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“Self discipline means deliberately aligning our energy with our values and priorities. Through mental practice we focus in on a task before us and let other temptations and distractions pass us by.”

—Dalai Lama

 Every year we undertake the ritual of making New Year’s resolutions. And, inevitably, we break them.  Whether it’s losing that extra 20 pounds or practicing more patience at work, we’ll do what’s necessary for a week or two before old habits creep in; and, well, you know the rest of the story.

 The New Year brings optimism and the feeling that we can truly do something different, new, exciting, impactful, and above all, lasting.  And when February rolls around and we have let those new and exciting goals fade back into January, we feel like we’ve failed…and we fall right back into the same old routine.

 Here’s an idea: don’t make new goals. Stick with the one that has been floating in your head for years. You know what it is. It is a good goal right? And if you accomplished it, wouldn’t you feel great? Wouldn’t you be a lot farther ahead than where you are now? You would…and all you need is a healthy dose of self-discipline.

 But how do you do that? We all know people who seem to have good self-discipline. Can it be acquired, or is it a gift from the gods? Most definitely it can be acquired, and you can do it in the next 30 days. Here’s how:

 1. Identify your top priority. Let’s say your goal is to increase your sales volume by 20%. For the next 30 days you’re going to place 80% of your focus on this priority. 

2. Identify the steps needed to accomplish this objective. Have a brainstorm session with yourself. Ask your supervisor. Interview top performers. Find out what they do. Then write down the steps you need to take. Let’s say you come up with five activities that, when you do them, will lead to accomplishing your goal.

3. Focus on the activities that produce results. Everyday faithfully complete the tasks that will lead you to meeting your goal. Do not move on to anything else on your agenda until these things are completed. If you have five activities that will lead to meeting your goal, do those five. Apply all of your energy to completing these tasks everyday.

 But you say, “I have a lot of other things on my plate!” Yes, it’s true that we all have a multiplicity of tasks, objectives and to-do’s that end up on our desk. But none of them is as important and your most important goal. That’s where self-discipline comes in to play.

 When you focus your attention and energy on your most important goal and you don’t divert your attention to other things, something magical happens.  You meet your goal! And you meet it a lot quicker than if you’re trying to juggle everything at once.

 The other things on your list? Get them done after, and only after, you’ve completed your priority tasks. This may be uncomfortable at first. But, as you apply yourself daily to accomplishing your important tasks, you’ll find that you get the important things done faster. You build “priority muscles” that push you forward.

 There’s also a fourth step to this formula: you’ll become more disciplined in what you’re willing to take on or add to your plate. Focusing on priorities places everything you do in perspective, which will inevitably lead you to setting clearly defined boundaries. You’ll be more discerning about what you’re willing to take on. And when you do take on something new, you can set realistic expectations as to when it will get done…making it clearly understood that the bulk of your energy will be put into your #1 priority goal.

 Do this for 30 days. Do it and you’ll be well on your way to meeting your important goals. As you meet your first objective or incorporate those activities into a daily routine (like making healthy choices), the next goal on your list can rise to the top and you can apply the same self-disciplined approach as you did before.

 By the end of the year you very likely will have met or exceeded your goals.  And when the New Year comes and you set some new goals, you can do so with confidence because you now have a set of self-disciplined “priority muscles” that will lead you to success