Self-Discipline and Braces

Self-discipline. Sort of a downer word, huh? Makes you think of starving yourself on a diet, or dreading doing 50 crunches before bedtime. But the benefits of this character-inducing word are multiple.

Let’s use the metaphor of braces, which my son got off his teeth last year, much to his delight. No person really wants braces, though they are a tool to straighten your teeth, which the orthodontists’ advertise, contribute to a winsome smile. All the ortho visits, all the tightening and straightening and rubber bands. All the apples you can’t bite into for a couple years. The retainers. Need I say more? It’s a season of self-discipline. Putting up with the hassle and discomfort for a season to gain something more attractive in the long run. 

And that is self-discipline in a nutshell. A person doesn’t feel a thrill when deciding to put down the doughnut or when cracking open the books to study or research. It’s uncomfortable to feel sore after a workout or to make the sales call when you most likely will get another rejection. But, enough self-discipline will equal long-term wins. It’s a case of pay me now or pay me later.

Pay me later is so much easier. But that procrastination, that “take the easy road”, doesn’t get you very far toward your brightest, healthiest, most satisfying future.  Sure, you need some accountability to make it happen, and some small rewards don’t hurt either when forming a new habit. But think braces when you want to coast, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll go through the temporal pain to get to great success!

Let’s start a conversation. pcgrowingforward@gmail.com.  Only another week on my complimentary 45-minute Rock Your 2015 strategy session that I have reserved just for you. Let’s do it!