All Things Inspired

It takes consistent acts of courage to build discipline!

Last week we started the topic of discipline. We addressed the difference between motivation and discipline. To recap, motivation is what gets you going, and discipline is what keeps you moving toward growth. Moving from motivation to discipline takes practice and step by step commitment. In doing so, discipline then becomes action without motivation. It's easy to be motivated when everything is going well for you. Discipline is what takes your motivation and fuels your commitment to continue to pursue your goals when things get tough.

The simplicity of it is your overall success can be broken down to a few simple disciplines that you practice every day. It takes consistent acts of courage to build discipline. Winners embrace hard work and love the discipline of it, a sacrifice they are willing to make to win, while losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that's the difference!

In week one of this topic, we also covered why some people lack discipline. If that is the case, what does a disciplined person look like? Some will say that a disciplined person follows rules and practices a standard set of behaviors that allow for self-control and successful pursuit of their goals. I believe the characteristics of being disciplined are that you are measured by your actions. You can control your emotions and question your own instincts to confirm that you will continue your path of growth. A disciplined person also possesses some or all the following characteristics:

They are highly motivated - primarily motivated by their beliefs. Goals are realistic but challenging. And when they achieve their goals, the sense of accomplishment far outweighs the struggles they endured to get there.
They are confident - confident but not arrogant. They tend to be aware of both their abilities and deficiencies and understand what it takes to overcome the deficiencies and convert them to abilities.
They are laser focused - tuning out the noise around them allow concentration toward their goals and the path needed to reach them.
They are determined - nothing short of reaching their goals is acceptable. They have extreme resolve without compromising their standards or integrity to achieve the goal.
They are conclusive by nature - preferring to be in control of all situations and be decisive in all matters.
They are free-thinking - they tend to be self-sufficient in routines and priorities. While they prefer the control of independence, they are observant and can learn from associates and collectively incorporate into their daily actions that which they have learned from observing others.
They are committed - their beliefs drive their discipline and their commitment to see the process through.
They are resilient - "challenge accepted" is the attitude of a disciplined person. They understand that the path to growth and goals will be strewn with obstacles, but they are unshaken as they are prepared to overcome any challenge.
They are organized - a disciplined person we know has a defined set of values (beliefs or standards) to which they adhere to. Through organization, they believe achieving goals becomes more efficient.
They are accountable - They are liable to themselves for actions taken and hold themselves accountable to a higher standard as they grow through experiences.

As you read through these characteristics, can you relate to them in any way? Do you observe these characteristics in others around you? Or do you feel as if none of these characteristics match your self-perceived traits? Can you become disciplined if you are currently lacking discipline? I believe you can. It starts with beginning to set routines in your life. Forming new habits that you can build upon may help you begin to experience some success at this. Stop expecting instant gratification in your life. Concentrate on process type goals over outcome-based goals. If you forget what that means refer to our article on goal setting.

Once you understand discipline and the characteristics of it, you can begin to see that discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. As our quote of the week states, "Discipline is doing what needs to be done, even if you don't want to do it!" If you believe this and commit to it, it becomes a habit when done repeatedly. Don't ever underestimate that habits have the power to change the course of your life. You won't always have control over disruptions in your life, but you will have power over your mind and how to mentally process how you react to the disruptions.

Discipline takes practice! You will not be perfect every day. It's extremely important though that you put in effort each day into developing discipline. I ran across a quote in my research that I believe to be the perfect way to end this topic. I don't know the author, but it goes like this...

Discipline is strength. Calmness is mastery. You must get to a point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don't allow others to control the direction of your life. Don't allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence.

Be inspired! Inspire others!