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5 Ways To Practice Being More Self-Disciplined

Self-discipline is a muscle. The more you use it, the more stronger it gets.

Show me a top performer and I’ll show you someone with a deep level of discipline. Think about all the anecdotes you hear about Kobe Bryant shooting hoops till 4 am: discipline. Or the commitment it takes for Seth Godin to write a blog post every single day for 10 years: discipline. Thomas Edison came back to the same idea 10,000 different times before of the sustainable light bulb worked: discipline.

These top performers are no different than you and I. They have figured out what they can be the best in the world at, and they’ve become infinitely self-disciplined in their fields. You and I will probably never play in the NBA, not my point. My point is that each of us can hack the potential that these masters have unlocked in our respective fields if we’re willing to go to work and get better each day.

Creating disciplined habits helps you stay rooted in positive routines. It’s no secret that positive routines lead to success. So without further ado, here are 5 ways to practice being more self-disciplined.

1.) Get Physical

Find something physical in which to get involved. Your body doesn’t always talk back, it’s your mind that requires the convincing. Starting with physical activities will help you learn to push through pain instead of giving up at the first sign of discomfort. Learn to tell your body to push harder and your mind will soon follow.

The Counter-Intuitive Nature of Strategic Planning

Growth seems to be universally desired but particularly elusive.

We want to be better people or have more profitable businesses, yet, there’s not always evidence that we’re working towards those goals. Sure, we may be busy, but busy and effective aren’t always the same thing. For example, we’re in a busy season of work. We’re getting tons of requests for proposals (RFP’s). We have more work than ever from a larger number of clients than ever with the largest team we’ve ever had. Growth is good, right?

Unfortunately, we haven’t taken the time to really think through how we’re handling this abundance of work. It’s like we’re just getting dodgeballs thrown at us every day for ten hours. We haven’t had the chance to stop and think about the best way to move forward. We don’t know whether we should we dodge, duck, dip, dive, or dodge the onslaught!

Taking the time to plan your next move may seem like a backseat priority when this much is happening. But it’s the people and the organizations who are able to organize this chaos that succeed in the long run.

Getting More Done (Without Time Travel)

I love finding new books that blow my mind. Some are revolutionary ideas that I’d never thought of. They are the kind of books that rock your world and (sometimes) change the way you perceive reality. Others you know you should be doing, but you’ve never found the motivation or had enough ‘pain’ to pursue them.

When I read the following quote, I realized I wasn’t doing some of the things I knew I should be. Like taking the time to cool down after an intense workout, it should be done but doesn’t always happen.

Less But Better
– Dieter Rams

Mind = blown. I have stretched myself pretty thin over the first few months of this year. I’m not complaining, it’s actually been great. My freelance career has been booming and my role at SOUTH has been expanding on what seems like a daily basis. Business is good!

But…

How To Learn To Compete

2 Types of Competitors

There are two types of competition in this world: internal and external. The internal type pushes you to best yourself. The external type pushes you to best your competition.

There are pros and cons to each route and there are people who naturally gravitate towards one or the other. In my experience, extroverts tend to be externally competitive while introverts tend to be internally competitive. This is logical because, by definition, each group is effortlessly focusing on their competition every day.

I played football with guys who were obsessed with the upcoming game. They’d spend hours watching film, researching individuals on the internet, and game-planning for one week of competition. Come game time, these external competitors knew who they were facing better than the opposing team knew themselves.

On the other hand, internal competitors would focus on their processes. They would work on technique, they would practice fundamentals, and they would push to innovate their own schemes. Adjustments during the game were easy because they knew where they could improve and this gave them a big advantage.

Neither was mutually exclusive, but there were obviously sides of the fence that we picked.

How To Fill Big Shoes

A few weeks back I was eating lunch with a friend. Besides the amazing pulled squash sandwich, nothing was out of the ordinary. The conversation, which is par for the course, touched on topics ranging from sports to life to books and all the overarching themes that go along with each.

We came to the topic of work and she explained that she wanted to create big shoes to fill. When she came into her job a number of years ago, the bar was set low. Embarrassingly low. So low that I became intrigued and we carried on with this topic. Her career had take a turn for the disappointing… Or so you’d think.

What Would Seth Do?

It’s no secret, I love Seth Godin. I write about him all the time. He mentors me, he helps me think creatively, and he’s opened my eyes to a number of impactful insights. Among these are the problems with the education system, the need to take risks ~~in your marketing~~, and how to be consistent.

Most importantly, Seth has taught me about being a Linchpin. Being a Linchpin means being an artist, not just doing what is listed on the job description. Being a Linchpin means bringing your best self to work and giving effort where it’s not expected. Being a Linchpin is about challenging the status quo and not being afraid to stand out.

Peaks and Valleys: How To Endure Hardships And Win Championships

Man, this is embarrassing. I don’t want to tell anyone, but it’s driving me crazy. It’s such a burden and I have to get it off my chest, get some help, ask for a second opinion.

Should I see a professional? These things don’t just take care of themselves. I think… Or do they just get worse? The last thing I want is to be numbed by a prescription.

Should I tell Katie? Terrible idea. But she’d understand, wouldn’t she? She’d help me through this. But she might think less of me. I can’t do that. If I did tell her, would she come to the doctor too?

Some days I get depressed. There, I admitted it. Whew, not so bad.

There are ups and downs to any journey. Nothing is all rainbows and roses. The valleys are what make the peaks so special. The peaks are what make the valleys worth enduring.

How To Quit Your Job

Mike & Mike

“Do I really need a new pair of shoes?”

“Yes, they’re cool.”

“I agree, they are cool. But do I need them? I am trying to save money right now. I don’t know if or when this metaphorical tap will be turned off and I’m going to be income-less. I’m planning on the end of the year but…”

“Go head, they’re on sale for PLUS they’d be awesome for the 4th of July party! You’re not gonna quit anytime soon, you need to stay through the end of the year to get your bonus. You’ve got at least 8 more months before that even happens. And you know they won’t have your bonus ready till February.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be on the hook for another tax season after that. There’s no way I’ll be able to walk away during February, I’d be an idiot to stick around that long and no reap the benefits of tax season.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That I might never leave?”

With a simultaneous, forced exhale, “Sh*t…”

Timing Is Never Perfect

This is a legitimate conversation I had with myself during the spring of 2013. I was torn because I wanted to leave and it was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. I knew my time had come and I was ready to move on, but I didn’t know when it would happen.

How NOT To Face Problems In Business: Ratilda’s Rhapsody

The situation comical at this point.

It started off as light pitter-patter sounds on the roof. No big deal, could be lots of things.

Then it became more regular. Then we started seeing droppings. The she got hungry…

If you haven’t guessed it yet, our guest is a rat. She’s been sneaking into our office for over a month.

One day we came in and she (the exterminator claims she’s preggo and really hungry) had taken the liberty of gnawing through Nate’s backpack to dig out some almonds he had forgotten about.

SOUTH – 0 | Ratilda – 1

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