Did you know that discipline is a decision?

Discipline is a decision!

Have you ever looked at someone enjoying success in multiple areas of life and wondered what made it possible? Was it luck? Good fortune? Great genetics? Nepotism? When we interview people achieving prominent levels of achievement, we discover that they are all highly disciplined with their time, energy, and resources.

As business leaders, discipline is the difference between dreams and achievement.

Discipline is a powerful, and it can make all the difference when it comes to deciding on what action to take.

Discipline is about making good choices. We can choose to take the right action to move forward, or we can choose to be stagnant. We can choose to procrastinate and or we can choose to be proactive.

Discipline is not about a schedule; it is a choice.

Some people seem to be more disciplined than others, and those people seem to accomplish more. Most people do not have a predisposition for discipline, they earn it by making smart choices.

Few points of failure are the result of a single poor decision. For example, an employee says they are late getting to work because their car will not start. The car will not start because they left the light on in the car overnight. That sounds like a single error, right? Attempts to jumpstart the battery did not work because the battery was corroded. They have not checked the battery in a few years. The battery is completely dead.

What otherwise would have not been a problem is now involving a tow truck because of deferred maintenance on the vehicle. If the battery were healthy, a light left on overnight would not have been a problem. The failure is due to a series of poor choices. Forgetting to turn off a light is a simple mistake. Not taking routine care of the car is a choice.

People with discipline say they have an easier time managing their lives because their habits help them avoid distractions, stay on track for good habits, stay away from negativity, and be patient.

Disciplined people are great at removing temptations and distractions from their environment.

Being proactive means avoiding temptations that can derail your focus. Knowing what gets you off course is part of knowing what to stay away from. Eliminating distractions and temptations makes it easier to focus on what is most important.

From choosing healthy foods to a healthy bedtime, disciplined people make wise choices even when they want to do something else instead.

Sometimes people protest, “I don’t have a choice.”  This is often an excuse to make a poor choice. There is always a choice. But sometimes the options are limited, or undesirable. Make the best choice at the time that serves your highest priority.

Sometimes people allow an emotional moment to dictate their actions. I was just in Hershey, PA and one of my friends who lives there always carries 3 Hershey milk chocolate bars in her purse. When she is feeling emotional, the Hershey bar, and sometimes two, is her go-to. They are an emotional security blanket for her.

I love Hershey bars, too, but I know that emotions are fickle, and they can change quickly.

A disciplined life often includes being patient and delaying gratification.

Disciplined people do what is important and right regardless of how they feel. They do not let their mind tempt them into procrastinating, avoiding important tasks, or daily lunching on chocolate.

Having a proactive mindset includes regulating your emotions. Choose to overcome feelings that contribute to procrastination and deter you from your goals.