Having and commanding the respect of others is a tremendous
advantage in life. That edge comes from self-discipline. The highly disciplined
individual does not have to point a gun at anyone to take what he wants; people
“sense” his power and cheerfully give him everything they’ve got.
Take a look at how little self-discipline most people have.
Ask an employer of any size, and you’ll hear how big the problems of tardiness
and absenteeism are. People don't even have enough self-discipline to get up in
the morning!
In my business dealings, I find more than half the people
can't seem to get to appointments and meetings on time or keep preset telephone
appointments. Clients miss prescheduled appointments. Vendors miss deadlines as
often as they make them.
In the entrepreneurial environment, there’s a lot to be said
just for showing up on time, ready to work. The meeting of deadlines and
commitments alone causes a person to stand out from the crowd like an alien
space ship parked in an Iowa cornfield. The ability to get things done and done
right the first time will magnetically attract incredible contacts,
opportunities and resources to you. All of this is a matter of self-discipline.
And self-discipline aimed and applied at a particular thing
is quite literally a magic power. When you focus your self-discipline on a
single purpose, like sunlight through a magnifying glass on a single object,
look out! The whole world will scramble to get out of your way, hold the doors
open for you, and salute as you walk by.
Successful achievement of most worthwhile objectives --
including being an infinitely more productive entrepreneur who makes the most
of his time -- is rarely easy, but is often simple. In fact, it can be boiled
down to three steps.
