomscrolling instead.

Problem: Even if I start studying, my focus evaporates after 10-15 minutes. It feels like mental fatigue.

What I’ve tried:

Scheduled a 60-minute block each night - skipped it 4 out of 5 days.

Library sessions - helped a bit but takes time to commute.

Used Forest app - worked temporarily but I started ignoring it.

Looking for: Research-based strategies for overcoming mental fatigue at night and improving study consistency.

How to Write an [Advice] Post

Want to share what’s worked for you? That’s gold for this sub. But avoid vague platitudes like “Just push through” or personal stories that never get to a clear, actionable point.

A big issue we’ve seen is advice posts written in a blog-style (often being actual copy pastes from blogs - but that's another topic), with huge walls of text full of storytelling and dramatic detail. Good writing and engaging examples are great, but not when they drown out the actual advice. Often, the practical takeaway gets buried under layers of narrative or repeated the same way ten times. Readers end up asking, “Okay, but what specific strategy are you recommending, and why does it work?” OR "Fuck me that was a long read.".

We’re not saying avoid personal experience - or good writing. But keep it concise, and tie it back to clear, practical recommendations. Whenever possible, anchor your advice in concrete reasoning - why does your method work? Is there a psychological principle, habit science concept, or personal data that supports it? You don’t need to write a research paper, but helping people see the underlying “why” makes your advice stronger and more useful.

Let’s keep the sub readable, evidence-based, and genuinely helpful for everyone working to level up their discipline and self-improvement.

Try structuring your post like this so people can clearly understand and apply your advice:

1. The Specific Problem You’re Addressing

  • State the issue your advice solves and who might benefit.

Example: “This is for anyone who loses focus during long study sessions or deep work blocks.”

2. The Core Advice or Method

  • Lay out your technique or insight clearly.

Example: “I started using noise-canceling headphones with instrumental music and blocking distracting apps for 90-minute work sessions. It tripled my focused time.”

3. Why It Works

This is where you can layer in a bit of science, personal data, or reasoning. Keep it approachable - not a research paper.

  • Evidence or personal results

  • Relevant scientific concepts (briefly)

  • Explanations of psychological mechanisms

Example: “Research suggests background music without lyrics reduces cognitive interference and can help sustain focus. I’ve tracked my sessions and my productive time jumped from ~20 minutes/hour to ~50.”

4. How to Implement It

Give clear steps so others can try it themselves:

  • Short starter steps

  • Tools

  • Potential pitfalls

Example: “Start with one 45-minute session using a focus playlist and app blockers. Track your output for a week and adjust the length.”

Optional Extras

  • A short reference list if you’ve cited specific research, books, or studies

  • Resource mentions (tools - mentioned in the above)

Example of a Good [Advice] Post

Title: How Noise-Canceling Headphones Boosted My Focus

For anyone struggling to stay focused while studying or working in noisy environments:

The Problem: I’d start working but get pulled out of flow by background noise, office chatter, or even small household sounds.

My Method: I bought noise-canceling headphones and created a playlist of instrumental music without lyrics. I combine that with app blockers like Cold Turkey for 90-minute sessions.

Why It Works: There’s decent research showing that consistent background sound can reduce cognitive switching costs, especially if it’s non-lyrical. For me, the difference was significant. I tracked my work sessions, and my focused time improved from around 25 minutes/hour to 50 minutes/hour. Cal Newport talks about this idea in Deep Work, and some cognitive psychology studies back it up too.

How to Try It:

Consider investing in noise-canceling headphones, or borrow a pair if you can, to help block out distractions. Listen to instrumental music - such as movie soundtracks or lofi beats - to maintain focus without the interference of lyrics. Choose a single task to concentrate on, block distracting apps, and commit to working in focused sessions lasting 45 to 90 minutes. Keep a simple record of how much focused time you achieve each day, and review your progress after a week to see if this method is improving your ability to stay on task.

Further Reading:

  • Newport, Cal. Deep Work.

  • Dowan et al's 2017 paper on 'Focus and Concentration: Music and Concentration - A Meta Analysis


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

[Plan] Tuesday 1st September 2026; please post your plans for this date

10 Upvotes

Please post your plans for this date and if you can, do the following;

Give encouragement to two other posters on this thread.

