Chapter 3.

Color of Discipline

People who are successful in life are observed to be disciplined. Not only that they have
bright ideas and the right information within but they also possess the basic tools to cope up
with the problems and challenges ahead of them. If you are not a disciplined person, you
can't expect yourself to solve anything.

Admit, life can sometimes be frustrating. This makes success even more difficult to be
achieved because we frustrate ourselves, this feeling proves us to easily surrender to what
life gives us. It is important to remember that every challenge we encounter has always
something to offer us- it gives us an opportunity to grow, be stronger, and enhance our skill
set. These problems are not the end of us, they help in testing our edges and give us chances
to learn new ways of solving these concerns. Disciplined people can make their lives easier
than those who aren't since their skill sets and knowledge increase. One thing you can
practice discipline is to follow. Below are some methods on how to make yourself more
disciplined and use them to succeed in life:

 Don’t expect to always win.

In life, you can't expect to always bring home the bacon. There are some instances that you
would face failure and disappointments. What you have to is set in your mind to expect
frustration. Not that you're being a pessimist, but being realistic. Being disciplined, you can
grow more facing optimal levels of frustration. When you are challenged or frustrated, your
problem-solving skills come to work which makes you committed to overcoming them. You
become flexible in any kind of situation that helps you develop the wisdom that is relevant
to success. At tough times, you shouldn't give up easily. This would help you analyze the
strength of your character that will be your guide to reach your goals.

 Don’t just work harder, work better.

They say hardworking people are disciplined ones but working better also matters. When
you work hard, sometimes you unconsciously pressure yourself. When you work better, you
inspire yourself to improve. Disciplined people involve themselves in something valuable
where they learn something that would help achieve their desired outcome. For instance,
attending seminars and training programs. For you to succeed, it is important to always
consider the quality of your work.
It's not about how much you give focus to your job but how you put effort into it. Take note
also that being disciplined is not about overworking. Quality time for yourself, without
forgetting your goals, would also help you grow and foster.

 Don’t push yourself too much, stay healthy and happy.

What's the essence of being successful if you already overworked yourself and forget the
word "happiness". If you are a disciplined person, you fully understand that to be successful
you have to be healthy. Hence, you are not just disciplined in your career profession but also
to your lifestyle. You commit yourself to healthy routines such as eating healthy foods,
having regular exercise, and adequate sleep. A week built body is proof of physical discipline.

On the other hand, when you feel good, you do better. That's why it's important to be happy
that would motivate you more in reaching your dreams.

 Don't rush your thoughts, improve your mindset.

If you want to succeed, it is vital to be careful about the thoughts that you allow in your
mind. Make sure to have useful information within you that would guide your conscious
choices to succeed. Bear in mind that your knowledge influences your attitude. Meaning,
both can convene positivity if they are on the same spot. You can't expect to meet success
on a short and clear road. You will meet failures that could ruin your mindset. If you have
trained yourself to be disciplined, you can view these failures as promotional opportunities
to keep your track in the right direction. As a disciplined person, you should know how your
thought can influence you and how can it either destroy or improve you. So choose to have
a positive and strong mindset that will help you along the way.

 Be patient.

You undeniably know that patience is a virtue. Being patient is also a manifestation of being
disciplined. Not because you are told to be patient doesn't mean you won't do anything and
just wait. Put in mind that success is not an event to anticipate, it is a process you should
complete. You won't reap if you don't plant anything. Patience means working hard while
waiting to hit your milestone and trusting that you would find in your way what's destined
for you. In the meantime, while you're still in the process, continue to thrive hard and seek
new opportunities. Who knows that one day you'll grab an opportunity you have to secure
that will lead you to your triumph.
It takes time, patience, and determination. You don't give up after five minutes of trying.
Knowing that success doesn't happen overnight keeps you at work. Your goals won't
manifest in a short period of time but when that time comes, it is surely worth it.

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward, there will be a
peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”– Hebrews 12:11, NLT

 Exhibit willingness.

