LTM - 17. Your Greatest Obstacle

17. Your Greatest Obstacle
If I had to identify the single most important factor in personal
achievement, it would be discipline—the ability to do what you know you
should do even when you don’t feel like doing it. Discipline—lacking it
can be the biggest obstacle between your goals and your
accomplishments but having it is the ultimate accelerator of results.
Here’s what I mean. I started selling real estate when I was 23 years old.
Young and inexperienced, I was at a distinct disadvantage when going
head-to-head with experienced and successful Realtors. If given a choice,
why would anyone select an immature, unproven Realtor to sell their
home?
I knew something had to turn the tide in my favor. Of course, I focused
on all the LITTLE THINGS to make a good impression; however, the one
thing that turbo-charged my income more than any other single factor
was my self-discipline.
Every day I sat in my little cubicle. Struggling to breathe and my heart
beating out of my chest, I picked up the phone and made call after call.
Pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I kept making calls until I got
appointments. By the end of my first full year, I had sold over 60 homes
and earned over $250,000. While all the LITTLE THINGS I did played a
role in my success, nothing played a larger role than my discipline.
Employing discipline is the most difficult LITTLE THING to do
consistently, yet it brings the greatest rewards.
Ten Ways to Develop Discipline
1. Make a Personal Commitment. The first step in achieving any
goal is to make a commitment to become a disciplined person.
This commitment means you will become a do-it-now person and
that you will no longer procrastinate doing things you know you
should do.
2. Focus on Your Goals. Review your goals every morning before
you start your day. Pick a quiet place where you can concentrate
and visualize. Put yourself in a state of mind where you have
achieved your goal and let your imagination go. You’re basking in
the satisfaction of a job well done. What does it look like? What
does it feel like? That burning desire that comes from within to
achieve your goals will help inspire you to take action.
3. Do What You Don’t Want to Do First. As you plan your day,
block out time to do those things first that require the most
discipline. Whatever it is—prospecting, exercising, or cleaning
the house—do it first. You’ll be amazed at how the feeling of
accomplishment stays with you throughout the day.
4. Get Enough Rest. A good night’s sleep is essential to
maintaining a high energy level. You will sleep better if you avoid
eating or drinking before you go to bed.
5. Eat Right. Eating right helps to maintain focus and optimize
energy levels. Start your day with a breakfast high in protein and
low in simple carbohydrates. For lunch, avoid eating foods that
make you tired and, above all, don’t overeat.
6. Start Doing the LITTLE THINGS. Start becoming more
disciplined by doing the LITTLE THINGS you know you should do,
like making your bed, keeping your car cleaned, taking the
garbage out, and picking up after yourself. As you become more
disciplined in doing the LITTLE THINGS, you will become more
disciplined in doing the big things.
7. Make the Decision in Advance. If you are going to tackle an
important project in the morning, then don’t second-guess your
decision in the morning. If you make the decision to exercise
every morning at 6:00 A.M., then don’t allow yourself to question
your decision when you feel like sleeping in. The decision is
made; follow through with it!
8. Make It a Routine. Set up a routine for doing the things you
don’t want to do. If you are in sales, set up a routine to prospect
for new business every morning from 9:00–11:00 o’clock. If you
want to be physically fit, then make exercising a routine.
9. Get an Accountability Partner. Do you have a friend, spouse or
co-worker who shares a common goal? If so, agree to hold each
other accountable in doing what you both need to do.
10. Reward Yourself. When you do the things that require discipline,
recognize and reward yourself after you are done. If you just
finished a big project, dine at your favorite restaurant or do
something special to celebrate. If you have been disciplined over
an extended period of time, perhaps a weekend getaway would be
appropriate.
Consistent discipline in all areas of your life will yield multiple rewards
beyond increased productivity. You’ll feel more confident and more
motivated towards achieving your goals, and you’ll feel proud of the
person you are becoming. It doesn’t get any better than this—feeling that
you have done something you didn’t want to do but you did it anyway.
LTM Challenge
Over the next several days, be intentional about being more disciplined. If
you have neglected to return a call or an email, do it now. If you have a
project with an impending deadline, sit at your desk and get it done. If
there’s something waiting to be done at home, don’t procrastinate. From
this point forward, use positive self-talk and say, ―If I don’t feel like doing
it, then I must do it now!” Then, without further delay, do it.
One of the most important keys to success is having
the discipline to do what you know you should do,
even when you don’t feel like doing it.