After 18 years of coaching people of all ages, I have learned that most know what they want (do I dare call these goals?) and even have a pretty good idea on what they need to do to achieve them. The majority of my clients tell me it’s discipline and accountability they need. So here are some quick thoughts about discipline:
Self-discipline isn’t part of natural DNA. It is a trained skill. Read that again. Therefore, if you aren’t currently, then you must train yourself to be. One problem associated with lack of self-discipline is the amount of power that short-term pleasure has over long-term consequences. Let me explain. When I go out to eat, I immediately smell the food and see the bad stuff on the menu. I can buy a room full of furniture and not make any payments for a year. I could choose to smoke cigars by focusing only on the relaxing benefit I will enjoy immediately. These short-term pleasures will always have more power than their long-term consequences. What we need is a process to give equal power to the long-term consequences of our actions. Before choosing, ask yourself: ”If I eat bad food, will that bring me towards or away from future goals?” ”If I smoke, I will die.” ”If I cheat, I will lose my family.” ”If I don’t make cold calls today at work, I won’t reach my financial goals or be able to pay my mortgage.” Fear is a motivation. Also, reverse it. Ask yourself what long-term consequence you will ENJOY…WHEN you choose the right behavior. ”My cold calling will create more clients and by achieving my sales goal I will enjoy…”
Make it routine:
Proactively schedule specific times in your calendar to do those high priority behaviors that will make your short and long-term goals and potential a reality.
Rewards Come AFTER:
Get the most important things done first everyday. And if you meet or surpass a daily goal, reward yourself with something over the top! When I hit my revenue goal for the month, then I schedule my massage. I will only go to the driving range after I make 90 minutes of prospecting calls.
Set Goals:
Your goals should always be SMART:
S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Attainable
R- Realistic
T- Time specific
Don’t allow yourself to set goals using the words “better”, “more”, “less”, etc. Be specific and quantify the goal and behaviors associated with them.
Accountability:
Find someone…a co-worker, a colleague, a family member, a friend, a coach…someone to hold you accountable. Put yourself out there and make your goal public.
I hope this helped. Please contact me if you’re interested not only in self-discipline, but also if you’d like to learn how to make a habit of the critical success tools and skills to realize the ultimate you.
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