Have you ever thought to yourself why are some people able to accomplish their goals and excel in life while others seem to struggle and not reach their maximum potential? If so, I am sure you probably came up with several reasons, but today, I want to focus on two very important elements that are necessary when trying to achieve anything in life. If these two elements are applied daily, you can almost be assured that you will be successful in reaching whatever your end goal is.
Element 1: Self-discipline
Webster defines self-discipline as the correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement. In addition to that, I would define self-discipline as the ability to eliminate distractions to focus on the task at hand. Unconsciously, we are making a choice to be self-disciplined all throughout the day. From waking up on time to studying for an exam that is coming up, it seems as though we constantly have a “good” choice and a “bad” choice laid before us. And yes, these choices add up. In other words, if a person has always opted not to have self-discipline throughout their life, it will most likely be reflected in where they currently are. And oftentimes, the very thing that we need self-discipline to complete is the very thing that we don’t want to do. However, we have to override how we feel and eliminate the distractions to complete the task and ultimately reach our goal.
Element 2: Self-determination
Though self-determination is often used interchangeably with self-discipline, these two concepts are not the same. Determination can be defined as the relentless pursuit of a major goal regardless of setbacks and failures. If you have completed just one semester in college, you probably had to exhibit determination at some point. You may have failed a test or even a class, and at that point you could have said “well I tried, but school isn’t for me” and quit. But a self-determined person would refuse to give up. This momentary adversity would have been fuel to their fire. And as we go through life, we will face many challenges, but we have to have it in ourselves not to give up and to keep pushing no matter what comes. If you have this attitude, you can overcome most things.
So as you see self-discipline and determination are great on their own, but when you combine them you have a recipe for success. I know for me personally college was a challenge and some semesters ended in disaster. However, at some point, I made up my mind that I was going to succeed no matter what it took. Yes, it was a few of the hardest years of my life, but it was well worth it. With grace from the Lord and these two elements, I was able to get my degree and progress in reaching my career goals, and you can do the same! If you find that you struggle with discipline and/or determination, there are tips and skills that IWN can provide you to bring encouragement and growth.
You can connect with us by reaching out to contact@theiwinc.org. We sincerely want you all to make it, and we are here to help you.
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