Bretton Curtis - TOBS
"We don't have to be smarter than the rest; we have to be more disciplined than the rest." - Warren Buffett
Figure out your goals
What do you really want to do with yourself? Make more money? Have a more meaningful life? Lose weight? Get in shape? Do a contest or tournament in something you enjoy? Be happier? Have a more meaningful relationship with your family?
Discipline will get you to the finish line of these goals but you have to figure out what you really want before you can get working on it. You need to admit to yourself what you really really want. It may be uncomfortable for us to look at this because it's simply easier to say that we don't want something so that we don't have to admit that we aren't doing anything to really prove to ourselves we want it. Once we admit that we want better for ourselves and come clean about how we aren't really trying, we can start to make a plan on how we can do it! How exciting!
Practice executing necessary tasks
In order to build the confidence in ourselves, we need to first become confident that we can complete even the most simple tasks first. Remember a baby has to roll, crawl, sit, stand, walk before they can even consider running. Depending on where you're at, you may have to learn to roll first. This is easy to start, the barrier to entry here is nonexistent so just get started. A power-list or to-do list is something that anyone can start with and is scaleable so that you can use it even after you have mastered the art of discipline. This list should be 3-5 items MAX, and is comprised of tasks that you aren't currently doing now, but need to be doing in order to succeed in achieving your goals. These can be anything from make the bed, cook food for the week/day, go on a walk outside to go run 5 miles, write 1 paragraph of a book you want to write, take the kids outside for 1 hour. This list should be the same things every day without fail for at least 2 weeks, once you have mastered them for 2 weeks, remove it from the list but DO NOT REMOVE IT FROM YOUR ROUTINE! Replace the items from the list and add something more difficult or less desirable. When you are done with the list, you are done for the day! Don't try to be a hero and overdo it, there's no extra credit. You don't want to be unrealistic and burn yourself out the first week. This is building your discipline and getting your into a routine of winning. Keep building on this and you will become an unstoppable force!
Expose your weaknesses
In order to win, you need to eliminate your weaknesses. In order to eliminate your weaknesses you must first identify them. Is it unhealthy diet choices? Too much TV? Sucked into your phone all day? Alcohol? Drugs? Some things are good in moderation but if they are consuming your productive time they must be eliminated. If you aren't completing your simple daily task list but are indulging in any of the above it may be time to reevaluate where your priorities lie. If you don't feel like you can control this or feel like you can't stop it may be wise to seek an addiction specialist to help figure out the root of your addiction and the best way to overcome.
Forgive your mistakes
Being hard on yourself is ok sometimes. It's important to remember that if you fall it is your fault, and will still be your fault if you don't get back up. You must take a moment to recognize that you made a mistake to avoid becoming a victim. Once the moment has passed, it is important to forgive yourself for being human, reevaluate your approach, and continue back on the path. If you never forgive yourself it will be much more difficult to continue and will give you an easy out for not continuing to try. Get over it!
Find others to hold you accountable
You are the sum of your 5 closest friends, if your friends are all doing things that are leading you off the path then you need to either reevaluate the friendship or abandon the thought of succeeding. Have a real conversation with them about how they are negatively affecting you and if they refuse to acknowledge this and aren't willing to change then it may be time to make a change for yourself. You aren't abandoning them, you just don't have room for that in your life at this time. Remember, they may come back to you when they decide to get on the path themselves, it's best not to do anything to damage the relationship. A true friend should want to see you win and should be helping you win. Find some friends that you can explain your goals to and the methods you plan on using to achieve those goals. Your goal oriented friends should also be discussing the same with you that they want for themselves. Check in with those friends often to make sure that you as well they are still on the path. If you know that you're going to have to answer to a friend that will call you out on deviating from the path, your are much less likely to deviate when tempted. You won't want to let them down!
Fix your mindset
You must have the mindset of a winner in order to win. You must not accept any excuses for your lack of results. Winning is quite simple, it's a matter of inputs and outputs. You get out of anything what you put into it. You can't half ass something expecting it to be great, you must have laser focus and no distractions. As Ron Swanson says "Never half-ass two things, instead whole-ass one thing". If you hit a roadblock or get knocked back, think of the free education you just received in exchange for overcoming. The only time you can lose is when you quit.
Help Others
When you have been on the path for a while, you will feel comfortable on it and will no doubt reach some kind of higher level in life. It's very important to turn around and help someone struggling behind you along the way. Give selfishly, give to others knowing that it is benefiting you and helping to keep you on the path. Don't clap when someone stumbles, even if you don't like them, and cheer when you see them winning. You have no idea who they can become and how they may help you in the future. Good things will happen to you when you wish good upon others. Be good!