Report back this evening as to how you did.

Give encouragement to others to report back also.

Good luck!


r/getdisciplined 10h ago

📝 Plan I wasted last 5 years of my life doing nothing, the post is the bit long

42 Upvotes

I don't know where to post it so I am gonna just post it here. Also it's gonna be a bit long. I wrote it spontaneously without thinking much. But it only covers like 40% of all the stuff

When I completed my school I decided that I am not gonna go to college. The reason being I was teased a lot for being skinny and as I never got to enjoy what the other kids got. I didn't want this to happen in college too so I went for an Open College.

As I was skinny I joined a gym. I started working out and obviously my friends saw better results but I just somehow decided that I am gonna be a fitness trainer. I pursued a course in Exercise Science. Was one of the toppers in my class. Got rejected from a few gyms as no one wanted a trainer who isn't big and muscular. I got a very low paying job. Did it for experience. Met my best friend there and the possible love of my life but got played and friend zoned.

One problem that I had was overthinking about it so much that eventually I dropped that idea mostly. I have always had a habit of procrastination.

I pursued my Nutrition course with this job. I worked there for two years then left the job. Asked my father for some money gained a bit of weight and then came COVID. I lost all the weight and I had spent a lot of money on my supplement and a few other stuff.

During the lockdown I found reddit and Telegram. I got obsessed with those NSFW Subs. Don't want to talk about that.

In 2023 I tried to gain weight again but injured my back while working out. Then a left knee injury while playing football. Then cervical issues just like my mom had but in my case I had severe headaches with nausea at least once a month. Golfer's Elbow in the left arm later in 2025.

In early 2024 i renewed my fitness certificates. I also pursued a course in Special Populations which means Injuries, metabolic disorders etc. I started a job again but I got so insecure with myself, being 26 years old who had a half beard and only weighed 58kgs, that I left that job. It was difficult for me to work as I had symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis which means stiffness or Inflammation in the spine but I still could've managed somehow.

I thought maybe I should switch careers and i went for data analysis. My father bought a laptop, which is pretty expensive for us. I was good at that too and was able to solve complex queries. But again I did the same thing. I didn't apply for jobs I kept on looking for more and more stuff to learn about but I only went for 1 interview.

In 2025 a day before my birthday I got sick. I had typhoid so I had to suffer from Headaches and insomnia for like 6-7 days. 3 weeks in total. Was admitted in the hospital for those 7 days. After this disease I lost weight again and my body got weaker. My heart health was compromised and my endurance was almost gone.

I am 28 right now I look like a 20 year old. I don't have a job, I got pain in my back 24/7 and i can't stand for long because my back starts hurting. Can't Squat or Deadlift heavy. Bending isn't difficult but surely not pain free. 2/10 pain.

There's one person who has suffered more than me. He had a miserable childhood financially. My grandparents were good parents not great. That person is my father.

Was born in a village. Lived for like 9-10 years there then came to Delhi. They didn't have electricity while growing up until my grandfather got a two room government quarter/flat. Lost his elder brother while he was 18-19 the brother was 22.

Helped a lot of people but even the closest ones didn't help him much when he needed them. The biggest betrayal was given by his son. ME

He gave me and my sister such a comfortable life. He suffered so much financially growing up and made sure we had a good life. We got a good education, nutrition and a comfortable house.

I am his biggest disappointment. I know he's never gonna say it but he's not that cheerful nowadays. Apart from the professional failure I am a great son when it comes to her things. But this isn't how a man's success is measured.

My father doesn't want a single rupee from me. He has himself said just earn for yourself.

Now coming to the Reddit and Telegram part. I can literally omit out the last 4 years and there's not gonna be a major change in my life. After COVID it went downhill so bad. Sleeping late using my phone, porn, talking to girls but not physically taking them out. I never consumed alcohol or drugs or even smoked a cigarette.

I am only making this post because I have had enough now. I don't care if people reply to it or not I just want it to be a reminder for myself that I have to change my life upside down.

Not for me but my father (I am sorry)


r/getdisciplined 14h ago

❓ Question Deadlines make me productive. Free time makes me useless. I think I finally get why...

