Excuse me, Discipline, Where are you?!
If it were easy, we'd all do it. If it's worth having, it's worth working for.
We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.
Have you ever experienced the joy and elation that comes from real accomplishment? No, no I'm talking REAL, BIG accomplishment. Like that kind that you had to work your booty off for months for! That kind of achievement that could only come from sacrifice and consistency? If you have, you know what I'm talking about !
There's no better feeling than what you get from putting your mind and body to the test and reaching the finish line. But the other side of that? Yeah, that side that results from avoiding our goals, making excuses for not working towards our goals, and totally sabotaging ourselves. Regret. Hate it! But for some reason, I can disappoint myself time and time again. What is this nasty thing that keeps us from achieving what we set out to do? I definitely have good intentions when I set my goals. So what happens?!
So many people have written on self-discipline and what contributes to people's success and failure. Although each person's goals and methods may be unique, there are some common behaviors that can contribute to your success or failure. Here's a few I have found to be most important:
- Pencil in your dreams! If you don't make an appointment with yourself to work toward your goals, you will never find the time to do so!
- Your goals are important too! Treat your appointment with yourself as you would any appointment with a client. Would you cancel on a customer last minute? No. So don't do it to yourself!
- Strategize for success. "if you don't have a plan, you plan to fail." Steve Jobs didn't just say he was going to become rich and successful. He had a strategic, structured, and efficient plan to get there! What is your strategy? How detailed is it? Can it guide your day-to-day activity?
- Make SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-oriented. If you can use this acronym to describe each one of your goals, you are well on your way my friend!
- Prioritize and Sacrifice as needed! This is the least glamorous of the strategies - yet equally important! If you're trying to make room for something new in your life, then something that's not serving you needs to go! If watching the most recent episodes of Dexter, Homeland, and Breaking Bad aren't bringing your closer to living your dreams, then somethings needs to change! What most importantly needs to get done today? Do that first!
- Stop hoping. "Hope" is the ultimate killer of your dreams. "If I just want this badly enough, it will come to me and I will be successful." Yeah right. Stop hoping and start doing. That is discipline.
What motivates you to act on your dreams and work toward your goals? Have a success story? Comment on it below!