Self-Discipline Is Habit
That Leads To Success
Self-discipline: taking action regardless of distractions or emotional state
Self-discipline includes 7 kinds of behavior that you adopt as habits that will lead to your ultimate success.“I
wish I could...
...work from home...
...or exercise regularly..
...or eat healthy...
...or anything else that requiires some discipline...
...but I just don't have the self-discipline.”
...work from home...
...or exercise regularly..
...or eat healthy...
...or anything else that requiires some discipline...
...but I just don't have the self-discipline.”
A Powerful Success Tool
While I am no longer surprised when I hear these and similar comments, I continue to be amazed at the conviction with which the lack of self-discipline is proclaimed.
It is almost as if a lack of discipline is a perfectly reasonable and acceptable reason for not being able to...work from home...exercise...eat healthy...or whatever else requires self-control.
These comments are like saying: “I wish I could be a professional basketball player...but I'm only 5 feet tall”
The difference of course is that our physical height is something we cannot change.
We can however, increase our self-discipline...if we choose to do so.
Your self-discipline is one of your most powerful success tools.
It plays an important role in every marketing function from from defining your niche market to serving your clients...from prospecting to generating referrals.
Allowing yourself to be distracted seriously limits your ability to develop and effectively implement your plans...which in turn reduces the likelihood of achieving your desired results.
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It's A Habit
Purely and simply, self-discipline is a learned behavior...it is not a virtuous personality trait that drives our actions.
When I get up in the morning and start my work...I am not driven by any special ability to take action regardless of distractions or my emotional state.
It's simply a habit I have gotten into...it's how I do the things I must do in order to achieve the results I desire.
Similarly when I regularly exercise or eat healthy...it's a habit that I have gotten into.
And when I stop exercising or eating healthy, I have just fallen out of the habit of doing these things.
We normally think of habits as things we fall into.
We find ourselves repeating the same behavior patterns automatically...but without having made the conscious decision to act this way.
Think of self-discipline as simply another habit or automatic behavior...but a behavior pattern that you have chosen to adopt.
And what better habits to adopt than those of effective people.
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The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
This best-selling book written by Stephen R. Covey and originally published in 1989 lists 7 factors once adopted as habits can help you succeed.
1. Be Proactive
Acting proactively
means taking responsibility for your life.
It involves defining the goals...identifying specific results that would like to create.
It's all about creating plans, implementing these plans and continuously doing whatever it takes to bring about your desired results.
In The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber reinforces the importance of acting proactively:
Successful people consistently act proactively in creating their lives.
It's a good practice for anyone who wants to be more effective and successful.
It involves defining the goals...identifying specific results that would like to create.
It's all about creating plans, implementing these plans and continuously doing whatever it takes to bring about your desired results.
In The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber reinforces the importance of acting proactively:
“...great people
create their lives actively, while while every one else is created by
their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next.
“The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing.
“The difference between the two is living intentionally and living by accident.”
“The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing.
“The difference between the two is living intentionally and living by accident.”
Successful people consistently act proactively in creating their lives.
It's a good practice for anyone who wants to be more effective and successful.
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2. Begin With The End In Mind
Once again, this
habit is all about planning....but not abstract conceptual plans.
This habit is about action plans that define where you want to be...the end you have in mind...and outline the actions you need to get there.
In practice, this means getting into the habit of before taking any action, asking yourself “how is this action going to help me achieve my goals”...
This habit is about action plans that define where you want to be...the end you have in mind...and outline the actions you need to get there.
In practice, this means getting into the habit of before taking any action, asking yourself “how is this action going to help me achieve my goals”...
3. Put First Things First
The implementation
component of you plan will help you prioritize your actions as you
work towards achieving your goals.
By habitually doing what you have to do in order to get achieve the next short-term goal interim goal, you will create the momentum that will help keep you moving towards the achievement of your ultimate goals.
By habitually doing what you have to do in order to get achieve the next short-term goal interim goal, you will create the momentum that will help keep you moving towards the achievement of your ultimate goals.
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4. Think Win/Win
Success is not about
achieving your goals at the expense of others. 
Many people can and will help you on your journey to success.
These people include, family members, support staff, colleagues and of course your clients.
Remember that you get back what you give out.
The more you help other people achieve their desired results, the more they will help you.
By developing the habit of helping others succeed, you will be rewarded with their help...and every body wins.
Many people can and will help you on your journey to success.
These people include, family members, support staff, colleagues and of course your clients.
Remember that you get back what you give out.
The more you help other people achieve their desired results, the more they will help you.
By developing the habit of helping others succeed, you will be rewarded with their help...and every body wins.
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5. Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
From a marketing
perspective, your understanding begins by learning everything you can
about your target market.
This includes learning about prospects' attitudes and what your clients need, want and expect from you.
And of course, it also includes providing the with the best client service that you possibly can.
Automatically adopting a client focus will help you attract more clients and better serve your clients.
This includes learning about prospects' attitudes and what your clients need, want and expect from you.
And of course, it also includes providing the with the best client service that you possibly can.
Automatically adopting a client focus will help you attract more clients and better serve your clients.
6. Synergize
This habit
illustrates the principle: “The
whole is greater than the sum of
its parts.”
In practice it means that by working with your support staff, sales team members (if you are part of such a team) colleagues and contacts, you can generate better results that trying to do every thing on your own.
Today's social media have greatly expanded the number of helpful people with whom you can connect and interact...if not in person, electronically.
It's a good practice to involve others others in your work, whenever it's possible and practical.
In practice it means that by working with your support staff, sales team members (if you are part of such a team) colleagues and contacts, you can generate better results that trying to do every thing on your own.
Today's social media have greatly expanded the number of helpful people with whom you can connect and interact...if not in person, electronically.
It's a good practice to involve others others in your work, whenever it's possible and practical.
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7. Sharpen the Saw
This final habit is
probably the most important single act of self-discipline.
It is also the most difficult of all behaviors to adopt as a habit.
From Covey's perspective, the term is all about looking after your greatest asset...you.
This includes looking after 4 critical areas of your life:
It is also the most difficult of all behaviors to adopt as a habit.
From Covey's perspective, the term is all about looking after your greatest asset...you.
This includes looking after 4 critical areas of your life:
- physical
- social/emotional
- mental
- spiritual
To help sharpen the
saw, sound time management is necessary...and so are S.M.A.R.T goals.
By taking care of these 4 personal or 'non-business' areas of your life, you remain more positive, enthusiastic and better focused on achieving your goals.
By taking care of these 4 personal or 'non-business' areas of your life, you remain more positive, enthusiastic and better focused on achieving your goals.
None of these 7 habits could be considered 'a virtuous personality trait'.
On the contrary, each represents a behavior that most people can learn and habitually apply.
And as an added bonus...these habits are all key elements of the self-discipline that will lead to your success.
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