Are you willing to listen? Are you willing to learn? Lastly, are you willing to work? If your
answer to all of these questions is an honest yes, no doubt, you are a disciplined person. Not
only that, you have to be willing to things that will help you grow. You need to have the
willingness to seek guidance. Hearing expert people's advice, you can try them on your
journey. You must be willing to change your ways if necessary. There would be times that
your old ways towards success won't be effective with the modern changes. With this, it is
important to be adaptive. Also, you must be willing to give your time, exert effort and
energy, and stay committed to what you are doing. Because of your willingness, you can
guarantee success. But bear in mind that willingness is not the end of being disciplined, you
must possess the other positive traits too.

If there are necessary sacrifices to get what you desire, your willingness matters. It may
involve tough decision analysis but if you're serious about your dreams, sacrificing for
greater purposes is needed.

 Value your time while not forgetting others.

Another manifestation of being disciplined is how you value your time- not only yours but of
those who surround you too. You are expected to arrive early for meetings, meet the
deadlines, and keep your work on the right track of time. Hence, you meet your goals and
objectives in a timely manner. Don't let procrastination kill your dreams. You are not a fan of
procrastination especially when there are urgent matters. As an upholder of discipline, the
time is not tomorrow but now. When they have a hectic schedule, they make sure to
accomplish urgent tasks. This way, they won't just give time for their work but also allot time
for their family, friends, colleagues and fulfill other personal life necessities like taking a
break (vacation).

 Have an organized system.

You can't call yourself disciplined if you don't have an organized system for your work. To be
successful is to be organized. You tend to have notes, lists, and sets of reminders on your
desk or phone that keeps you updated on your daily schedule. When you are organized, you
expect less chaotic events in your day. Well, some things may come out of your plans but
being organized can help in maximizing your time and opportunities to the fullest.

Being organized also assists in improving your productivity level which is beneficial in
achieving your dreams. So make sure to create an organized system that actually works for
you.

 Be accountable.

“Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to live, but whoever ignores correction leads
others astray.”-Proverbs 10:17

Don't call yourself disciplined if you always blame others when things don't work in your
favor. It won't help you at all. You must know how to be accountable when there are failures
or misunderstanding that got in your way. Instead of a blaming session, take the necessary
measures to go forward. Analyze how things went wrong and are guided by your past
mistakes. Learn how to apologize. Keeping your head held high even though you are wrong
is not recommendable. Instead of saying harsh words, you have to clear up all the
misperceptions and maintain a good relationship with other people. Having healthy
relationship dynamics is a great foundation to reach your aims. As a disciplined person. You
should value unity and trust in your relationships.

 Showcase resourcefulness.

If you want to be more disciplined, do not be rigid- you have to be resourceful. Never be
afraid to seek guidance from other people especially when you need it the most. Learn to go
outside your comfort zone; try new things that would assist you towards your goals. If you
think you don't still have what you need, you should be determined to fill the missing
spaces. Being resourceful gives you the power to address your concerns and solve your
problems.

 Focus on things you are passionate about.

Nothing can limit you if you are passionate about what you do. It inspires you to work
through dull times. You can't maintain discipline if you are coerced on what you do nor if you
lack interest in the result of what you're doing. Be fired up. You become more disciplined
especially if you are motivated by something matters to you. Success won't hide seeing how
you persevere.

Self-Discipline: Your key to unlocking your full potential

"With self-discipline almost anything is possible." - Theodore Roosevelt

What most people lack today is self-discipline. With the freedom they have, they often
forget about its importance. Self-discipline is the ability to overcome your weakness; you
don't give up easily at uncertain times. You are not tempted to quit in chase of worthy tasks.
Being self-disciplined, you become aware of what have to do and what you need to do. Even
though you don't feel like doing it, you have to continue persevering amid the discomfort.
Nothing would stop you in your way as you push through these hindrances. You should
learn how to take control of yourself and life in a mannerly way. To build strong discipline
within you is hard if you have no good purpose but it would be easier especially when you
have a good reason for doing a certain thing. Motivate yourself why you should keep your
toes on the path towards your ultimate purpose.

