Passionate Discipline

"Passion Trumps Everything" - Dave Tate

Sure… yes… it gets you going… Discipline gets you where you want to go.

I have been writing about plateaus and reaching sticking points or working through challenges that require change. It is all well and good… but the single thing that helps me get through these times… the one thing that I have seen that is consistent in all top performers - be they lifters or successful business people - is DISCIPLINE.

You thought I was going to say "passion", I'm sure… but here is why discipline…

Passion gets you started, it initiates the drive to do a thing, start a thing, stop doing a thing… it is the fire that starts you off… and it can fuel you when you are down, bring you back from the brink of depression… etc.

But, it is discipline gets you to stay on the path to your goal when things get hard… and it will get hard. And then it will get harder… and boring… and EXHAUSTING… so, when it hurts to even get out of bed… when that bar by itself is too daunting… when you have to empty the office garbage cans yourself… passion is not going to make that happen - discipline will. Self-discipline in the face of drudgery, tedium, exhaustion, anger, debt, doubt, fear, whatever is the distraction from doing the thing YOU KNOW YOU MUST DO to achieve your goals… to get stronger… to help your business or organization be healthier…

Discipline gets you through the pain… through the boredom… through any plateau… Discipline requires maturity… it requires action… it gets you out of bed early… it helps you stay awake when it is late…. And even when you are unable to move - discipline moves you.

When I'm interviewing folks for jobs, I try to dig in to this area. I believe that as we behave in one relationship we typically will behave that way in others. If you give up or are quick to make excuses in your workouts or diet… then you probably will on the job when stuff gets difficult. Passion will help you get started, skill will help you execute, innate ability will help you even more, but all of these are useless unless you actually DO something… consistently… Discipline will make you a star.

The most successful sales people are the ones who consistently and aggressively do the behaviors that are necessary to achieve their objectives. It may be an ugly cold call, but DOING the call with poor skill is still better than NEVER PICKING UP THE PHONE… Skill will come…

This is true in your work outs, this is true in raising your kids, this is true in having and keeping healthy relationships, and it is absolutely true in your business and work.