SELFDISCIPLINE (takenfrom ThePowerofDisciplinebyBrianTracy) Whyaresomepeoplemoresuccessfulthanothers?Whydosomepeoplemakemore money,livehappierlives andaccomplish muchmoreinthesamenumberofyearsthanthegreatmajority? Istartedoutinlifewithfew advantages.Ididnotgraduate fromhighschool.Iworkedatmenialjobs.Ihadlimitededucation,limitedskills anda limitedfuture. AndthenIbeganasking, "Whyaresomepeoplemoresuccessfulthanothers?" Thisquestionchangedmylife.

Overtheyears,Ihavereadthousands ofbooksandarticlesonthesubjectsof successandachievement.Itseemsthatthereasonsfortheseaccomplishmentshave beendiscussedandwritten aboutformorethantwothousandyears,ineveryconceivableway.Onequalitythatmostphilosophers, teachersandexpertsagreeonistheimportanceofselfdiscipline.AsAlTomsiksummarized ityearsago, "Successistonsofdiscipline." Someyearsago,IattendedaconferenceinWashington.Itwasthelunchbreak andIwaseatingatanearbyfoodfair.Theareawas crowdedandIsatdownatthelastopentablebymyself, eventhoughitwasa tableforfour. Afewminuteslater,anoldergentlemanandayoungerwomanwhowashisassistantcamealongcarryingtrays offood,obviously lookingforaplacetosit. Withplentyofroomatmytable,Iimmediatelyaroseandinvitedthe oldergentlemantojoinme.Hewas hesitant,butIinsisted. Finally,thankingmeashesatdown,webeganto chatoverlunch. ItturnedoutthathisnamewasKopKopmeyer.Asithappened,Iimmediatelyknewwhohewas.Hewasa legendinthefieldof successandachievement.KopKopmeyerhadwrittenfourlargebooks,eachofwhich contained250successprinciplesthathehad derivedfrommorethanfiftyyearsofresearchandstudy.Ihad readallfourbooksfromcovertocover,morethanonce. Afterwehadchatted forawhile,Iaskedhimthequestionthatmanypeopleinthissituationwouldask,"Ofall theonethousand successprinciplesthatyouhavediscovered,whichdoyouthinkisthemostimportant?" He smiledatmewithatwinkleinhiseye, asifhehadbeenaskedthisquestionmanytimes,andreplied,without hesitating,"Themostimportantsuccessprincipleofallwas statedbyThomasHuxleymanyyearsago.Hesaid, 'Dowhatyoushoulddo,whenyoushoulddoit,whetheryoufeellikeitornot.'" Hewent ontosay,"Thereare 999othersuccessprinciplesthatIhavefoundinmyreadingandexperience,butwithoutselfdiscipline, noneof themwork." Selfdisciplineisthekeytopersonalgreatness.Itisthemagicqualitythatopensalldoorsforyou, andmakes everythingelsepossible. Withselfdiscipline,theaveragepersoncanriseasfarandasfastashis talentsandintelligencecan takehim.Butwithoutselfdiscipline,apersonwitheveryblessingofbackground, educationandopportunitywillseldomriseabovemediocrity. InthepagesaheadIwilldescribesevenareasof yourlifewherethepracticeofselfdisciplinewillbekeytoyoursuccess.Theseareas includegoals,character, timemanagement,personalhealth,money,courageandresponsibility.Itismyhopethatyou'llfindafew "nuggets"thatwillhelpmakeyourdreamscometrue. ThearticleabovewasexcerptedfromthebookThePowerofDisciplinebyBrianTracy.Itisreprintedherewith permission.Youmay sharethisstoryaslongasyoudonoteditthecontent;leavethelinksandthisresourcebox intact. SimpleTruths,LLC.,1952McDowellRoad,Ste.205,Naperville,IL60563,USA Phone:8009003427/630946 1460 Copyright2008,SimpleTruths,LLC.Allrightsreserved. Quotes Ithasalwaysbeenmythoughtthatthemostimportantsingleingredienttosuccessinathleticsorlifeis discipline.Ihavemanytimes feltthatthiswordisthemostilldefinedinallofourlanguage.Mydefinitionofthe word isasfollows:1.Dowhathastobedone.2. Whenithastobedone.3.Aswellasitcanbedone.4.Doit thatwayallthetime. BobbyKnight,CollegeBasketballCoach

Settingagoalisnotthemainthing.Itisdecidinghowyouwillgoaboutachievingitandstayingwiththatplan. Thekeyisdiscipline. Withoutit,thereisnomorale.TomLandry,NFLFootballCoach Ibelieveindiscipline.Youcanforgiveincompetence.Youcanforgivelackofability.Buttheonethingyou cannoteverforgiveislack ofdiscipline.ForrestGregg,College&NFLFootballCoach WhydoIdominatethe400meterhurdles?That'seasy.Training.Justexpertise.IknowwhatImdoing.I concentrateonthisas muchasIwouldengineeringorphysicsorwhateverIdbedoing. ThedisciplineIhadfrom engineeringandphysicsgotmethrough schoolandreallystayedwithme.EdwinMoses,twotimeOlympic Champion Disciplineisapartofthewill.Adisciplinedpersonisonewhofollowsthewilloftheonewhogivestheorders. Youteachdiscipline bydoingitoverandover,byrepetitionandrote,especiallyinagamelikefootballwhere youhaveverylittletimetodecidewhatyou aregoingtodo.Sowhatyoudoisreactalmostinstinctively, naturally.Youhavedoneitsomanytimes,overandoverandover again.VinceLombardi,NFLFootballCoach Ifmyplayersworkhardeveryday,thentheywonthavetoworryaboutgameplans,orwheretheyplay,or whomtheyplay,or aboutrankingsandsoon.Theyhavetheirdailybehaviortheirdisciplinetofallback on.PeteCarril Therearefourpartsofselfthatleadtosuccess.Thefirstpartisdiscipline,thesecondisconcentration,the thirdispatience,andthe fourthisfaith.GeorgeFoster,MLBPlayer