You first set your goals and then enforce a strict set of disciplines necessary to cross the finish line of achievement. Every act of self-discipline moves you toward your goals, and every exception throws you off course.
You may be tempted to dismiss this statement as so obvious; however, before you do, ask yourself this important question: “According to my stated goals, am I ahead of, on or under target?
The answer to that question is directly related to your willingness and ability to stay focused on the key actions necessary for success.
The FACTS are simply this; you are buying or selling. If it’s on, or better yet ahead of target, then it’s a seller. You have convinced yourself of the importance of discipline and have stayed focused despite the world of options and temptations that surround you all the time.
If it’s below target, then it’s a buyer. You have bought the same excuses that have led so many others down the path of mediocrity. The things you buy are procrastination; lack of discipline and anything else is their poison of choice.
Remember this absolute rule of discipline; “If you don’t discipline yourself, surely others will discipline you.” Don’t believe me, huh? Think about it, charge your credit cards way too high, get behind on a few payments, and see how quick those companies are to teach you a thing or two about discipline.
I repeat: “If you do not discipline yourself, you will surely be disciplined by others.”
To CREATE STORY you must become a seller. Sell yourself on the power of your target; your vision of what is possible. To REPEAT HISTORY you just have to continue being a buyer. Shoppers consume not only products from the store but also excuses from their minds. That is, success and failure all begin within the parameters of your own mind and the disciplines of your behavior.
We are all walking around, talking about power struggles: head vs. heart… intellect vs. emotion. Many leave the direction to their emotions and simply bring their intellects along for the ride. Your goals or your excuses, which is the boss in your life?
Contrary to popular belief, freedom does not come from “letting it all go”; freedom is the result of a personal triumph over excuses and bad habits. Excuses like procrastination are like toxic waste to your potential.
To experience true freedom, you must prove to yourself that you are the master of your own destiny. You are never less free than when you are held hostage to your excuses and lack of discipline. When indiscipline and excuses reign, slavery and mediocrity follow, not freedom!
Bad habits are the gravitational pull of your emotional life, and overcoming them is not easy. Change is challenging. Surrender is tempting and gets tastier with practice. The good news is that it takes less energy to maintain discipline than to regain it.
The only bad news about self-discipline is that it’s very easy to give up. Every compromise in behavior (nice word for excuse) greases the wheels for another compromise. Make a personal “no exceptions policy” and stick to it.
Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. Self-discipline requires that you connect today’s actions with tomorrow’s results.
There is a season to sow, a season to reap. Self-discipline helps you know which is which.
The winners prepare and anticipate behind closed doors. Lay the groundwork for success carefully: Effective preparation and self-discipline are closely related. Do your homework. Since most people are rarely well prepared, they will often succeed by default. When the opportunity presents itself, jump out the starting gate, race to the finish line and take home the prize.
Do what needs to be done. A quality life requires you to make difficult decisions and sacrifices; demands that you do the hard work first. You can’t get to true success without making the journey.
Self-discipline is a habit. It is not situational, but is applied situation by situation. Anyone can be self-disciplined at times, but consistent positive results require consistency.
It is the daily practice of self-discipline that determines where you will end up. After all, a life is an accumulation of moments, days, weeks, months, and years.
What you do in each moment counts and influences the degree to which you judge your life to be a success. If you aspire to achieve your goals, you must be prepared to play every play as if the two-minute warning clock is ticking. Every movement is significant. Every move counts!
Everyone struggles with self-discipline. The question is not “Should I…” but “Where do I need to exercise more self-discipline?” The discipline you establish today determines the successes you will enjoy tomorrow.
Strenuous life tastes better. When it comes to self-discipline, a key success factor, EVERYTHING COUNTS!
gary ryan blair