“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” –Jim Rohn
I define self-discipline as doing the things I know I should do even though I don’t want to.
I believe we are all given certain gifts and we should maximize those gifts to be the best we can be. One of the keys to personal and business success is self-discipline. Self-discipline serves us in untold ways. It improves our personal and business relationships. It enables us to set a goal and utilize repetitive positive behavior to convert that goal into an outcome that we envision. Self-discipline is when we take a task that is performed on a consistent basis and turn it into a habit. That habit leads to increased success and improved relationships.
The one area of caution I want to instill in you is to work into each discipline slowly using a plan that will keep you on track. Often we bite off more than we can chew and give up before the tasks have become habits. With one step at a time, slowly and over time, our odds of successfully keeping the discipline consistent go up a lot.
An obvious example is working out. If you don’t currently workout but you are interested in adding that self-discipline to your life—with the goal of losing weight and/or getting into better shape—you need to develop an implementation plan to ensure success over a long period of time. If we were to agree that you need to work out seven days a week for two hours to accomplish your fitness goals, part of the plan would be to create the daily workouts and then begin to execute against the plan by beginning with one workout per week for 45 minutes. The second week add a second day of workouts until you are working out 45 minutes each day 7 days each week. Then begin to sharpen the self-discipline by adding additional elements to each workout and lengthening the time of the workouts to the desired two hours. This could take a month or longer to implement.
The goal is to add pieces of the plan slowly so you don’t feel overwhelmed and choose to avoid doing it.
Another example is adding referral partners to your database and marketing list. I adhere to a daily self-discipline of:
- Connect via LinkedIn with people I want to have a business relationship with.
- Add them to my database.
- Send them a “hello” letter introducing myself and my business.
- Send them a weekly mix of inspirational and technical material so they can learn about what I offer personally and professionally.
- Call each of them quarterly to invite them to a meeting where we can discuss business and life goals and visions.
How to Create and Execute Self-Disciplined Tasks
- Write down your plan with detailed step-by-step actions.
- Implement each piece of the plan slowly, ensuring that you are consistently performing each task you have already added.
- Once the plan is fully integrated into your day, be consistent and committed.
- Make these disciplines a priority in your day so the consistency creates additional opportunities in your business.
- Enjoy the peace of mind and success that comes with self-discipline.
If you commit to making self-discipline a cornerstone of your business and life, you will avoid regret and disappointment and feel achievement and a strong sense of accomplishment.
Daryl Wizelman is the Executive Vice President of California Production for Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corporation. He retains 25 years of experience in the mortgage industry.