Self-Learning Self-Discipline

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My husband is frustrated that he does not have enough self-discipline. He says that he wishes his parents had been more structured with him, and he doesn't know how to learn to be a disciplined person now. He wants to write, but he only really does it when he's "in the mood" and feeling specifically inspired. As a result, he often ends up with half a story that never gets finished. He also wants to go back to college, but his first experience, he says, was a lesson in just how undisciplined and disorganized he is, ending up withdrawing from three of his four courses. Frankly, it seems like he just bit off more than he could chew, taking Japanese 1, an english literature course, intro to programming, and a class on how to be a student which he describes as "All homework, and practically impossible unless you were ALREADY a good student." He actually passed the programming course with a decent grade, but the rest was a mess. He's afraid if he goes back it will be the same, and just waste time and money. He seems to be all about introspection, but does not understand how to intentionally effect change in himself without already having self-discipline. He says, "How can I hold myself to a routine that will teach me self-discipline without having it. I'll just brake from the routine. I can figure out how I'm likely to act, but even with strong motivators in my life, I always act the same even when I see it coming. Realizing that I'm lazy and somewhat irresponsible doesn't seem to help me change it. It's like the worst kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, and it makes me feel stupid." I don't know what to tell him. I think I'm only slightly ahead of him in these areas, and I don't feel it's my job to teach him what his parents didn't, not that he's asking me to, I just wish I could help him without feeling like his mother. Has anyone else got a perspective on this? Have you felt like you were in his position before? Or in my position? Have you ever known anyone like this?