Self-Discipline: A Difference Maker

Coming out of an incredible Team Major Leadership Convention in Louisville, KY, many of us are very conscious of turning all the encouragement and vision we have been given into progress and results. Discipline is singularly the most important attribute needed to achieve any type of excellence:  personal, organizational, or other.  It is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires and behavior. It is being able to turn down immediate pleasure and instant gratification in favor of gaining the long-term satisfaction and fulfillment from achieving higher and more meaningful goals.
Discipline means learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished. It means cultivating a mindset whereby you are ruled by your deliberate choices rather than by your emotions, bad habits or sway of others.
Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time frame and to live a more orderly and satisfying life.

I remember hearing Orrin Woodward say a long time ago that every single one of us will be disciplined.  Either we will discipline ourselves from within and enjoy the rewards of doing so, or we will be disciplined by someone else.  Self-discipline makes the difference: Achievers get it, keep it, and employ it every day of their life.  Others don't.  Here's a great article on Discipline that I just read this morning.  Great timing indeed!

Discipline

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.

All disciplines affect each other. Mistakenly the man says, “This is the only area where I let down.” Not true. Every letdown affects the rest. Not to think so is naive.

Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.

Discipline has within it the potential for creating future miracles.

The best time to set up a new discipline is when the idea is strong.

One discipline always leads to another discipline.

Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.

You don’t have to change that much for it to make a great deal of difference. A few simple disciplines can have a major impact on how your life works out in the next 90 days, let alone in the next 12 months or the next 3 years.

The least lack of discipline starts to erode our self-esteem.

“Vitamins for the Mind” is a weekly sampling of original quotes on a specific topic taken from The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn. The burgundy hardbound book with gold-foil lettering is a collection of more than 365 quotes on 60 topics gathered from Jim's personal journals, seminars and books and spanning more than 40 years. Click here to order The Treasury of Quotes.