I’ve decided that my word for 2017 is Discipline. It’s funny that once I chose the word, I kept hearing people talking about what an important role discipline plays in successfully achieving our goals in videos and blog posts. I decided to view this as a reinforcement of the need to be more disciplined in 2017.
A couple of months ago I read the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and it reminded me of the importance of starting our day off on the right foot. The book reminds us of one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Start with the end in mind. If we want to have a successful day, we need to start with focus, intention setting and a clear mind!
I know that as entrepreneurs, we often think we don’t have the time for morning rituals beyond getting up, taking care of hygiene and starting our day. I’ve heard it said the less time you think you have for meditation, the more of it you need. I think it’s the same for all of the routines mentioned in The Miracle Morning.
Having a morning routine doesn’t require 3 hours of your time. You get to choose how much or how little time you give to each part of the routine. When it comes to establishing new habits, it’s about consistency more than anything else. It’s not about whether you do 3 minutes of meditation or 30 minutes, the key is to start doing it! It’s the same for journaling, exercise, visualization and the other habits you know will help you start your day off on the right foot.
Most of us know what we need to do more of and less of in order to truly focus on our goals and make them happen. Unfortunately a lot of us are also equipped with a long list of excuses for why we haven’t started to do the things we need to do and stop doing the things that are holding us back. If this is part of your struggle, then you need to remind yourself of why achieving your goals is important to you. Is what your life will be like when you accomplish your goals worth enough to you to make the changes necessary?
Try not to think of discipline as restrictive or a chore. Think of it as one of the magical elements that helps us reach our goals with less drama and more ease! Where in your life or business will you be exercising more discipline?
Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution. She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!
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