The Art of Self Discipline

THE ART OF SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Having accepted responsibility for our lives (actions and inactions) and being fully determined to succeed on all fronts in 2011, we need to master the art of self-discipline in order to stay focused.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not  lack of strength, not  lack of knowledge, but rather  lack of will” – Vince Lombardi.

Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state. It refers to the training that one gives oneself to accomplish a certain task or to adopt a particular pattern of behavior, even if one would rather be doing something else. For example, denying oneself an extravagant pleasure in order to accomplish a more demanding deed is a display of self-discipline. Thus, self-discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with self-control. Self-discipline is self-regulation. It is the ability to do the things that are necessary although inconvenient.  

Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to follow through on your best intentions no matter what. Picture yourself saying to your body, “You’re overweight. Lose 20 pounds.” Without self-discipline that intention won’t become manifest. But with sufficient self-discipline, it’s a done deal. The pinnacle of self-discipline is when you reach the point that when you make a conscious decision; it’s virtually guaranteed you’ll follow through on it.

A lack of discipline in any individual, group, or society can lead to disaster. The abilities of an individual to self-manage his or her actions are proportional to the level of success and happiness they will experience in their lifetime. Self-discipline is not about punishment or even about a restrictive lifestyle. It is the ability of the individual to adhere to actions, thoughts, and behaviors that result in personal improvement instead of instant gratification. A lack of self-discipline is the main reason for the failures we experience in both our personal and professional lives. It is also the underlying reason we experience disease, obesity, financial ruin, and relationship problems on a national level.

Self-discipline is much like the operating systems we use for our computers. As human beings, the most common and destructive virus found in our personal operating system is the justification virus. We have the tendency to justify our poor decisions by using excuses. We use the power of excuses to justify our poor performance, our attitudes, our problems, and ultimately our lack of overall happiness.

Keep in mind that as human beings we will always make mistakes and blunders, but it is through the power of self-discipline that we are able to diminish their impact on our lives. Before we can develop the power of self-discipline, we must first take an honest and direct look at the excuses we usually use to justify our problems and poor daily performance. Once we begin to consciously recognize them for what they are – excuses, we can then focus our efforts towards fixing the real problem. The problems we face and the methods we use to deal with them vary from individual to individual, but the underlying solution will always remain consistent. Get in the habit of identifying the real reason behind the circumstances in your life and defeat the excuse virus.

Time is a constant but your personal productivity is not. Disciplining yourself allows you to squeeze more value out of your time and increase your personal productivity. This explains why some people will use the hours of their day far more efficiently than others. In order to distinguish yourself, you need to build self-discipline. There is no short cut to success.

YOU WILL SUCCEED!