56 Upvotes

When I have a lot going on, I’m weirdly at my best. Deadlines, meetings, plans, and things I have to get done seem to make everything easier. I wake up earlier, work out, eat better, and actually finish things. Even when I’m busy, I somehow feel more focused and less tired because I always know what I’m supposed to be doing next.

But give me an entire day with nothing planned, and somehow I do almost nothing. I check my phone, think about all the things I could do, tell myself I’ll start soon, and suddenly half the day is gone. I might have ten useful ideas in my head, but instead of choosing one, I keep switching between them and end up starting none of them. For a long time, I thought I was just lazy or lacked discipline, but that doesn’t really make sense because when there’s structure, I can execute.

I think the real problem is constantly having to decide what to do next. At work, the next step is usually obvious. Answer this message. Finish this task. Join this meeting. Personal goals are much more vague. Get fitter. Learn something new. Build something. Improve my life. Every time I have to turn one of those goals into a specific action, there’s friction. After enough small decisions, I’ve spent more time planning, comparing options, and overthinking than actually doing anything.

So lately, I’ve been trying to give my free time the same kind of structure that makes me productive at work. Fewer choices, clearer next steps, and one specific thing to begin with.

Does anyone else work like this? What actually helps you on completely unstructured days...?


r/getdisciplined 8h ago

🔄 Method on a mission to restore my journaling habit

7 Upvotes

I think I finally figured out how to get my journaling streak back.

I stopped counting.

After losing my 61-day streak, I was weirdly upset about the number. Not because I had suddenly stopped journaling, but because it felt like all those days had somehow disappeared once I stopped and the app made me feel demotivated.

So I started again.

Except this time, I’m not keeping track of how many days it’s been.

Some days I write a whole page. Some days it’s just one sentence. Some days I write about something completely insignificant. (Thanks to the reddit community for keeping me motivated!)

I now write more about the most silly and tiny things like .. the other day, as soon as I stepped in my office building, it started raining outside as if clouds were just waiting for me to reach safely (I know it sounds silly lol, but it just made me happy 😄 )

And somehow, this process of not making a big deal out of a casual day feels better.

On this journey, I realised journaling was never supposed to be about how long you can keep a streak alive.

But it’s just about continuing to come back to yourself.


r/getdisciplined 7h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice Need some advice, desperately.

5 Upvotes

I love being inspired by so many things that I want to either have them as hobbies or actually pursue a career in them. Im almost 20 and haven't gotten anywhere with my life, sure I've gotten a job but I don't know how to drive, I feel like I can never leave the house- it's a lot to get into.

Anyway, I've been wanting to become a comic illustrator for the longest time. Years at this point. There is just a problem, my art isn't good enough. So I sit down and watch a tutorial, but I get so overwhelmed with the first step that I lose motivation in it. It feels like a chore.

The same goes for what I want to do as hobbies (as well as ones that might become careers in the future as well). I want to be an actor/voice actor, I want to be a YouTuber/streamer, I want to start a small business (and try to attend artist alleys at conventions) But I feel guilty that I just now want to start these as like a fun things to do when people actually take these seriously and consider them jobs/careers, so I feel like I have to take them seriously too. But I struggle with consistency. I have no acting experience, I have no money for equipment nor coaching.

The moment I sit down to watch tutorials or search up, "How to Start ..." I get so overwhelmed with the steps to get there and my mind goes, "Well maybe you shouldn't/can't do that then. And I get back to square one where I feel like I'm getting no where. People have told me that I have to choose one thing but knowing me, is get dead set on that one thing that I won't focus on the others, and if I do, I won't focus on what I originally started with. I wanna learn how to balance it all without having them.

I just need advice, and if it's just laziness that I'm experiencing, please just tell me, let me know the truth.


r/getdisciplined 6h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice [Advice, Stories, Insights] Success with discipline/consistency issues

3 Upvotes

We all know execution (in the right direction, ofcourse) is what lets us achieve our dreams. I've seen countless ambitious people firsthand do great things in life: build businesses/startups, pursue prestigious university programs abroad, relocate and build their lives in a new countries, successfully switch careers, etc. None of this is possible without daily execution, consistency, discipline; basically doing the hard, boring things necessary, consistently.

