It’s August!! It's time for football! The Broncos have started their training camp, CU begins in a few days, as do the  Missouri Baptist University Spartans. Another season with new players, new coaches, new “schemes,” a new team chemistry needing to be established, new expectations and demands etc. etc.  Which players will be successful?  Which teams will see a better record than last year?  Who will stand out? What’s the deciding factor?

In my humble opinion, self-discipline is key to success in all areas of your life.  Darren Hardy stated, “If you want success, first get control of yourself and become disciplined.”  What does that mean?  What does that “look like?” It seems our natural tendency is to take it easy and be comfortable.  However, success is never found if you’re on that “easy” path, that path of least resistance.  Are you someone that is disciplined only when you feel like it?  Are you disciplined for a short spurt but for that long season of 12, 13, 16, or more games you lose that discipline?  Are you just as disciplined if the coach (boss) isn’t watching or are you committed to being disciplined at ALL times because YOU are always watching?

Self-discipline is a skill NOT a talent, and it’s definitely not a choice.  If that’s the case, which I believe it is, that means the skill of self-discipline can be learned, developed, and sharpened.  It’s like most things; if the skill is ignored or only used occasionally it will eventually become weak and ineffective.  Discipline comes from a daily focus, emphasis on improving, and always moving forward with consistency.

Darren Hardy states, “Self-discipline is a habitual process that becomes a characteristic trait that people build into their life or not.”  Quarterback Peyton Manning, golfer Jordan Spieth, parents and teachers all over the world cannot be good at what they do if it isn’t a part of their daily life. If you are going to be successful, self-discipline is a skill that you can’t use one day and not the next.  Either you have self-discipline to get there and stay there or you don’t.  Self-discipline is not a choice, it’s a state of being.  It’s a condition of your character. To be successful, you must be self-disciplined in not only the big things but the small things.

Paying attention to detail is essential.  The athlete who’s disciplined is working just as hard during each practice, each time in the weight room, every film study, and every opportunity to go over plays etc. as they are when it’s game time. You can believe that Nolan Arenado, Rockies third baseman, didn’t take time off during the off season.  He was disciplined and regimented in his daily preparation to get his mind and body ready for another season.  Coaches weren’t around, the press wasn’t watching but what was constant were his own dreams, goals, and desires to be the best he can be.  That doesn’t happen without self-discipline.

Though my examples above primarily relate to sports, self-discipline is a key character trait in whatever you are doing.  It is a life skill that translates into your success in all areas of your life; your job, working with colleagues, success as a parent, a spouse, a teammate – EVERYTHING!

How would you rate yourself in this character trait?  You may find you’re very self-disciplined in some things but not everything.  That’s pretty common, however, when it comes to being the best YOU that YOU can be, self-discipline is essential.  If you find yourself thinking, “I don’t feel like doing x,y,z right now” that’s a chance to think again about what you want to accomplish.  To be successful, self-discipline isn’t determined by your feelings at the time, it’s determined by what must be done.

“Self-discipline is the difference between great and excellent. Dreams get you started but it’s self-discipline that keeps you going. Self-discipline is doing what you don’t want to do when you don’t want to do it.” 

I wish you a week of reflection on how you are doing with YOUR self-discipline. When you find yourself not wanting to do something ask yourself if doing the task will help you be better, help you be successful, help you be the best you, you can be.  If the answer is yes, then DO IT!