Alright, I will admit it, the idea and implementation of discipline have never been one of my strengths. Those of you that have known me for a while are probably laughing right now because you know how true that statement is.
I have had my share of challenges just like everyone else, but for the most part, things have worked out for me and I never had to discipline myself to achieve some major goal or overcome a significant challenge. To be honest, I think this has hurt me more than help me. I think a lot can be learned from being disciplined to do something consistently and once completed, I think it empowers you to achieve even more.
The last few years I have had high expectations of myself and have set many goals. Many I achieved and some I did not. Why did I fail in some areas? I think I can point to one common theme – Discipline.
Now I’m a pretty smart guy (most of the time) and it didn’t take me too long to realize that if I am going to accomplish the goals I set for myself, I need discipline. So I did the smart thing – I asked for some help. I now have a few people holding me accountable to be disciplined. End of story – mission accomplished – right?
Well sort of. This is where I think I have been messed up in my thinking. I know other people that are disciplined. They run so many miles a week. They go to the gym so many days a week and so on. We all know these people. They seem to accomplish whatever they set out to do. What makes the difference? How come they get it done consistently?
Well here is what I think. They get it done consistently because they START consistently. Starting is the key to finishing. Here are some helpful ways to get you started.
STORY – If you are attempting to be disciplined, there is a story behind why you are doing it. What is your story? Are you clear on the reasons you are attempting to start, stop, do more or do less of something? A strong story will provide the strength to succeed.
TELL SOMEONE – I mentioned it earlier, have someone hold you accountable. Make sure they know exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish. No one can do as much by themselves as they can with the help of others.
ACTION – Actually doing the work is what will accomplish the goal. Starting is the first step to finishing and starting takes action. Wanting to do something is great, but that intention, by itself will accomplish nothing.
RISK – Let’s spin it a little bit. We usually look at doing something new based on what it will add to our lives. How often do you evaluate the risk of not doing something? Sometimes the real risk is in deciding to do nothing at all.
TIME MANAGEMENT – What is the best way to start something? Get it on your calendar. This has been the best tool I have found to help me reach my goals. My calendar does half the work for me.
So back to the question posed in the title of this post. Is discipline the hard part or the easy part? In my opinion, it is the hard part. Doing the work is really pretty easy once you start. When was the last time you gt in your car to go to the gym and turned around half way to go back home? When was the last time you went for a walk and turned around at the end of your driveway?
A month from now, everyone will be talking about New Year’s Resolutions. My challenge for you today – START NOW! Unless of course, you can tell me why January 1st is a better day than today to start doing something you need to do now.
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Barry Smith 12/2/13 photo by author © Building What Matters 2013