What I'm looking for is stories of people who were able to achieve these impressive feats despite having discipline/consistency/discomfort avoidance issues. Especially people who started from humble, unimpressive beginnings. How they overcame these problems to achieve their goals and what lessons they learned.

Personally, I'm an ambitious person with big dreams and a plan to achieve them. But I lack sustained execution with discipline and consistency. I've been in the comfort zone since the past 6 years. Went through uni with average academic performance, no special achievements or endeavors. Got a mediocre job which was relatively easy and comfortable but paid less. During this entire 6-year period, I kept building perfect plans, roadmaps, dreaming of a successful future version of myself, etc., you get the idea.

Currently, I'm 27 and have lived a pretty mediocre life post graduation, despite being a bright kid in school/college. My batchmates and close friends, who're the same age as me, have gone on to achieve truly amazing success: global careers, prestigious jobs, financial prosperity, etc. But now I feel I've finally awakened and want to change the trajectory of my life for the better, permanently.

If you've been there and still made it, I'd love to hear your story and how you made it happen.


r/getdisciplined 1h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice I need to get my life back on track.

Upvotes

I feel like I’m wasting my youth trapped in a no-motivation loop. There are so many things I want for myself but can’t seem to get myself to start.

- diet

- exercise

- hobbies

- friends

- dating

- sleep

- new experiences

- keep a clean living space

- keep in better contact with loved ones

I don’t have a consistent sleep schedule because I usually work at different times of the day. So my circadian rhythm is always out of whack. That also makes it hard to have a daily routine. I’m either up really late and sleep in until I need to wake up and get ready for a late shift, or I’m waking up super early for a morning shift and exhausted after work and don’t feel like doing anything after.

Im not blaming having a job. That’s great, I’m so grateful I have one! I’m blaming myself for letting the excuses pile up to the point where collectively, they feel like a mountain.

Example day:

I sleep in and then don’t have time to go to the grocery store. No food to cook so I don’t eat enough. Not enough energy to last all day. Finish work hungry and tired. Go home for food and maybe a nap. Can’t workout with no energy, but if I go home after work, I’m in for the night. If I eat out after work I hit a food coma. I don’t feel like dating if I’m underweight/out of shape, so I stay single and lonely. That just makes it harder to meet new friends and have a social life. If nobody is ever coming over, it doesn’t matter if my place is a mess. Laundry and dishes pile up. Any ‘free’ time should be spent doing those first, I can do those tomorrow though. I’ll watch one episode while I eat my microwave dinner. 4 episodes later it’s 2am and I need to sleep. Or I’m up late playing video games with friends from back home with the excuse that it’s just me keeping in touch

Each part of the cycle prevents another part. It all just feels like a lot. I really want to jumpstart my life and get back to being productive and happy. It seems like it should be as simple as telling myself to stop being a bum. But when it comes time to act, I’m easily stopped by easier/more fun things.

Does anybody else experience this?

How did you begin to turn yourself around?


r/getdisciplined 5h ago

💡 Advice maybe this will help?

2 Upvotes

I was super addicted to social media, like could not watch a full movie without scrolling on the side addicted.

am a software engineer so i coded an app to become my "accountability buddy"

It actually worked and i have been off social media for 5 months. CRAZY IK.

I became so much more present? could actually finish a book, focus on a single moment, even learnt to solve a rubics cube and took up so many hobbies?!

showed it to my friends and they said they really want this app.

I actually built it for real after a lot of over engineering and wasting time on redundant stuff. But now i wanna check if the current mechanism actually helps people

Try the app for free, if it works, you get your attention span back

I wanna only ship this out if this actually helps people so if anyone is on iOS, and interested, lmk and i'll send you the test flight link of the beta version?

Who is the app for?

  • You have tried app blockers and nothing works
  • You genuinely want to get rid of the social media apps on your phone
  • You tried deleting but keep relapsing
  • You want to feel better and get your life back

r/getdisciplined 9h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice I know what I want to do with my life, but I can't make myself start

4 Upvotes

I'm a recent engineering graduate and I'm stuck in a really frustrating cycle.

