Discipline

I grew up in a house that was quite lenient. In a time when most kids still got the belt across the bum, I can't remember getting one.

I remember being afraid of my father when he shouted. His voice could carry for miles and vibrate my bones to cry. My mother was not intimidating. She tried to be. When she got mad at us, her face was a mix between Jerry Seinfeld and Bobo the Clown.  She would yell and we would laugh at her.

Mom's only effective measure for discipline was the usage of six dreaded words, "Wait until your father gets home".

As adults what forces keep us disciplined?

Going to work five days a week keeps us on track. If we don't go to work, we may lose our job. Is it still fear that keeps us disciplined? The habit of going to work every day makes it easy to go through the motions.

I was asked a great question yesterday. Do you have 10 years' experience or do you have 1 year's experience repeated 10 times?"

Over the past year, there's been no job waiting for me. There's been no one, except myself, scaring me to go to work. There have been days that I stayed in my pyjamas while most people went to work.

I have no routine. I started writing. I went back to reading. I renewed an exercise routine about 7 times. All for it to get squashed by the lack of discipline.

Three days ago, as I draw closer to buying another business, I woke up at 4:30am. I went to the office and drank a lemon water while the keyboard started putting words to a computer screen. Before anyone awoke I had written two blogs and I had read 60 pages. Full of energy I started and finished a business plan, had a meeting with a banker, and I exercised for 40 minutes. I had made pancakes for everyone when they woke up, helped with the lessons when the kids got home and even did the dishes after supper. Going to bed at 8:30pm exhausted, I knew the day was a complete success. I fullfilled my potential for that day.

The next morning was a similar day. Again I felt I had done everything I could have for the day.

Day three and I'm feeling alive. For me, the key to my discipline over the last three days has been limited television, sleeping early and rising before the roosters.

Discipline is self directed. As adults no one can instill it in us except ourselves.

How's your discipline?