Discipline: A Key To Achieving Your Goals
Just the sound of the word ‘discipline’ used to turn me off! It sounded like a LOT of hard work, just to accomplish a goal. But wait a minute! I want to accomplish my goals!
Are you someone who has set lofty goals for yourself and lost your momentum somewhere along the way?
Are you that guy whose goals get thrown off track when you get sick or swamped with work?
Are you that gal who lies to herself and makes up all the excuses in every single book so you don’t have to face hard work?
I’ll say freely that I’ve been there. Maybe you’re there right now!
Discipline, like procrastination is a learned habit. Procrastination is easy to cultivate where as discipline takes some work. Each character quality can become habitual. Procrastination makes us lose energy and passion to pursue our goals whereas discipline lights the fire under our butts and helps us achieve what we once thought was just a big dream.
If you struggle with procrastination and you want today to be the day where everything changes. I’ve got a system for you…a system that helped me achieve some big goals and still helps me today. Take these steps and I guarantee you’ll start noticing you’re progressing towards your goals!
Step 1: Define What You Want
What exactly is the goal you want to achieve. When would you like to achieve the goal by? Be specific.
Step 2: Work Backwards
This is where I identified what I would need to do every single week to meet my deadline. This is where you write down the little steps needed to help you taste victory later on. Small, consistent victories lead to LARGE accomplishements.
Step 3: Enforce the Consequences
A little bit of pressure goes a long way! Put pressure on yourself. This leverage is what’s needed to keep you in motion and motivated even when you don’t feel like taking action. I’ve heard of friends who decided to start a healthy eating habit together. They told each other that if they fell off track with the plan that they would eat a container of wet cat food! Each lady put the can of cat food on her counter to remind herself of the consequences.
Step 4: Show Proof
One coach I worked with in the past suggested I send her photos of proof that I was doing what I said I would. Being accountable to someone will help you develop self accountability. Then, one day you’ll notice that you’ve transformed into someone who is self-accountable and sees goals through to completion.
Zig Ziglar says, “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” What action will YOU take to become a person who follows through? I know YOU CAN!