#277: If You Ever Wonder Whether Self-Discipline Is Worth It, Read These Definitions and Stories, and You May Think Again

Introduction

Today, on the "People Skills" newsletter, we're looking at what Self-Discipline is and seven anecdotes that describe it.

The inspiration for this theme comes from the list of seven self-discipline descriptions by Jacqueline Thorpe, who describes herself on LinkedIn as a Confidence Coach for Global Professionals.

So, if you ever wonder whether Self-Discipline is worth it, (as opposed to simply letting things happen in their own time), then stop now and read through the Self-Disciplines and stories and see what you can learn.

01. Self-Discipline Isn't a Trait, It's a Choice

Success comes from having the self-discipline to try things out, even if we get them badly wrong, and then learn from the experience.

"Sir, What is the secret of your success?" a reporter asked a bank president.

"Two words"

"And, Sir, what are they?"

"Right decisions."

"And how do you make right decisions?"

"One word."

"And, sir, what is that?"

"Experience."

"And how do you get experience?"

"Two words"

"And, Sir, what are they?"

"Wrong decisions."

02. Self-Discipline Is the Currency of Confidence

Success comes from having the self-discipline to do things properly at the right time.

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic coast. He constantly advertised for hired hands but most farmhands dreaded the awful storms that hit the coast, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer and was hired. When asked about his experience, he simply told the farmer, "I can sleep when the wind blows.“

He worked diligently around the farm and the farmer was pleased with him. But, one night, a storm from the Atlantic hit the farm.

The farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed o the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!“

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.“

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

03. Self-Discipline Is Action Without Motivation

Success comes from working at something persistently just because we want to do it better, not because we have to do it.

A woman was strolling along a street in Paris when she spotted Picasso sketching at a sidewalk cafe. The woman asked Picasso if he might sketch her, and charge accordingly. Picasso obliged. In just minutes, there she was: an original Picasso.

"And what do I owe you?" she asked.

"Five thousand francs," he answered.

"But it only took you three minutes," she politely reminded him.

"No," Picasso said. "It took me all my life.“

04. Self-Discipline Is Putting your Future Self First

Success comes when we stick to something worth doing even though we might never see it come to fruition ourselves.

The filmmaker Walt Disney died six years before the opening of the first Disney World. At the opening ceremonies, two Disney executives were sitting together. One said: "Too bad Walt couldn't have been here to see this." The other replied: "You're wrong. Walt did see it. That's why it's here.“

05. Self-Discipline Is Finding Comfort in Discomfort

Success comes when things don't go our way but, instead of complaining or giving up, we cheerfully carry on.

A farmer owned an old mule which accidentally fell into a disused well.

After assessing the situation, the farmer decided that neither the old mule nor the well were worth saving. So he called his neighbours together and got them to bring mud with them with which to bury the old mule.

At first the mule was hysterical, but then it occurred to him that every time a shovelful of mud hit his back, he could shake it off and step up on it.

So this is what he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up," he repeated to himself.

In time, and to the astonishment of the farmer and his neighbours, the old mule was able to step triumphantly over the wall of the well.

06. Self-Discipline Is Common Work Done with Uncommon Consistency

Success comes when we don't think about the mountain ahead of us and instead just do what's needed now.

Buddha who had set out to search for truth was so long in finding it that he became discouraged and decided to return home. As he was leaving, he came across a squirrel dipping its tail into the water of a lake and shaking it over the land.

"Little squirrel," he said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm emptying this lake," said the squirrel.

"But you will never be able to do that," said Buddha. "If you dipped your tail into the lake a million times, there would still be nearly as much water there as before."

"Well," said the squirrel, "I shall still persevere.“

Buddha learned the lesson and resolved to continue his search for truth.

07. Self-Discipline Is HOURS of Boring Hard Work For ONE Moment of Glory

Success comes when nobody seems to value your knowledge, skill, or talent until seemingly out of the blue you have the answer to their prayers.

A famous shipyard in the 1970's. One day before the maiden voyage of their biggest ship to date.

She wouldn't start. Something wrong with the boiler.

Checked every nut, tightened every bolt. Still nothing.

They sent for an expert. A guy from Hamburg.

Scratched his beard. Said: "My fee's ￡1000."

The foreman nodded frantically.

"Stand back," said the expert.

He gave the boiler an almighty wallop with his hammer.

It hiccupped, burped, chugged into life. The foreman stood aghast. "￡1000 for one thump with a hammer?"

"No," said the expert. "For one thump with the hammer, one pound. For knowing where to thump, nine hundred and ninety nine.“

What Next?

If you have worked through each definition and story in this newsletter, you will now have a great set of materials to help you practise self-discipline in your own work and life.

And, with this as your starting point, you can now move ahead by using the learning resources on Manage Train Learn to develop your knowledge and skills.

With over 22,000 learning resources on our 6 websites, with 2 sites offering free downloads, you can now take charge of your own learning.

Simply commit yourself each day to learning something new from MTL and then, - when you fully understand it, - reflect upon it, practise it, apply it, and review it, and in no time at all, you will have mastered the skill with confidence.

Thanks for reading this edition of the "People Skills" newsletter and good luck with your ongoing learning.

Oh, and one last thing.

In the spirit of making the world a freer, happier and more enlightened place...

...please pass this newsletter on.

Thankyou!

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