DISCIPLINE

"Discipline is the application of responsibility to action in the direction of achievement"
—Michael Moore.

The Foundation Of Success

"Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure."
—James Rohn.

Discipline has often come to be regarded as a dirty word by some people. Perhaps the connotations of strict drill Sargent and school masters has coloured what is perhaps the most useful and effective tool available to achieving what you want.

Discipline is basically do it. Whatever it is you want to do or want to achieve or want to have. Discipline is simply not stopping but continuing.

When you are tired, or fed up, or hungry, or your feet hurt. Or you still hunger for that cigarette or drink. Or you don’t like that person, customer, boss, employee, bank teller, relation, whatever. YOU STILL DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO ANYWAY.

Discipline is not giving up.

Discipline is being responsible for doing something... anyway.

If you adopt the attitude that discipline is a tool and not a chore you will find out how useful it can be.

Speak to any winner, any sports personality who has climbed to the top and he or she will tell you that discipline is the bridge between his or her goal and the accomplishment of that goal.

The top golfers of the world like Jack Nicklaus will hit upwards of 1000 golf balls a day practice, day in day out. How many lengths of the pool do you think an

Olympic swimmer such as Kerin Perkins swims each day, day in day out? How many slam dunks do you think Michael Jordan does each day in practice to maintain his peak performance?

Discipline Can Take You To Wealth

If you have determined that you must put away 100 dollars per week towards your future, Discipline is the tool to ensure that you do it and don’t use the 100 dollars for a great night out or to purchase that whoozit you have been aching to get.

If you don’t put that 100 dollars away this week, that's 100 dollars you are delayed in reaching your goal. It is easy to say. “Oh that was just one day, I’ll start again tomorrow.”. The next week, there is another bill come in. “I’ll just pay that bill now.” There is a sale on. “One more week won’t hurt.”.”I’ll start this program next week.”. It does hurt! You goal will recede further and further away into the distance until it disappears. This is procrastination at its worse and procrastination is the enemy of discipline.

If you look around you, you will see that nature employs discipline. The tree strives and reaches higher and higher towards the sunlight despite the relentless pull of gravity. Insects, animals and fish all strive in spite of the odds or opposition to achieve better survival for themselves and their offspring. Instinct you might say. Well whatever you want to call it, it is still a case of not giving up but persisting until the goal is reached.

It is all very nice practicing affirmations such as, “I will be wealthy”, or, “I am wealthy”. But it has no value without the goal to aim for, the plan to show you the route, the action of travelling along that route and the discipline to keep you there.

It takes more than just saying “I’m gonna be rich.”. It takes a known plan of action in a known direction towards a known goal with no deviation from your path.

Discipline is bound up with responsibility and integrity rather like a triangle. Taking responsibility for oneself is the application of discipline. Can you take responsibility for your chosen path even if the way becomes difficult? Thomas Macauley’s definition of integrity was, “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he would never be found out.” Think about that.

Can you apply discipline when there is no one around to check on you? That is a true measure of discipline.

Tom Hirshfield, the Physicist said, “If you hit every time, the target is too near or too long.”

And remember what Philip Knight (CEO of NIKE) said. “The only time you have to succeed is the last time you try.” Do not expect to get it right first time and don’t consider yourself a failure when you don’t. All successes are built on failure. Edison tried 1000 times before he hit success with the incandescent bulb. Ray Bradbury submitted 1000 stories to publishers before he got one published. Now he is a world famous author and screenwriter. It takes practice. Even discipline. Discipline can be made a habit.

Assuming responsibility for youself. Applying persistence in reaching your goal despite the obstacles that try to impede you. Maintaining your vision and looking at the goal and not the obstacle. Keeping discipline by doing whatever has to be done even when you don’t want to do it and being true to yourself are all part of a winners attitude and a wealthy one too.

There are ten little words that demonstrate what it comes down to:

If it is to be it is up to me.

Practice using discipline. Treat it like a friend. If you miss from time to time, okay, start again. Persist. I say this because I know you can!. Take a small step if a big one is too much. Take lots of small steps. Practice using discipline and it will make you a fortune!