Weekly Wisdom #5 – Self Discipline

There is no amount of success that is worthwhile or long lasting that does not involve self-discipline and having it is non-negotiable, period. You will not be the best version of yourself, successful in business or find authentic happiness in life without it.

Consistent Implementation of Self-Discipline —>     Success

Occasional Implementation of Self-Discipline —>     Mediocrity

Never Implementing Self-Discipline     —>     Deficiency

  If we’re truly honest with ourselves, it’s easy to pinpoint times when we’ve been careless. We don’t eat right and feel sluggish, or we’ve given into the temptation of an expensive piece of clothing – for what? A few seconds of self-indulgence. We feel much better emotionally and financially when we consistently display self-discipline. Not always easy, but success is worth it.   Does this sound familiar?  

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do.

Confusing, but we all understand this mantra and find ourselves in the continuous loop of “doing” and “undoing” on our path toward success. We’re pretty disciplined people, and for the most part, we know that we should be active in reaching our goals, either through pure determination or the avoidance of a bad habit. Understandably, we’ll achieve our goals and aspirations if we’re committed to a job, task, or relationship; all good things will come our way. It’s a challenging concept, but the truth is, we tend to do those things which we know won’t be beneficial to us, and the eventual cost is that we fall short of our goals, rarely achieving what we’ve set out to accomplish.

There are many factors that contribute to success, and you’re probably doing most all of those things well; but improving your self-discipline can bring measurable change in achieving wealth, success, and happiness. And yes, you can do it!

It may be surprising, but self-discipline is an acquired skill. People aren’t simply born with the ability to walk away from a bowl of chocolate ice cream or bad spending habits, but by practicing self-discipline and by putting forth the emotional labor required to establish and follow through with consistent, disciplined practices, you can create and reach all of your goals and aspirations.

Visualize success. Practice seeing yourself reaching your goals and the positive feeling associated when you achieve the things you desire. Now, allow that vision to be your motivation and inner strength to control your actions. When you deny instant gratification and resist the urge to give into a whim, it may be emotionally tough for a second…ok a few seconds, but if you demonstrate self-discipline you’ll experience a far greater feeling of success and happiness that will be long lasting and create exponential change in your life. The trade-off for exhibiting a little self-discipline allows for a much brighter future, and it’s never too late to start.

When it comes to self-control, it may feel uneasy at first, but once you stick to your plan, take small steps each day, you’ll begin to feel the momentum of your self-discipline and be on your way to creating habits and behaviors that lead to the life you envision for yourself.

How to Build Self-Discipline – The 7 Key Elements

Self Discipline may not be the easiest thing, but it can be made easier if you follow some of these ideas/steps:

• No one will ever say “I Feel Like Getting Started Today” Just Get Started.

• If You start something. Finish it. No Excuses. –  Building a business, making more money, or achieving success should not be a hobby. So Don’t Treat it like one

• Ignore the Negativity –  We tend to worry more about what other people think than actually striving for success. Who cares what other people think or say

• Put Yourself Out There – Be Vulnerable – Burn The Ships and Don’t Look Back…  Cortez burned his ships once he landed in Mexico so that there would be no way that they could turn back, only forge ahead into the new and undiscovered world.

• Remove All Temptations and Distractions –  Turn the wifi off on your computer, turn off Facebook, put your phone on airplane mode and focus on the ONE thing that can make the biggest impact on your future success.

• Jump the biggest Hurdle First –  When you begin to implement self-discipline, motivation is high. Use that to your advantage and tackle the largest obstacle or challenge first, but only focus on ONE thing at a time.

• Don’t Multi-Task –  It is now scientifically proven that Multitasking makes you slower and does not allow you to focus 100% on what you are doing, self-discipline takes focus.