A proper life must first recognize the difference between wrong and right, and then subsequently we must in our actions, and in our thoughts, determine to concentrate on doing right things and right actions, and avoid to the best of our ability, the doing of wrong actions and wrong things. In order to accomplish this successfully, this must inevitably involve some sort of discipline, because without discipline, we will have a strong tendency to give in to the moment, to make the exception to the actual rule, and to fail repeatedly especially to something that we have in our clearer moments, already determined is the wrong thing or the wrong action to begin with.
It is entirely one thing to perform wrong actions and wrong deeds, without consciously recognizing our error, and while this may indeed be corrected over time, as our wisdom increases and our selfish tendencies diminish, if we aren't able to see this at the time, it isn't going to change. On the other hand, many, many people do wrong things and wrong deeds, again and again, while clearly knowing that they are wrong in doing them, yet consciously want to change such behavior, but fail at it again and again.
The dichotomy between doing wrong and wanting to do right comes down to the fact that many people's willpower is surprisingly weak. For instance, if you have made up your mind that eating cookies is not only not good for you, but will add empty calories to your diet, and thereby ultimately add weight to your bodily frame, of which none of these things are desired, yet, you persist in somehow eating those very same cookies, you haven't resolved anything, and, in fact, because you recognize that what you are doing is wrong, and still you do it, reflects very poorly on your psyche, let alone your physical body. If you cannot resist the cookies in the first place, then the very best advice to enact is not to have cookies in your house to begin with, not to buy them, not to smell them, not to see them, and to avoid them at all costs, as they say, "out of sight, out of mind".
If you have a short temper, and that temper gets the better of yourself again and again, with it being especially vexing that having that short temper, reflects poorly to others that you both love and care about, the thinking and the acknowledgment that this vice has no place in your life, will not necessarily end it. In order to control your temper, you first need to slow things down, that is to say, just because something happens rather quickly or unexpectedly, especially something that gets you hot under the collar does not mean that you need to instantly react to it. The very first understanding of controlling a temper, is to recognize, unfortunately or not, that the world does not revolve around you, and further that some people or things are going to bother you, but if you take a step back, or two steps back, for a better perspective, often you will recognize that this too will pass, and therefore you should let it pass, or if a response is warranted, the response should be a controlled and reasoned response.
We do wrong things and perform wrong actions, every day, yet repeated mistakes again and again, signifies that we need to pay attention to what we are doing, and thereby endeavor to learn from our mistakes, as to why we do the things that we do, act the way that we do, and determine that we will do better, and then do that. Nothing really worthwhile, is ever easy, and breaking bad behavior and bad habits, is never going to be easy, but it can be done, by replacing your former bad habits and bad behavior with good habits and good behavior, recognizing often that the change we want in others must first start with ourselves, and nowhere else.