Disciplined

 Over my life I've worked towards continual improvement personally, professionally, emotionally, and in other ways; there was a time when I pursued perfection but thankfully I came to understand pretty quickly that perfection doesn't exist and continual improvement is a much better pursuit and a far better use of my energy. I feel it's been a successful process and I've gained much along the way. A few days ago I was in a position to assist someone to begin the journey of improvement for themselves. This is not to say they haven't found it previously, simply that the person wanted to accelerate it in a few areas so sought me out for a chat and some direction. As always, I'll not go into specific details but will put a few things I said below in respect of improving one's level of discipline which, in my opinion, is a very critical skill and right up there with ownership and responsibility. *** *** #### Pareto principle About 80% of a person's positive results are gained from 20% of their effort - give or take. Identifying the things that fall into the 20% zone and applying the bulk of one's effort to them will pay huge dividends. It helps one focus and prioritise on what's important and less on low-value/small-return activities; it's all about maximum effort, efficiency and investing in areas that will produce optimal results. #### 30 minute blocks As a leader I've always encouraged this technique which simply means one works on a task for a *laser-focused 25 minutes* then breaks for 5 minutes and every two hours for a longer break of 15-20 minutes. This method keeps the brain sharp and helps avoid mental fatigue but augments productivity. It's not always possible, the battlefield for instance where one can't simply take a break, but even there a good leader will *rotate personnel off the line* where possible. In a work environment though, it's a very effective technique; I can't recall who taught me this but thankfully it stuck. #### 120 second jobs Attend to the tasks/activities which can be completed in under two minutes immediately; with those that take longer, break them into steps of roughly two minutes each. Again, it's not always possible but in many job roles people can become bogged down by procrastination. The 120 second rule deals with small tasks quickly, sweeps them aside so they don't build up, and can train the mind to make quick *time and energy-saving decisions*. An example could be emails which are one of the office environment's biggest time waster in my opinion. This, in conjunction with *focus/block out time*, can work very well and build discipline quickly. #### The 5 count I use this all the time in decision-making on whether to take action or to put something aside. Count backwards from five and then simply act, one way or another - no hesitations. The five-count virtually eliminates the opportunity for procrastination and negativity barely has a chance to register before one moves to act. This is less of a workplace technique and more a personal one although it's an excellent technique to use against the big rocks/unpleasant aspects in one's day. Just get on with it. Personally, I apply it to waking up super-early, decisions to run or exercise and small jobs around the house that may be somewhat onerous. #### Top 3 I really like this one, simple but very effective. I'm a task-list guy but they can get long at times, professionally or personally. So, I determine the top three, the most impactful and important, and apply my full attention to those. Not only does it mean I'm working on the items that will bring me the best results it closes my mind to the other less important things and that removes stress, concerns, pressure or thoughts around them; more brain power to apply to the top 3. Once achieved, get the net top 3 started. #### Avoid immediate gratification This is difficult as we all love gratification or reward in the present moment. The concept is that one focuses on the longer-term goals and benefits and resists the more immediate ones. Sure, things still need to get done and completed in short timeframes and rewards can come from that but this technique helps one to develop a greater degree of control and willpower. Imagine saving up for something very rewarding (a holiday overseas for instance) but every time $100 is saved it's immediately spent on something bringing an immediate gratification; the ultimate *big reward* will never come. In business and personal life sustained success is preferable over immediate gratification which ultimately inhibits long term results. *** As I've written before in similar posts of this nature, these items may not suit your personal or professional life, may never work for you because they're not relevant or may need some form of adjustment to make them fit; they're all techniques I've used to help build a high degree of self-discipline though and it's that, together with other such attributes, which have helped me gain some pretty amazing results in my professional and personal life. Discipline is simple a collection of good habits and once adopted those habits will tend to stick...and that's when the magic really happens. What are your thoughts? Would you say you're disciplined or undisciplined an either way why? Do you know how to improve your level of discipline but have chosen not to? Feel free to respond in the comments on these points, or anything else if you like.