This thing called "Discpline"

THERE IS A very close relationship between discipline, minimum personal standards, and routine. Put together, the three shape your success or failure. It is amazing the many things you would do and achieve if only you were disciplined enough.

It is even more pitiful to see brilliant minds and careers go to waste due to lack of discipline. It is sad to see good relationships and friendships going to waste because, again, of lack of discipline.

Discipline is the very first step in management, starting by self-management before you can talk of managing anything else. We spend huge numbers of hours and resources acquiring this and that qualification, but hugely fail to invest in equal measure, or even less, in personal discipline.

That is where it starts
The interesting bit is that most people tend to associate discipline with children and youngsters, generally. Yes, that is where it starts. However, it is definitely not where it stops. You can imagine the look on the face of a father or mother — indeed any grownup — on being told he or she is undisciplined. Yet the person is, indeed, undisciplined. 

You know you are not disciplined if you are unable to stick to simple routines that you have set for yourself for improvement. It could be a basic physical exercise regime or a decision to read or watch an interesting or informative program or video. You promise yourself to do it. If you cheat yourself, you are undisciplined.

Take any small excuse
You are in disciplined if you tend to take any small excuse not to complete some task and are always procrastinating. You are undisciplined when you start something, a project or some other initiative, but you do it in half measure and, therefore, do not allow it to reach its full potential. You lack the discipline to go the full length. You are missing huge opportunities that you will later regret having lost. 

You are responsible for your personal minimum standards. You define them, you commit to live by them. But somewhere, along the line, you fall by the way side. Such is indiscipline. You are even more undisciplined if you do not define any minimum standards for yourself and, therefore, live by whatever there is.

Moderation is crucial
You know you are undisciplined if you overindulge. It does not matter in what. Whatever it is that you do, moderation is important. It might surprise you that even with work, there must be a difference between overindulgence and whole-heartedness. If you do things such that other important tasks are forgotten, that is overindulgence. 

Nothing great was ever achieved without discipline. And it all starts with very simple choices, decisions, and routines. While we can never be perfect, we must commit ourselves to conscious choice and effort to do the right thing at the right time. That is discipline — informed choice. 


Thanks for the article..
C

 

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