discipline
dis·ci·pline | \ˈdi-sə-plən \
training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
For the purposes of this discussion, let’s consider discipline as: “the practice of doing the things necessary to successfully achieve the desired outcome.”
Generally, it takes many experiences accumulated over several years for us to develop the discipline needed to achieve extraordinary success. However, there are steps we can take every day to improve our levels of discipline. Here are 5 approaches you should practice every day if you want to become more disciplined.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Get involved in activities that push your limits. Stretching yourself to do things you aren’t familiar with (and sticking with them) will strengthen existing skills and develop new ones that will be needed to achieve your goals. When you commit to doing things that seem undesirable or make you uncomfortable, you will develop the ability to persevere through challenging circumstances. This is a key requirement to becoming disciplined and achieving success.
Have a Plan and Stick to it. As stated above, remaining true to what you have to do is a crucial component to becoming disciplined. Having a game plan for achieving your goals gives you a great opportunity to practice commitment and execution. Inevitably you will run into situations where you will be tempted to deviate from your plan. You must resist this temptation! Keep your eye on your prize and remain committed to executing your plan.
Practice Control. Many would refer to this as a form of self-discipline. The ability to refrain from urges, impulses or desires that are counterproductive to the pursuit of your success. This may be the most difficult to master among the 5 approaches listed here. It is human nature to have wants and needs and unknowingly, they can preoccupy you and prevent you from being at your best. You must be aware of these things and develop the ability to control them so they do not undermine your ability to succeed.
Meditate/Pray. Envision yourself achieving your goals. See yourself being successful. Some people refer to this as visualization. Visualization helps you “actualize” what you need to do to achieve your goals and how you will do so—effectively, programming your brain to pursue the success you desire. Once this “programming” happens, it becomes easier to pursue your goals. Similarly, prayer helps you develop the faith you need to trust your thoughts and actions. It also helps you manage the distractions and temptations always lurking close by that will impede your progress.
Forgive Yourself. When things go wrong or you slip up (and yes, this will happen more than you might like), give yourself the gift of forgiveness. No one is perfect and we all fail occasionally. Failure is a necessary ingredient to the learning process. Give yourself permission to not be at your best from time to time so that you don’t overreact or punish yourself when it happens. Focus on what you can learn (from your mistakes) so that you improve your ability to succeed.
Having discipline is the most important determinant of your success. As Steve Harvey says: “discipline, not desire, determines your destiny.” Doing these 5 things will help you “build the muscles” necessary to become more disciplined. Do them every day and you will be well on your way to achieving success!
Call to Action: Identify 3 areas in which you will practice more discipline and write them down. Be very specific! Review them everyday and record your progress.
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