What is missing is discipline

I was having dinner with three other people a couple of weeks ago. Two out of those three people told me about something they said they really wanted to do but had not yet done so….

What was lacking?

In other words they had a GOAL. Of course I asked them what the reasons were that they hadn’t got very far with achieving this goal and it transpired that the reason was that to date was a lack of personal discipline. Generally we begin projects because we are passionate about them, but what happens when that passion is pushed out by the demands of daily life? What happens when you don’t ‘feel’ like doing the things you need to in order for you to achieve your goal?

Develop discipline!

I didn’t use that label when I was speaking with this person as telling them that they lacked discipline would have been insulting! I just noted it as something I must write about here! I began to think about the way in which discipline is viewed and I found that generally speaking it is looked down upon. Discipline cramps our style and is the enemy of spontaneity and freedom. We want to rebel against it. Largely this is due to the fact that we see discipline as something imposed upon us from outside, from our parents or teachers for example, and is therefore seen as negative and indeed old-fashioned. In short, discipline is seen as something negative. Yet discipline is necessary, essential, in order for us to achieve in our lives. Without it our efforts are sporadic and haphazard. So, in order to succeed, the first thing we need to do is to change our mindset about discipline.

What will discipline do for us?

Discipline will sustain us in a project when our motivation is low. Discipline will ensure that we make strides forward even when we don’t really feel like doing anything towards our goal. In fact personal discipline forms part of our self-esteem. What gives you more confidence than setting out to do things and getting them done. Having discipline expands our sense of ourselves and increases our confidence. Discipline is liberating! It creates more internal freedom for us, as when we do the thing we know we must, our consciousness is then free to get on with the next task, or allows us the freedom to be spontaneous without something hanging over our heads. The fact is that self-discipline facilitates personal and professional success.

How can you be more disciplined?

One way to do this is to set yourself a small short term (ie quite easy!) goal and practice sticking to it. Decide what you are going to do, when you are going to do it and how often. In other words, set your goal properly (I will cover goals next time!). Then, think of all the reasons you want to achieve your goal. Take a couple of minutes whenever you can to recall the reasons you wanted to achieve this goal in the first place and get back in touch with your initial passion.

Whatever you do, enjoy it!

hillybarker@gmail.com