FSS Newsletter :: December 2002
FSS Spotlight :: Discipline – The
Key To Achieving Your Goals
Have you been thinking lately of what things you wanted
to get done this year? How about next year? There are seasons
in a person's life when a renewed sense of interest emerges
to get things accomplished. We write our goals and resolve
to get them done. We talk about them with our friends, employers,
and family. We have big plans that will propel our lives
and our careers. We make "to do" lists. But, over
time, nothing happens. We have great ideas and good intentions,
but somehow, we fall into our same routines and never quite
achieve the progress that we imagined.
We need to be able
to prioritize our goals and recognize which one will have
the most impact on our lives, or is the most critical to
achieve first. Focus on the positive outcomes in your life
that will be realized, once you have achieved these higher
priority goals. I have come to realize that a common missing
link to progress is discipline. We have not been diligent
to sitting down at a pre-selected time to do what is necessary
to complete the tasks. We let other lesser important tasks
take our time away. Without
realizing it, we have managed to spend time on lesser priority
projects, waste time, and lose our energy and passion for
our bigger plans.
I understand that I will never catch up.
There are always things to do in my office and home. I
could be productive and devote days to accomplishing less
important tasks, and realize days later, that I put off moving
in the direction that is needed. I realize that this is a
tactic that many often use without realizing it. Oftentimes
this mode of procrastination becomes habitual. It may be
months later until we realize that we have suffered the consequences
of our lack of discipline.
In order to move ahead, we must
change our patterns of operation. As we identify our goals,
and the benefits of achieving those goals, keep them in plain
view. As an added incentive, write the consequences, missed
opportunities, pain, and misfortunes that you will experience
if you do
not pursue your stated goals.
As you begin a project, select
a date and time when you expect to have the project completed.
Make a commitment to yourself, and if appropriate, make this
commitment to others that are affected by the outcome of
this project. You will be amazed at how your subconscious
mind processes information that will be useful to you as
you tackle the task at hand. Self imposed deadlines work.
Get yourself mentally and physically ready for the task.
Realize
thatenergy will be expended and your
mind and body need to be at their peak. Get adequate rest
and nutrition prior to starting any sizable project. As you
begin each day, start working on the biggest, hardest, most
imposing task first. Get your highest level of energy behind
you and work towards this accomplishment. Power
yourself and stay with it until you have completed this task.
As you accomplish these seemingly more difficult tasks, the
other tasks will appear less daunting.
In order to discipline
your self, select the time that you will start and stop
the task. Consider
this an appointment. Allow no interruptions that would
side track you. As you get involved with the project, and
the
time that you have set aside is ending, decide if
it is best to extend the time, or stop working
on the project.
Oftentimes the momentum it took to get started
is a great source of energy that can give you
lots of incentive to make continued progress. You may find
that the task can be completed in a shorter period of time
than you originally planned.
Setting time limits for your
tasks allows you to be a better judge of whether
the time invested is worth the benefits you expect to receive.
The cornerstones of personal achievement are goal setting,
focus, commitment, and discipline. Acknowledging these
as your base of support, will allow you to
recognize your limitations and make adjustments necessary
to enhance your life.
By Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.
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