Life is not a solo act. It’s a huge collaboration, and we all need to assemble around us the people who care about us and support us in times of strife.

Even though there’s “self” in the word “self-discipline,” it doesn’t mean that you need to refuse the help of other people or that you need to reinvent the wheel because you can’t make your decisions based on the knowledge acquired by other people. It’s easier to put up a fight against temptations and stick to your resolutions when others have your back. Learning from the experience of others, regardless if it’s in the form of a book or a conversation, makes things easier, too.

I’ve greatly benefited from the power of social support by participating in online forums. I’m pretty sure that if it weren’t for the people I’ve gotten to know over the years of my entrepreneurial journey, it would have been much harder for me to reach success. Knowing that the people who inspired me also had faced obstacles and were tempted to give up, it was easier for me to keep going when it was me who was facing the immense difficulties.

It doesn’t mean that you need to become great at making online friends, though. Most of the people who immensely helped me on my journey don’t even know me — it was the breadcrumbs they left in the form of forum posts and articles that changed my life, not my friendship with them.

Another way to collaborate is to find a person who will hold you accountable: a friend who’s on the same journey as you or perhaps an online support group.

The key to benefiting from this strategy is choosing the right accountability partner. Go with a person who’s strict, rather than lax, so that when you don’t feel like doing something, he or she will push you to keep going rather than give you a pass and a pat on the back. Ideally, this person should be great at what you want to accomplish, and if not great, at least slightly better than you.

Last but most definitely not least, if there’s a way to accomplish your goal more quickly through working with a reputable coach and you can afford it, do that.
I learned the fundamental knowledge about self-publishing in just a couple of weeks, thanks to working with a person who was knowledgeable about the industry. It greatly shortened my learning curve, inspired me, and helped me avoid several obstacles that would have otherwise tested my resolve, if not outright discouraged from entering this business.

Try to save something while your salary is small; it’s impossible to save after you begin to earn more.

Whenever the topic of winning the lottery comes up in a conversation, I always say that what so many people consider the biggest blessing in their entire lives is actually the biggest curse for most people. Let me explain why, but first, some curious facts…

The numbers are terrifying. According to 2015 research from The Pew Charitable Trusts, 41 percent of respondents don’t have enough liquid savings to cover an unexpected $2,000 cost (such as a medical emergency) and a typical household can’t replace even one month of income with liquid savings.

It’s important to note we aren’t talking about people living in poverty; the same respondents are the ones buying new homes, cars, TVs, smartphones, and other gadgets. The reason for their lack of savings isn’t lack of income; it’s lack of self-discipline.

While a small percentage of respondents probably do exercise some kind of financial self-control, a great majority doesn’t. What do you think? How likely would they be to exercise self-discipline with money upon winning the lottery if they can’t manage their finances now? Even if they won millions of dollars, later on they would be in the same spot as they are today — if not in an even worse situation. That’s why winning the lottery — the dream of so many — can actually be the biggest curse.

For this reason, no matter how well off you are today, it’s of crucial importance to start saving your money now if you aren’t doing so already. It doesn’t matter if you’re saving ten dollars or ten thousand dollars a month; it’s the habit that counts. When your financial situation improves (and as a person interested in building self-discipline, it most likely will), it will ensure that you continue exerting self-control with money.

If you’re lacking such a habit today, don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll control your finances when you start making more. Build healthy financial habits when you have little disposable income, and saving money will be easier when you’ll have more money to save. And if you do win the lottery, you’ll thank me for encouraging you to instill financial discipline today!