CHRISTIAN REPUBLIC BLOG DETAIL

How Can I

Become Disciplined?

The first person you lead is you.

It’s a tough road to the top Not many people ever reach the place where

they are considered one of the best at their work And even fewer are

believed to be the best – ever Yet that’s what Jerry Rice has achieved

He is called the best person ever to play wide receiver in football And

he has got the records to prove it.

People who know him well say he is a natural Physically his God-given

gifts are incredible, yet those alone have not made him great The real

key to his success has been his self-discipline He works and prepares –

day in and day out – unlike anyone else in professional football

During practice in high school, Rice’s coach, Charles Davis, made his

players sprint 20 times up and down a 40-yard hill On a particularly hot

and muggy Mississippi day, Rice was ready to give up after eleven trips

As he sneaked toward the locker room, he realised what he was doing

‘Don’t quit,’ he told himself ‘Because once you get into that mode of quitting,

then you feel like it’s okay ’ He went back and finished his sprints,

and he has never been a quitter since.

As a professional player, he has become famous for his ability to sprint

up another hill – a rugged 2 5-mile park trail in San Carlos, California

– that Rice makes a regular part of his workout schedule Other top players

try to keep up with him on it, but they fall behind, astounded by his

stamina But that’s only a part of Rice’s regular routine Even in the offseason,

while other players are fishing or lying around enjoying downtime,

Rice is working, his normal exercise routine lasting from 7:00 a.M.

Jamie Lee Curtis look like James Earl Jones.’

‘What a lot of guys don’t understand about Jerry is that with him, football’s

a twelve-month thing,’ says NFL cornerback Kevin Smith. ‘He’s a

natural, but he still works. That’s what separates the good from the great.’

No matter how gifted a leader is, his gifts will never reach their

maximum potential without the application of self-discipline.

In 1997, Rice climbed another hill in his career: he made a comeback from

a devastating injury. Prior to that, he had never missed a game in 19 seasons

of football, a testament to his disciplined work ethic and absolute

tenacity. When he blew out his knee on August 31, 1997, people thought

he was finished for the season. After all, only one player had ever had a

similar injury and come back in the same season – Rod Woodson. He

had rehabilitated his knee in four and a half months. Rice did it in three

and a half – through sheer grit, determination, and incredible self-discipline.

People had never seen anything like it before, and they might not

again. And Rice continues to build his records and his reputation while

helping his team win.

A Disciplined Direction

Jerry Rice is a perfect example of the power of self-discipline. No one

achieves and sustains success without it. And no matter how gifted a leader

is, his gifts will never reach their maximum potential without the application

of self-discipline. It positions a leader to go to the highest level

and is a key to leadership that lasts.

If you want to become a leader for whom self-discipline is an asset,

follow these action points:

1. Challenge Your Excuses

To develop a lifestyle of discipline, one of your first tasks must be to challenge

and eliminate any tendency to make excuses. As French classical writer

François La Rochefoucauld said, ‘Almost all our faults are more pardonable

than the methods we think up to hide them.’ If you have several

a bunch of excuses – all of which need to be challenged if you want to go

to the next level as a leader.

2. Remove Rewards Until the Job Is Done

Author Mike Delaney wisely remarked, ‘Any business or industry that pays

equal rewards to its goof-offs and its eager-beavers sooner or later will find

itself with more goof-offs than eager-beavers.’ If you lack self-discipline,

you may be in the habit of having dessert before eating your vegetables.

A story illustrates the power of withholding rewards. An older couple

had been at a campground for a couple of days when a family arrived

at the site next to them. As soon as their sport-utility vehicle came to a

stop, the couple and their three kids piled out. One child hurriedly unloaded

ice chests, backpacks, and other items while the other two quickly

put up tents. The site was ready in 15 minutes.

The older couple was amazed. ‘You folks sure do work great together,’

the elderly gentleman told the dad admiringly.

‘You just need a system,’ replied the dad. ‘Nobody goes to the bathroom

until camp’s set up.’

3. Stay Focused on Results

Anytime you concentrate on the difficulty of the work instead of its results

or rewards, you’re likely to become discouraged. Dwell on it too long,

and you’ll develop self-pity instead of self-discipline. The next time you’re

facing a must-do task and you’re thinking of doing what’s convenient instead

of paying the price, change your focus. Count the benefits of doing

what’s right, and then dive in.

If you know you have talent, and you’ve seen a lot of motion

but little concrete results – you may lack self-discipline.

Author H Jackson Brown Jr quipped, ‘Talent without discipline is like

an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never

know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.’ If you know

– you may lack self-discipline.

Look at last week’s schedule. How much of your time did you devote

to regular, disciplined activities? Did you do anything to grow and improve

yourself professionally? Did you engage in activities promoting good

health? Did you dedicate part of your income to savings or investments?

If you’ve been putting off those things, telling yourself that you’ll do them

later, you may need to work on your self-discipline.

 This is an extract from The 8 Pillars of Excellence by John C. Maxwell. To buy the book now, click here