Improve Your Results with Self-Discipline and Productivity
I did not grow up in a disciplined home, so it just made sense that I would not become a disciplined adult. It was just my mother and I from the time my parents divorced when I was three years old, and we had a more relaxed way of going through life each day on our own schedule. This isn’t to say that we did not follow rules, but basically we went to bed when we were tired, got up just in time for me to get to school (although not always on time), and ate dinner whenever we both got hungry.
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Until I went to college and became responsible for my life in a different way, I gave very little thought to this aspect of my life. Then it seemed like overnight I was thrust into a world where I was expected to maintain a strict schedule and do most everything at a specific time. I was stressed out, overwhelmed, and exhausted until one of my professors pointed out that I needed self-discipline in my life in order to become more focused and productive.
Self-Discipline and Productivity in Your Life
Now I realize without a doubt that self-discipline and productivity are interrelated and that self-discipline is a learned behavior. Striving for this in your life and business will lead to greater self-confidence, help to reduce temptations, and assist with your time management goals. It also can act as a powerful motivator for the goals you wish to achieve and help you to stay committed to the tasks at hand.
Even though I became at least somewhat disciplined as an adult on my own, old habits have a way of slipping back into our lives. When I left the work force to become an online entrepreneur I was excited at the thought of no longer having a schedule and of choosing what I would do each day in the moment. Of course, this was short lived as I realized the importance of making a strict and structured schedule for myself and adhering to it on a daily basis. I longed for this structure and almost immediate my productivity level increased dramatically.
I continue to believe that self-discipline and productivity are very personal issues, and that we must define what we mean by “self-discipline” in order to benefit from having this as a life goal. For example, I do not set my clock to get up at a certain time each day to begin writing and creating new products and courses. Instead, my disciplined habits lead me to get to bed before eleven almost every night so that I naturally arise sometime around six each morning. Defining what we expect and intend from leading a disciplined life gives us the power and control to change and improve our lives.
And please don’t confuse motivation with self-discipline. I may be motivated to write another book, but that will only take me so far, It isn’t until I dig into my toolbox and find the self-discipline that my book will begin to take shape. Willpower, persistence, and hard work are all important and worthwhile goals, but self-discipline will get you there on a regular basis.
The disciplined life is a rewarding and satisfying one, to be sure. I know that I can accomplish any goal I choose to set for myself because once I make the decision to go for it I have the self-discipline to see it through to fruition. Most people are not running their life or their business in this way, so once you embrace the concept that self-discipline and productivity have this strong correlation you will be head and shoulders above your competition.
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I’m author, publisher, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and would love to connect with you. If you’re new to the world of online entrepreneurship please check out my training on how to sell yourself at Sell Yourself and Your Stuff and learn how to gain an unfair advantage when it comes to building a lucrative online business.
Kit says
Structure can be so important in running a business…so I agree with you that a structure is needed and then the discipline to follow the plan. After years in the workforce, when I left to have and raise my children at age 33 I embraced flexibility in my lifestyle and loved it. My kids thrived in that atmosphere with minimal structure until school started. Even then I was never a mom who felt they should have every minute accounted for in some activity. This all worked well for us as my husband had built his business to a point where he had flexibility too.
Fast forward to today and of course I realize you are so right to design a plan and discipline to accomplish my business goals. I have been resistant to letting go of so much flexibility but it doesn’t serve me any more. Perhaps it is the word “discipline” that has so many negative connotations attached to it that is a problem for many. Something to think about when I am trying to help others.
Thanks for highlighting the joys and successes of a disciplined life.