Mackay’s Moral

AS I WATCHED THE ATHLETES perform at the Winter Olympic Games, I could only imagine their desire, determination and dedication, not to mention commitment, enthusiasm and mental toughness. They set goals and prepared. They had discipline.

It’s the same in business.

It doesn’t matter whether you are pursuing success in business, sports, the arts, or life in general. The difference between wishing and accomplishing is discipline.

Discipline is all about setting goals, figuring out a schedule to achieve those goals and following your plan.

Discipline turns ability into achievement. Dreams may get you started, but discipline keeps you going. Talent without discipline is nothing more than wasted opportunity.

Zig Ziglar said, “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”

Most people aim to do right; they just fail to pull the trigger. For whatever reason, they just don’t have the wherewithal to finish the job. They lack discipline.

Good intentions aren’t enough. People have good intentions when they set a goal to do something, but then they miss a deadline or a workout. Suddenly it gets a lot easier to miss again – and again and again.

“Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built,” said the late motivational speaker Jim Rohn. “Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. Discipline is the bridge between thought and accomplishment ... the glue that binds inspiration to achievement ... the magic that turns financial necessity into the creation of an inspired work of art.”

Whenever I eyeball a resume for a management job at my envelope company, I look for evidence of self-discipline. As candidates have prepared themselves for past jobs, did they identify and master three to five key self-disciplines essential to future success?

Did they take leadership on difficult projects that required developing new skills? Were they flexible when original plans had to be adjusted to conform to changing needs? Could they put ego aside when others had better ideas? Were they able to maintain control when challenged by customers or co-workers?

Keeping focused when things are going well is often as difficult as doing so when glitches surface. Selfdiscipline is what finishes the job. Managers, especially, need to model self-discipline so that their teams observe how it’s done and can follow their example.

And employees aren’t the only ones who see discipline in action. Customers take notice of how organizations conduct themselves. If they see a sloppy operation, they assume shoddy results. If they see a well-oiled machine, their confidence in the final product increases.

Discipline is an investment in your future.

Here’s a story to drive the point home. A family was gathered for dinner one night when the youngest son announced that he had just enlisted in the army. There were audible gasps around the table, then some laughter, as his older brothers shared their disbelief that he could handle this new situation.

“Oh, come on, quit joking,” snickered one.

“You didn’t really do that, did you?” asked another. “You would never get through basic training.”

Finally, his father spoke up. “It’s going to take a lot of discipline. Are you ready for that?”

The new recruit looked to his mother for help, but she was just gazing at him. When she finally spoke, she simply asked, “Do you really plan to make your own bed every morning?”

Mackay’s Moral: Keep your head and heart going in the right direction and you’ll never have to worry about your feet. n

MACKAY’S MORAL | BY HARVEY MACKAY

Discipline is key

Talent without discipline is nothing more than wasted opportunity.

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.

PBN OPTIONS TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR CUSTOMERS ... NOW MORE THAN EVER.

PBN BRANDED CONTENT

A POWERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THE PBN BRAND AND AUDIENCE.

Contact your account manager or email Advertising@PBN.com for more information

CONTENT MARKETING builds confidence in your brand and accelerates the conversion of leads to sales by creating and publishing content that your customers find valuable. WE PROVIDE A PLATFORM where you can SHARE original content, SHOWCASE your company’s expertise and CAPTURE prospects by building engagement.

PBN CO-BRANDED EMAILS

YOU PROVIDE the art, the message, the subject line, and WE DELIVER it to the PBN email database of 23,000+.

This is a great way to deliver your message DIRECT TO THE INBOXES of our highly engaged audience.