It is impossible to achieve anything in life without discipline. It's like walking on a dark road
with nowhere to go. Therefore, it is important to continuously enhance yourself

Here are some ways how can you have more discipline:

 Learn about your weak points: Aside from your strengths, you also have to know your
weak points. By doing so, you would be aware of the areas you have to work on to
make yourself more effective. Ask yourself, "Which aspects of my life that I lack
discipline?". After identifying them, you can start to work on mending those aspects and
be a better version of yourself.

 Work hard; work smart: Success in your dreams won't happen if you don't start
working. When you start taking action, you have to work hard and smart. With quality
efforts, you harvest what you deserve.

 Stay focused: Distractions will go along the way but don’t let them rule over you. Stay
focus on your goals, on the purpose of what you’re doing. This way you won’t get lost
on the path you’re taking. As they say, keep your eyes on the prize.

 Never include “quit” in your options: Discipline simply means keep going. You won't
manifest discipline if you keep quitting on things you find hard or you lack interest in.
Create ways how would you overcome the temptation to quit.
 Set goals and strategy: Without proper planning, how will you able to reach your goals?
You can't win a battled without winning strategies. You can't achieve your dreams
without setting goals. Make what you envision comes to reality. Decide what you what
and draw out plans to reach it. Don't just plan out; execute.

 Develop new habits that would empower you: Create new habits in line with who you
want to be and what you want to have. Determine your habits that don't seem to be
helpful anymore and discard them. Make sure to stick with habits with positive
leverage.

 Don’t make things complicated: If you think about it, success isn’t that complicated
especially if you have the right keys in your hand. It depends upon you so don’t make it
complex by doing unnecessary stuff. When you try to look good or sound smart in front
of other people, you tend to waste your time and energy.

 Have fun along the process: Fuel your mind with happiness. You won’t be able to
succeed if you don’t love what you’re doing. When you have fun in your journey while
working better, success would be faster. You spend more time on things you love and
enjoy. Sure, there would be tough times but it shouldn’t hinder you to inspire yourself
with what you can’t get after this dark tunnel.

 Reinvent yourself: Look at the mirror. If you see yourself as a person that lacks
discipline, reinvent yourself. Make yourself the version of who you want to be. When
you see a flawed person, let these flaws add to your power. If you've committed several
mistakes in the past, learn, and use them to your advantage. In the mirror, view
yourself not as a person of yesterday but a man of tomorrow.

Improve your life with discipline

Right now, you may have ideas on how discipline can help in improving the quality of your
life.

Discipline gives you better health. How? Because as you work, as you move your body and
do physical activities, you can burn more calories than you consume. You get enough
strength with your disciplined eating habits which makes you prevent toxins in your body.
Also, being a disciplined person can help you financially. It is one of the formulae not only to
be healthy but also wealthy. It takes discipline to create an ideal financial situation, budget
your money, and spend only on things that are immediate and important. Aside from those,
you can also learn anything new that is worthwhile that you use in your life. It enhances your
self-esteem and gives you the strength to stay away from things that can ruin you. Discipline
you when to say yes and no and allows you to prevent yourself from losing choices and
actions.
As mentioned, discipline increases your chance of success. It helps you arrive sooner at your
destination despite tons of competition. Not because it makes you aggressive but shapes
you to be more responsible.

Discipline doesn't only affect yourself but also people around you; it also inspires other
people around you. Sometimes you don't even know that you inspire other people to make
positive changes in their life. The ultimate importance of discipline your life how it teaches
you to live your best life. You reach goals that matter to you, create decisions and life
choices where you positively gain. Discipline is like a crown that gives you the power to open
up another world. It provides you what you deserve.

Bear in mind that discipline is not about following rules but how you live in pursuit of your
goals. You weren't born with it but grow to uphold it. It's not about being perfect (because
nobody's perfect) but being productive. Your life will be meaningless without this. It's like
taking the less traveled by but with ways on how to navigate it. If you want to succeed,
discipline is an essential element you would need. It helps you create more possibilities for
yourself; it enhances you to be the person you want to be. Live with discipline and you will
reap its fruition.