I was recently involved in a discussion about motivation and discipline and it got me thinking about how we have misunderstood the concepts.
Why is it that a seemingly motivated person loses track somewhere along the road? What is the difference between the two? Which one of the two is the key to long term success?
Motivation is an internal focus that gets us going in the short term – it only exists as a noun. Motivation is something that can come and go, it is not something that you choose to do. Discipline, on the other hand, has a verb form. It is something you do, something that you choose to do. However, it is useless if it is not tied to something that you need to be disciplined with.
Discipline is what separates successful people from those that have not made it or cut it. We cannot hope to master the complex work we live in if we are not able to master the basic tasks that are needed in business on a daily basis. These tasks are not always nice to do, fun or inspiring but they are essential building blocks to building a successful business.
The sooner we realize—that just like highly successful sportsmen and women—we have to exercise self-control and self-discipline in order to climb our way to the top, the better for us.
What do self-discipline and self-control entail?
In business, the following areas are essential to be disciplined in if you want to give yourself a fighting chance of being successful:
The above list is not an exhaustive list by any means, and you are encouraged to add it to the list as it suits your business or circumstances. You will find that you don’t need to be motivated to do these tasks; you need a large dose of discipline.
In conclusion, MOTIVATION will push you for a few steps, DISCIPLINE will help you reach your destination.
Since 1993, ActionCOACH has served thousands of businesses and their owners around the world and in every category imaginable. By showing owners how to get more time, better teams in their companies and more money on their bottom-line.
ActionCOACH Lebanon
The Regional Office for Middle East, North & Central Africa
menca@actioncoach.com
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