Self Discipline

Andrew Carnegie stated that the greatest and the most essential ingredient to success is Self Discipline. Self discipline is complete control over ones mind which in turn complete control over their actions.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my self-discipline is absent.  I allow life or circumstances to get in my way. Mr. Carnegie goes on and explains that Self Discipline begins with constructive habits in the areas of food, drink, sex, and the use of spare time. When you have self-discipline in these areas it controls everything else.

Food:  There is a correlation between how we feel and what we eat.  I know when I am eating healthier food, I feel better, and I get more accomplished.  You can’t be very productive if you feel bad.  I honestly think the state of the nation with regards to food is kind of scary.  The stuff we put into our mouth that we don’t even know about is absurd.  I know we all make decisions on what we do eat, but what is it doing to us?  I don’t even know.  What I do know is that when I have discipline in the area of food I feel better.  I lost about 35 pounds last year, and that act alone required self-discipline and a lot of it.  I feel so much better since I made the decision to cut calories and watch what I eat.  I also credit that discipline (losing weight) leading me to many other disciplines that I now have in my life.

Drink:  Wow. Having self-discipline in the area of drinking.  I don’t necessarily think about alcohol here either, I think about cokes and other artificially flavored drinks.  What are they doing to us.  Again, a lot of health issues can be attributed to both alcohol and soft drinks.

Sex:  How many times have we seen politicians or prominent figures lack self-discipline in this area and it ruin their careers?  Too many times to count.  That is just prominent people that we hear about.  But what about everyday life where marriages are ruined, finances are ruined, lives are ruined because of lack of discipline with regards to sex. I think we can all agree that self-discipline in this area can be a major contributor to our own success.  I listen to the Dave Ramsey show in the morning when I work out.  He states that the fastest growing addiction online is porn.  He said he has watched it ruin many lives spiritually and financially.

The use of spare time.  How do you spend your spare time?  Are you watching sports or Are you actively engaged in adding value to yourself or to others?  The day can be broken down into 3 eight-hour segments.  (8) work, (8) sleep, (8) recreation.  Most successful people spend closer to 10 hours working, but that is another blog for another day.  Your success is determined by what you do in that recreation time, Lets call it “opportunity time.”  Do you spend it attending school and getting further education?  Do you spend that time reading?  Do you spend it networking?  Do you spend it working part-time on something that can generate income?

I became intentional about spare time about three years ago.  I can honestly say that everything that I have accomplished during the last three years was in direct correlation to that decision I made.  I am now being even more disciplined in how I spend my spare time to increase my success even more.

Self Discipline:  Mr. Carnegie’s teachings on this subject has inspired me even more, and I hope to do the same for you by sharing this information with you.

Brian Willett