“No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No steam or gas ever drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light & power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
Discipline, I have found, is a fundamental component to achieve success in anything. It is knowing what you want most versus what you want now & channeling all your energy to ensure you reach that goal. Yes, you will need to have a positive attitude. Yes, you will need to have expectation. But discipline is a totally different animal. It’s something that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience & fine-tuning to have it. I know for me it can be challenging to maintain discipline in my activities day in & day out when I may not see the results I want to see.
I know first-hand that the moments in my life where I have seen the most productivity, the most positivity, the most fulfillment & the most self-confidence were after seasons of intense discipline. Life is going to keep moving so why fight what we know we should do? Discipline will unlock your very best potential & allow you to make a positive impact in ways you cannot possibly imagine. I’m excited to keep working on improving in this area too.
Some tips on how develop more discipline in your life:
- teach yourself to value your time & make good use of it
- know the priorities of your personal life & professional life
- “Temet Nosce” is Latin for “Know Thyself.” Study yourself & focus on improving yours strengths
- Be protective of your time & be sure to invest it with people who produce results, people who bring out the best in you
- Make decisions quickly, regardless of having all the facts
- Flat out take action, don’t worry about being perfect
- Focus on today, don’t live in the past OR the future. All you have is today.