“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” ~Jim Rohn
Regular readers of this blog are already aware of my deep love of and respect for words.
We use words casually, though, indiscriminately and imprecisely. It’s as though we’re walking down a busy street while wildly swinging a hammer; we’re bound to wound a few people.
Words like respect, for example, or judgement: What do they really mean? When do we use them, and why? What thought are we attempting to communicate when we do?
To say “He/she doesn’t respect me” requires a little unpacking. What, exactly does ‘respect’ mean if you’re the one who uttered the word?
Or take the word ‘judgement’; it can reflect either condemnation or discernment.
‘Discipline’ is another example. Most people think of the word in pejorative terms: Discipline as punishment.
But like judgement, ‘discipline’ has a flip side: Consistency.
It took me years to hear and say and interpret the notion of ‘discipline’ not as punitive, but rather as a challenge to reach for consistency.
Consistent effort toward a desired end result is the purpose of setting incremental goals on the way to creating anything of substance.
Five weeks ago, I set a goal of writing 400 words a day for 100 days on my current book, Needles of Gold, the sequel to Threads of Silver, because it felt overwhelming: Where to start?
I figured that by writing a little bit, every day, about anything, I’d have the beginning of the book by the end of May, somewhat shaped and ready for refinement over the summer .
No different than a diet, or an exercise or educational program, the place to start is from wherever you are, and to do a little bit, every day. That’s how one loses weight or builds muscle or earns a degree. Discipline develops through practice and perseverance.
There were plenty of days I didn’t actually want to write, but apparently, I’ve developed a pattern of performance in that area that some would call a disciplined approach.
So, the goal was 40K words by the end of May. Yesterday, I hit 30,082 words. The book’s shape is already formed and the themes developed in only 35 days.
Discipline: I am amazed at its incremental power in creating new realities, one day at a time, if we don’t treat it as a punishment for past acts.
“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.” ~Ralph Marston
