By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson
It’s one character trait that many of us wish we had more of in our daily lives. And it is the one habit whose residue can easily be seen: That’s self-discipline, or simply discipline.
One definition explains it as training oneself to do something in a controlled way. Now that the deep sighs and eye rolls are out of the way, let’s go to work.
The thing about discipline is although it may not feel good at the time it sure pays great dividends.
Recently I saw a story about a popular entertainer who reportedly arrived before any of her team members to rehearse for a show. Now granted, based on the popularity of this artist and an already larger-than-life fan base, she wouldn’t have to show up early in order to prove anything at this point. But she did.
She placed her fans’ expectations, her reputation and her work excellence above personal comfort. She was disciplined to deny herself the comfort of sleeping in one more hour; the comfort of missing one more routine practice; and the comfort of having free time to do as she pleased. And the result? She continues to delight fans and can rest each day knowing she’s put in maximum effort to achieve a level of success that few artists will ever see.
It’s the power of discipline. It’s the cost of excellence. She takes her craft seriously enough to go the extra mile. And you already know, as a coach, I will pose that same question to you.
Where in your life, career, business, family or other ventures will you go the extra mile to see extraordinary results? Or better yet, where do you need to go the extra mile? Where do you need to cut back? Or where do you need to crack down for better results?
It’s the power of discipline and although I used the example of the entertainer, we all have that power within us. It just amounts to the simple task of tapping into it.
Let this be your encouragement for your journey because any time you do anything that requires discipline, obstacles will surely come. But – as my fellow motivators would say – you got this!
Devise your plan. Take a deep breath. And take the first step. You (and I) can do this.
As always, know I’m exuberantly cheering for you.
Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson is a life coach, author and speaker. Her column appears each month online and in The Birmingham Times. You can contact Keisa at keisasharpe@yahoo.com.