I have things I genuinely want to do: get a job, improve my technical skills, build projects, try freelancing, maybe build an API/product and eventually make money from it.

The strange part is that I have the time and I actually want these things. I think about them quite often and I can clearly imagine what I want my life to look like. But when it comes to actually starting, I just don't do it.

I'll think about applying for jobs, updating my LinkedIn, learning something, or starting a project. I'll tell myself I'll do it in an hour, then later, then tomorrow. Somehow the day passes.

I wake up with plans and sometimes even wake up early, but I end up lying in bed, watching YouTube/reels, gaming, or just thinking about what I should be doing. Sometimes I spend a lot of time thinking about how I need to change, but that thinking itself becomes another form of procrastination.

Then at night I feel terrible because I know I could have done something meaningful with the day. I promise myself that tomorrow will be different, but the same thing happens again.

The weirdest part is that once I actually start something, I usually don't have a huge problem continuing. It's getting myself to START that seems incredibly difficult. Even simple things like opening my CV and applying for one job can feel strangely difficult.

I used to be a much more energetic and effective student. I used to study, complete things and feel like I was actually moving forward. I don't feel like that person anymore, and that bothers me a lot.

I'm not saying I have no ambitions. I have plenty of them. That's actually part of what makes this frustrating. I have ideas for projects, freelancing, learning new technologies and earning independently, but months keep passing without me seriously implementing any of them.

For people who have experienced something similar:

  • What was actually causing this for you?
  • What helped you break this cycle?
  • Did you use any specific system or routine?
  • How did you deal with your phone, YouTube, gaming and other easy distractions?
  • Most importantly, how did you train yourself to actually START doing things?

I'm not really looking for motivational quotes. I'd genuinely like to hear from people who went through something similar and actually managed to change their situation.

Note: I used AI to help organize and polish what I was trying to explain, but the situation and feelings described here are genuinely mine.


r/getdisciplined 1h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice How to stay productive ?

Upvotes

I’m a carer (28F) for a 16 year old autistic girl who mostly likes being in her room all day. I’m in the house 12 hours a day but there’s genuinely very little for me to do most of the time.

For the past 3 months I’ve basically been watching Netflix and chilling through my shifts, and honestly it’s starting to feel like a waste of my life. There’s no growth in this role, no ceiling to work toward.

I don’t want to be a carer forever — I see myself running my own thing, making real money, not sat on £2k/month forever. But I don’t know how to actually use this “free but paid” time productively instead of just numbing out on my phone.

Anyone been in a similar spot — low-demand job, lots of hours, and used it to actually build something? What did you do with the time? Would love practical ideas, not just “read more” 😭


r/getdisciplined 5h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice Stuck in a state of avolition.

2 Upvotes

I spent 9 years with severe anxiety, it was my elementary school, and trust me, it was bad, I am 19 and not quite healed yet. I went there introverted but otherwise fully confident, and came out like a dog kicked one too many times, suffered with depression as well and had half the basic hygiene. I only had good school schedule because my mom made that the first priority, I also had no help because I never spoke up to her until it was too late, and even then, she is emotionally immature. I asked my younger sister to sort out stuff with teachers instead of me, tried to avoid special activities, and my mom sorts everything out for me to this day.

I am better since high school regarding anxiety, since the environment wasn't nearly as hostile, but I still have chronic stress and my main coping mechanism has become telling myself that if anything goes wrong, I can always end it. This has helped me with not worrying as much, but I lost myself, I don't have the dreams and goals I used to, I want to be admired, go to the gym, look cool, you know, but I also want to be pitied, for someone to acknowledge that I have had it the worst. This is probably because all my attempts to communicate get shut down with people, my mom especially, saying she's had it worse.

Because of this mindset that I build, I spend all my free time in bed, couldn't go grocery shopping if asked to, and commonly zone out, I'm not present anymore, I solve problems by waiting them out. Once a month I get a burst of motivation, I went shopping for clothes with my mom a couple times, got two new outfits, although I still repeat just one that became my favorite. I also felt confident in it enough to go to the gym for the first time with my dad, but it wasn't enough to stick, especially since I rely on him having time.

