Why discipline is necessary for your success

In a previous article, I talked about why it is not absolutely necessary to spend at least 8 hours at the desk every day to be successful.

Today I’ll tell you what distinguishes every successful entrepreneur from his less successful colleagues: Iron Discipline! (The same is true for successful athletes; no discipline without success.)

Discipline ensures that you do the things that you really should do to be successful instead of just having fun or spending your time with senseless procrastination waste.

In today’s article, you will learn:

What is self-discipline?
Why do I need it
Why discipline is more important than motivation.
What behaviours help you get more self-discipline?

What is discipline?

Success is no accident. Success means having the willpower to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. No matter what that means.

Your plan didn’t work? Learn from it, try again and fail better the next time is the motto. You need discipline for that.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” Jim Rohn

In a nutshell, discipline is the art of self-control. It enables you to focus on your success, even when the tasks are less fun.

Because with every successful business, things come up that you don’t want to do, but for whatever reason, unfortunately, you cannot give to others.

The only thing that keeps you on track is your discipline.

Why you need discipline

Let’s be honest, starting a business is fun from time to time, but it’s often tough hard work.

Few of us wake up in the morning and want to write your tax return, submit a business plan or take care of all the boring and tedious administrative tasks that form the basis of a successful business.

The most significant difficulty lies in performing these tasks conscientiously regularly and over a long period of time.

Even if you already have your goal in mind, you need discipline and willpower to get there.

Why discipline is more important than motivation

Motivation is the need to achieve a specific goal and to take the necessary steps. It is often the first drive that gets you started on a project.

The problem? You are not always motivated.

If you use motivation as your primary driver, you will experience days when you feel unmotivated and don’t feel like doing your tasks at all.

If you’re unlucky, this phase can last for days, maybe even weeks.

If you just sit there and wait for your motivation to come back, you will lose time and money, your competition will gain a head start, and it will take you much longer to reach your goals.

What really makes you instead is discipline. If you lose your motivation

But what to do if you lack discipline?

For most people, discipline is not innate, and it has to be learned.

It is no wonder that most successful managers and CEOs have a personal coach who helps them pursue these goals.

Of course, you can also approach your development independently and train your self-discipline.

Here are some tips on how to work on your discipline.

Set long-term goals and pursue them.

If you want to be successful in the long run, it’s not enough to have a vague plan for the next few years; you need a vision.

The more specific your goals are, the more likely you are to achieve them.

Long-term goals are essential to ensure that your project grows over a more extended period of time.

They make your success measurable and help you to break your success story down into smaller goals and, in turn, develop tasks out of them.

“Self-discipline equates to self-control. Your ability to control yourself and your actions, control what you say and do, and ensure that your behaviors are consistent with long-term goals and objectives is the mark of a superior person.” Brian Tracy

Why?

Your brain is too trained for short-term success and the associated reward mechanisms that it is difficult for it to follow a long-term plan.

If you can reprogram your mind to have satisfaction and success through long-term goals, you are laying the right foundation for lasting success that lasts.

Learn to enjoy the process instead of just focusing on your goal.

Break your long-term goals down into tasks and intermediate goals to better organize your time.

Develop processes that you can follow to increase your productivity.

Organize your workplace so that you can work optimally. If you start your day by having to clean up first, you are standing by your process

Get your feelings under control.

Your greatest weakness is your feelings. Boredom, joy, frustration; they all stand in the way of your long-term success.

Running a successful business is not always fun; some tasks just have to be done.

Why?

If you let yourself be guided too much by your feelings, it will be difficult for you to apply the necessary discipline to perform your tasks conscientiously in the long term.

Rational decisions will take you further and help you achieve your goals.

• Develop gratitude and appreciation for what you have achieved so far. The ability to see the good every day will make you successful in the long run.
• Meditate. Meditation is not only a powerful tool for practicing self-discipline, but it also helps you to understand your feelings better and to control them.
• Develop a healthy sleep pattern. Regular times of falling asleep and getting up helps your body to be optimally productive and keep you from giving up bad habits.

Resist impulsive behaviour.

Every day we give in to impulses without even realizing how much they influence our everyday life.

Impulsive behaviour arises from the desire to satisfy a specific need immediately and here and now.

If you give in to these needs, they undermine your efforts to develop self-discipline and damage your success in the long term.

Besides, these needs are rarely suitable for you – gambling addiction, alcohol consumption, and smoking are impulsive behaviours that quickly satisfy your requirements.

But the need to check social media and get confirmation from likes and comments also has the same effect!

Getting rid of these behaviours does not work overnight and is not always easy. An online coaching course can support you if you have difficulties with the implementation.

Why?

Impulsive behaviour is the greatest enemy of your self-discipline.

Once you get it under control, it will be easier for you to focus on your goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them.

• Reduce the amount of time you spend on social media (or delete your social media channels entirely if they distract you too much). Acknowledgment that you get through likes or comments may feel good, but it doesn’t last long and distracts you from your actual goals.
• Steer clear of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
• Avoid fast food and eat a healthy diet. Sufficient exercise and a healthy diet are one of the cornerstones of a successful life.
  And now?

How do you personally work on your self-discipline?