3 minute read
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
BY JOYCE PARON CEO – CANADA
The market isn’t what it was, and now you must decide what to do. You have two choices: quit, or get to work. It’s not sexy, exciting, or tweetable; however, being disciplined is where something powerful begins. The core word, disciple, speaks to the heart of its meaning; becoming a pupil of your craft and staying focused on it to the exclusion of all else.
You can’t afford to wait for better timing or to feel better about the circumstances. Being disciplined is deciding to win. Have you made that decision? When you do, cast off the blame for what you don’t like and remove the robe of self-pity. Your job is to clearly decide what you want. Write it down. Look at it every morning. See it as if it’s happening. Use your persuasive imagination that spins all the thoughts of what could go wrong and why things aren’t working, to create a story about all the good things yet to come. That’s the most intriguing part of your imagination; you get to use it to your detriment or victory – you decide.
You already know your strengths and where you struggle. Stop making excuses and start asking effective questions like who to talk to, where to get started or find help, and what the best approach is to get some business started today.
Discipline always asks that you set boundaries. This may mean eliminating some daily behaviors or distractions like limiting scrolling on your phone. Stay focused on the outcome you want. Stay focused on the outcome you want. One more time, stay focused on the outcome you want. This alone helps you maintain discipline and stay in control of your behavior because your focus is on what you want – the reason why you get up in the morning.
Your job is to take one step, then another, then another, understanding that from time to time the feeling of defeat and lure of distraction are part of this daily game. However, you get better at recognizing them along the way, you start to recover faster from their effects, and see them less often. Your discipline earns you results, bit by bit, until they snowball. The circumstances haven’t changed, but soon you find you have. Now you’re one of ‘those’ people making things happen whom everyone says, ‘got lucky,’ when the truth is that you learned the secret of this business, that’s really no real secret at all. Luck shows up when you consistently show up and do what is necessary. It takes discipline to make a difference in your success.