I have no hope left, give me everything you've got.


r/getdisciplined 2h ago

💬 Discussion Peer pressure/ Peer accountability

1 Upvotes

Anyone has considered teaming up for a “double bodied” approach to follow through routines?

My current problem is that planning activities and routine/agenda check ups, following through with lists, etc, eventually falls out of use. It works for as long as I can remember doing them, but whenever life gets busy, hectic, or I get burned out, some dreadful weeks are sure to follow.

Is there anyone interested, or has there anyone tried, to have peers to discuss and align plans, brains storm, and get things done as a mutual accountability effort?

I hear of gym buddies, stuff alike. I know I struggle with adult ADHD, and its pathetic consequences. So, I figure I should reach out to the broader community and see what’s perhaps a good idea, or if there is interest among some to develop peer check up team to keep the head down and get some external perspective/accountability to get you past the friction when things start to fall apart.

Thanks and cheers all.


r/getdisciplined 13h ago

🤔 NeedAdvice I feel like I'm wasting my life

6 Upvotes

I'm a teenager and I can say that I have wasted 2 whole years doomscrolling. I was a very good student till grade 10 but when I went to grade 11 I didn't get summer holidays cause my parents put me in a competitive school where school starts early to prep you for college I only got like 6 days of vacation and I had to go to school I was soo fricking pissed because of it that I pledged to not study anything for the first 10 days, I did not have to worry about that because the children and the classes level was too high from me and from the first day no introductions nothing they went right in to studying and I couldn't understand anything that was happening in class. For the first time in my life I felt soo dumb I was soo frustrated that I started doomscrolling and procrastinating as a cope. Now I'm soo close to college entrance exams and I'm soo behind my peers and my parents are expecting me to score good in my mocks but I'm so far behind that I'M even scared to start. I feel dumb for escaping instead of facing my problems from the start and now since few days I have been super depressed cause my attention span is cooked and I was soo much stuff to cover for my upcoming exams. I don't know what I'm going to do.


r/getdisciplined 4h ago

🛠️ Tool I stopped resetting my streak to zero after a relapse. Here's what changed.

1 Upvotes

When I first built the streak counter, it reset to zero on every relapse. Standard habit-tracker logic. Then I watched what that zero did to people who had just slipped.

The pattern was the same every time. Someone strings together 30, 60, 90 days bet-free, relapses, sees "Day 1," and reads it as "I'm back to the beginning." They're not. They have months of proof they can go without. They have information about what triggered the slip: the event, the time of night, the situation that got them. The zero erases all of it and hands them a story about failure instead.

So I changed the design. Your current streak resets, yes. But your best streak stays on the screen right next to it. It says: you did 90 days once. You know you can get there. And now you know what tripped you up.

The reframe that actually matters: relapse isn't failure, it's information. A slip tells you something specific about your triggers. If you treat it as data, not a verdict, your next run starts from experience instead of from scratch.

I think this applies beyond gambling. Anyone working on a discipline goal, whether it's betting, drinking, porn, doomscrolling, procrastination, hits the same psychological trap. The all-or-nothing streak model punishes the slip and ignores the distance you covered. It trains you to interpret one bad night as evidence you can't change, which is the exact belief that keeps people stuck.

The people who stay disciplined long-term aren't the ones who never slip. They're the ones who don't let a slip rewrite the whole story. Keeping your best streak visible is a small design choice, but it changes the narrative from "I ruined everything" to "I've done this before, and I'm starting from what I learned."

I'm building a gambling recovery app, and preserving the best streak was one of the decisions I'm most confident in.


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

🤔 NeedAdvice How to awaken the inner dog

148 Upvotes

Sometimes you meet people that just have an inner dog.
They’re just go go go. Barely sleep, straight hustle, never waste anytime. What’s the hack? What mental games do they play?
They are disciplined, no doubt, but let’s be real they rarely do shit like “track their habits on an app”. Their to do list is like their notes app. No fancy morning routine. No perfect diet. No productivity system. They eat shit, sleep shit, maybe exercise when they can, and yet they seem completely unwavering. Wtf
The ones I’ve met are bright but not geniuses. They seem to be wired differently. They always achieve their goals, ie at least it seems so. Has anyone been able to change their character to something similar? How did you finally force success?
People always say shit like “don’t let your mood or energy affect your decisions” but that is easier said than done.
What are these people actually doing differently?


r/getdisciplined 14h ago

💬 Discussion I journaled on paper for 20 years and quit three times. It was never about discipline.

