Any type of personal success can’t be achieved without self-discipline, whether the success we’re striving for has to do with our career, our health, fitness, even our finances. It is probably one of the most, if not the most important quality necessary to achieve excellence in anything we do. We might think that natural talent is what allows others to reach high levels of success, and although that may play a role, even natural talent counts for little unless it is supercharged by self-discipline. To some extent, self-discipline can overcome lack of natural talent. Exercising self-discipline could make the difference between an averagely talented individual doing something surprising with their lives and a natural talented individual realizing very little of their potential. Self-discipline, like a muscle, could be developed with practice. As the famous quote by Aristotle goes “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” So, self-discipline is the consistent practice of good habits that will allow us to achieve excellence.
Is Your Self-Discipline Holding You Back?
To be successful in anything, including managing your finances, you need to repeatedly practice good habits. In order to repeatedly practice good habits, you have to first realize the importance of self-discipline. Forming good habits through self-discipline is more specifically about being able to control your impulses, behavior and even your emotions.
It’s the ability to resist the desire of instant gratification today for the satisfaction of fulfilling your more meaningful, long term goals of tomorrow. Self-discipline provides you with that feeling of real accomplishment earned through sheer intensity of sustained focus. It’s that focus of your mind and efforts that will allow you to preserver until you accomplish your goals.
“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” – Colin Powell
It doesn’t mean you have to give up everything you enjoy. It just means you need to learn to focus on making conscious, deliberate choices as opposed to allowing your emotions, bad habits, other people’s opinions (or whatever), determine the choices you make or actions you take. Sometimes it’s about changing your perspective so you focus on what will give you the results you want.
If you truly want to succeed at anything, then self-discipline is essential. Anyone who has attained any type of great achievement has done so because they have been able to control and direct their own inner lives and activities to the degree which has enabled them to become super achievers in what they do. So, get disciplined with your finances, stay focused and achieve financial freedom!
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