The Power of Discipline

By Brian Tracy

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Brian Tracy has spent a lifetime training and developing organisations and individuals to help them achieve their business and personal goals faster and easier. One of his more popular books, Eat That Frog!, outlines why tackling the biggest, hardest and most important task first each day is key to overall effectiveness.

In this book, The Power of Discipline: 7 Ways it Can Change Your Life, Tracy focuses on the power of discipline, not only why the most successful people are highly disciplined individuals but more importantly how we can all develop a more disciplined approach to all aspects of our lives.

Here is what Tracy defines as self-discipline, “Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” I absolutely love this. I love it because our personal success is reliant on this ideal. As Tracy illustrates self-discipline is the difference between winning and losing, between greatness and mediocracy.

There are many things I avoid, there are a number of tasks and behaviours daily that I don’t do even though I know I should. More often than not our emotions overrule logic and we let things slide, even if they are important and we know it.

In this guide, Tracy outlines seven areas critical to developing strong self-discipline in your life including goals, time management, personal health, responsibility, character, courage, and finances.

Like most things in life, self-discipline starts with knowing what we want. Becoming absolutely clear on our dreams and goals. Once we know this, it is then simply a matter of adopting and following a process until success. I often talk about knowing our Why. Self-discipline will come unstuck if there is a lack of reason behind what we need to do to achieve our goals.

Step one is to decide on what we want. This could be a major life goal or something more short-term, like a daily goal. Write it down and begin to visualise its accomplishment. See yourself at the finish line. Important to note here that there needs to be a deadline for completion. From there create a list or devise a plan of how you will get there. What lead measures, small tasks and activities, are required to reach the lag measure, bigger goal. Finally, you need to execute.

As I mentioned before, it is the execution that people often become unstuck. We are often taken away from the smaller tasks and action items that we don’t enjoy and lead by other feel-good or easier tasks. Instead of making the calls we respond to some emails. Instead of doing the dishes we stick on another favourite episode on Netflix. Instead of going for a run we stay in bed. You get the drift.

If you are not connected strongly to why you are wanting success in whatever areas in life you desire the execution will be difficult. Successful people are clear on what they want and come hell or high water they will do what it takes to get there.

The other thing I think many of us fail on is planning. We have an idea of what we want to achieve and then we just start running. We don’t stop to think about what the goal looks like and how it will be achieved. A solid plan helps keep us on track and make adjustments along the way in areas that aren’t working.

In summary, self-discipline is to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. To get there, one must become undeniably clear on what you want, plan how you will get it, and then take action and execute the plan. If you find yourself or your attention sliding, ask yourself this question, “why is this so important to me?”

If this book sounds of interest you can purchase The Power of Discipline: 7 Ways it Can Change Your Life here.

Please leave your thoughts, comments & questions below.

Peace, passion and purpose…

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