4 Upvotes

The habit that finally stuck was the one I made too small to fail

I spent years building habits at the size I thought they should be and losing them. Journaling was the clearest case. Twenty years of trying, three long abandonments, always the same shape: strong for a month, one bad week, then nothing.

What changed was shrinking it past the point where it felt worth doing. Not "write a page." One sentence about the day, out loud, under a minute.

It felt like cheating. It also survived a house move, a bad job stretch and a stomach bug, which nothing bigger had managed.

Here's the mechanism as far as I can tell. A habit doesn't die on the good days. It dies on the day you're tired and it asks for more than you've got. Put the floor under sixty seconds and there's no day you don't have it. On the days you have more you just keep going, so the small version is a door rather than a ceiling.

The trap is that "small" usually means small in duration and not in friction. A one-page entry is short and still needs you to sit down, open the notebook, and decide what to say. Talking removed all three. Same habit, far less to overcome before starting.

What's the smallest version of a habit you've made stick, and did shrinking it feel like giving up at the time?


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

🤔 NeedAdvice How to be productive and disciplined

24 Upvotes

Hi guys, i'm 25F. i don't know what i should do to actually change my life and my habits. I go to sleep at anytime that i feel like it. Don't care what time i wake up. There are days that i do absolutely nothing in a day, or if i am at my most productive state, i do 4 hours of work max. I constantly push back my tasks and Don't do anything unless i have to.

I tried so many things but nothing seems to be working. Read so many books like atomic habits, limiting my phone and social media. Exercising. therapy. They seem to work at times but not in the long run. I keep planning and planning to actually get things done but i can't. It's like i can't change who i am no matter what i do.

I have goals and dreams that i want to achieve but i feel like i am losing everything. I have this examination in 3 months that is really important for me.

What actually helped you change your ways? Like really become this amazing disciplined person?


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

💬 Discussion My discipline got better when I stopped expecting 100% from myself

29 Upvotes

Something that has changed my thinking about discipline is realizing that my biggest problem was never having bad days.

It was what I did after the bad day.

I used to operate almost entirely on all-or-nothing thinking. If I couldn’t do the full workout, why bother? If I ate something I hadn’t planned, the day was ruined. If I fell off for a weekend, I’d mentally turn it into “I need to restart Monday.”

What has worked much better is having a lower minimum.

Maybe the workout is shorter. Maybe I only walk for 15 minutes. Maybe lunch wasn’t great, but dinner can still be. Maybe today is 60% instead of 100%.

I’ve lost almost 100 lbs using this mindset, and I’ve realized consistency doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly every day. It means making it really difficult for one imperfect decision to turn into five more.

A mediocre workout still counts. A decent meal after a bad one still counts. A short walk still counts.

Ironically, lowering the minimum made me far more consistent than constantly demanding the maximum.

Has anyone else found that becoming more disciplined actually required becoming a little less rigid?


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

🤔 NeedAdvice What should I do to get some structure in my daily life?

35 Upvotes

I really cba to do anything. I wake up and just want to stay in bed. I dont see the point in getting up, going for a walk, getting groceries or sitting at my desk and looking for a job. I know this cant go on forever and I just cba. In the past I would really beat myself up for this and force myself to keep pushing through but that didnt bring me much happiness. Now im not beating myself up as much but some sort if direction would be good.

Im not getting up at the same hour, because im not working I dont know what to do in my day, even if there was motivation I wouldnt know what I should be doing. I have no idea how i should spend my day. Can anyone relate?

Im not sure if I should allow myself to be like this and ride out the wave and enjoy resting or if I should push myself.

For some reason whatever I think of doing I think its pointless. Whether volunteering whilst unemployed or going to the gym. I never seem to be able to stick at something long enough.

Do you have a simple ideas to help get me started? Maybe momentum is what i need and maybe me writing about it is the start. Should i let myself be lazy and enjoy it ride it out or push myself?

