Self-Discipline

Last week, I wished you a week of examining your own belief system in ALL areas of your life. I was encouraging you to be true to your own heart despite whether or not others support you.

Since the first of this New Year, I have been writing about making 2017 THE best year yet. How can you make this year different than all the years in the past? Our tendency is to have all these goals and energy at the beginning of the year, yet it doesn’t take much to get us off track once “real life” sets back in. How many of you joined a gym with the goal to get back in shape? How many of you said you were going to do better this second semester by planning ahead with the long term projects? How many of you said you were going to get your finances in order? You get the idea.

Now, the next question is…”It’s now, eight weeks into 2017. How are you doing? Is there a change? Or are you back into the “same old same old?” The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Are you seeing different results in these first eight weeks? 

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 football 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 YOU?

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. Self-discipline does not depend on what others are doing and saying. Self-disciplined is totally dependent on YOU and YOUR character.

Paying attention to detail is essential.  The athlete who’s self-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! What was constant were his own dreams, goals, and desires to be the best he can be.  That doesn’t happen without self-discipline.

People with self-discipline are NOT paying attention to what their teammates, classmates, or colleagues are doing. The only person who they are looking at is the one in the mirror. Comparisons are only made with the one in the mirror.

If we focus on others, often times we are disappointed and frustrated as we would like them to be more self-disciplined. But then we are putting our energy into others, and we can’t control others. Our energy and focus can only be on ourselves as that’s what in our control.

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 friend, 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, consistent self-discipline is essential. 

If you find yourself thinking, “I don’t feel like doing x,y,or z right now” that’s a chance to rethink again 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. I don’t always “feel” like working out, but I like the results and I always am glad I did it in the end.

“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, “Is doing the task going to help me be better, help me be successful, help me be the best I, can be?  If the answer is yes, then JUST DO IT!