I am fortunate enough to work with successful people who have reached the top of their fields in business, sport and every area of enterprise and I am often asked: “What is the one thing that sets those who are successful in business apart from those who fall short of their true potential?”

There are those who would say goal setting and planning are the keys to success, or that the power of self belief or positive thinking is the driving force. Yes, goal setting is important and having self belief is essential. I am a great believer in both of those things but you can plan, dream, create and think positively all you want and still not make your business a success.

In my experience, the core trait that sets successful people apart in every field of endeavour is self discipline.

How many times on average does someone attempt a goal before giving up?

Would you guess 1, 2 or 3? The real answer is probably nearer 0.5.

Many people give up before they even try. Self discipline makes the difference. Without it, it is easy to lose your focus and be easily distracted from your goal. If you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you’ve got.

Successful people are willing to do things that they don’t necessarily want to do in order to deliver the results they want. It’s all about desire, not denial. They are willing to put in extra hours and effort to achieve the outcome they want. They know that without self discipline, nothing will ever happen and nothing will ever change.

The benefits of self discipline:

• Being self disciplined sends a clear message to other that you can be relied upon. You will attract like minded people to do business with you and to work with you.
• Self discipline creates self reliance, which feeds self confidence. If you know you can rely on yourself to deliver results, you are more likely to aim high in your ambitions.
• Self discipline goes hand in hand with effective planning and time management. It ensures you are in the the driver’s seat, leading the action rather than reacting to other’s demands. If you know what you are doing and when and why you are doing it, you will be less likely to get taken off track.

“Self discipline is an act of investment. It requires us to invest today’s actions for tomorrow’s results” – Andy Andrews

Read the full PDF article in The Market Magazine

About Bev

Bev is CEO of The Academy Group which includes The Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy (EBA) & EBA for Coaches which are both joint ventures with James Caan. Her book “Do It! or Ditch It” has already been listed as a bestselling business title and she is ready to pass on her success to your organisation.

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