Sorry for the rant


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

💬 Discussion 45 (F) The mental battle of self-discipline: What’s that one daily thing you have to force yourself to show up for?

12 Upvotes

Good morning, everybody! Happy Monday ✨ Hopefully you’re all ready to conquer your day and make it happen!

​The inner debate before the gym this morning was real 😅. You really have to fight that lazy voice in your head, throw off the covers, and just go. My goal is always 4:30 AM, but whether I hit that or end up walking through the doors at 9 AM, refusing to skip is the only rule!

​Because walking out of there? Pure magic. Brain fog completely vanished, energy through the roof, and you leave feeling like absolute Superwoman—strong, sexy, and unstoppable 💥👑.

​Winning that mental battle is definitely my hurdle, which made me wonder… what’s your personal kryptonite when it comes to getting things done for yourself?

​(Besides work—we all know dragging ourselves to a job is a universal struggle 🙃). What’s that one habit or self-care goal you constantly have to push yourself to make happen? Drop it below! 💭👇


r/getdisciplined 18h ago

💬 Discussion [ Removed by Reddit ]

1 Upvotes

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

❓ Question What projects/tasks have you been avoiding to start or follow through with? What tasks always seem to pile up due to procrastination or being moved down on the to-do list?

4 Upvotes

There are so many things that live in my brain waiting to be done, but somehow someway they always remain undone. Even though I know that finishing them would improve life for myself and/or others, I still can’t seem to get started or I start out but leave it to finish later due to overwhelm from how many steps it takes or something else taking over the priority at the moment. Some of these things may seem unnecessary or a waste of time to others, but for me personally they are important to accomplish and would take a good chunk of weight off my shoulders and clear some headspace. Currently I’m “planning” to someday follow through with the following:
- sort through all my kids artwork and make some books/collages/ways to display and systemize the keep and trash categories.

- declutter and purge clothing and items for each zone and family member

- update financial spreadsheet, cancel unneeded subscriptions and research best options for the ones I need and utilities/insurance/etc.

- resell the boxes clothes/items I know would be worth the time to list and publish for sale.

- wash my walls/ceilings/mattresses/couches/rugs/nooks and crannies

- update my resume and portfolio

- make needed appointments for myself and family

- detail my car

- digital declutter

Many more unfortunately.

Not looking for advice! Just curious what tasks others are facing in a similar way.


r/getdisciplined 1d ago

🤔 NeedAdvice How to get out of the loop

9 Upvotes

For context, I go to college, and my schedule is usually quite demanding—mostly from 9 AM to 5 PM, although sometimes I only have around four hours of classes. I do get some gaps in between, but by the time I return to my room, I’m usually tired. I end up sleeping, meal-prepping, eating, hanging out with friends, or simply wasting time.

The problem is that I want to learn skills that can help me earn enough to pay my bills and become financially independent. I want to break out of this cycle of procrastination and wasting time. I often tell myself, “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I’ll start the next day,” but that “next day” can easily turn into a month—and that month is precious time that I can’t get back. Somehow, I’ve managed to make ends meet and pay my bills so far, but I don’t want to keep relying on that.

So, my question is: How can I effectively utilize the 6–7 hours I have after college instead of wasting them on endless Reels, movies, YouTube, or other distractions? How can I build a routine that helps me consistently learn valuable skills, make progress toward earning money, and still get enough rest without falling back into the same procrastination loop?


r/getdisciplined 2d ago

❓ Question Seriously how do people get their life together?

157 Upvotes

is it really just succumbing to a typical 9-5 after education and then just save, have hobbies? To me that sounds like the life because everything is taken care for you.

you just have to do xyz literal path and life just takes care of itself. you now have money to do hobbies to have some sort of fulfillment in life and make friends from work and also from hobbies. best of both worlds

for someone who isn't in that Iife, the lost of structure and struggling day to day with where to make money make me feel like I'm living "wrong"

Immediately when I think of people who have their life together I immediately think stable career, financial independence and once those get sorted out from a 9-5 and going through years of education, the rest will follow such as friends you meet who also share similar lifestyles, and also a partner who will also understand your life and schedule so all you need to do Is get marry, pop a few kids, a dog and happy ever after.

anyone else outside of that will have a hard time