For a long time, I’ve considered discipline (a word we love to hate) and achievement. I heard one of the best definitions of discipline from my Pastor; he said, “discipline, is not when you get up in the morning, it’s when you go to bed at night”.
I often tell people whom I coach and mentor that I can’t control their discipline. But, I absolutely believe you can affect more than you think. And, America’s Achievement Coach, can abDecisionsolutely help you with that.
It’s obvious on both a career and personal level that some know what to do, why it’s important to do it and possibly how to do it. If we can put a man on the moon within ten years from a standing start, with now-archaic technology, you can certainly solve a customer problem in ten minutes, create a new service in a day or move your career forward in 180 days or less.
The same applies to weight loss (perhaps a ten billion dollar industry with people becoming increasingly heavier), making a great presentation or learning to parallel park (a lost art). Some very smart people, would tell you that the secret is constant repetition and practice, practice, practice, you know, the ‘10,000 times’ rule, e.g. practice the correct golf swing or presentation delivery 10,000 times and you’re bound to be better than the rest. I don’t necessarily believe that. There are certain things I’m excellent at doing that I’ve never practiced even 100 times.
I’ve come to know that the ability to achieve your goals, the discipline to consistently get things done and achieve the desired results is based on a combination of being organized, self-control, confidence, and accountability. I’ll call this recipe ‘determination’. We can debate my considerations or terminology, but please stay with me on the concept.
Some people create, rectify and work together dependably ahead of schedule, exceeding performance standards and reap great results; not that they never fail. I believe you determine (verb) to achieve and possess determination (noun) to discipline.
I can recognize people with little determination. They don’t write things down, don’t plan, make bad assumptions, have no accountability system for themselves and tend to ‘play-it-by-ear’. Most employees don’t have determination; they have a J-O-B. This is true in both private and public sectors; and when your employer has to make cuts, you wonder why you were chosen.
Do you have the determination to “Build Your Career”? Personally, you ought to determine to have it!