Have you ever had days where you just don’t feel like doing what needs to get done? Did the weight of the day get to you before the day even started? This is common and everyone experiences these feelings, it is just how people deal with this feeling that makes the biggest difference. While most people will find every excuse in the book to not do what they know they need to, those who have discipline will understand this emotion and follow through with what needs to get done regardless of whether they feel like it that day or not. It is in this way that discipline is one of the most crucial factors that influences financial freedom. It is also in my opinion the most difficult part of financial freedom. As a human being, we will have good and bad days in which we may be excited to do something one day and not so much the next. Those who reach the highest levels of success conquer this emotional rollercoaster and simply work on their discipline to stay consistent with whatever needs to be done. Just like every other aspect of life, the most successful people are the ones who are willing to do the things most others are not.
The beginning and end to discipline
You set a clear and concise goal for yourself. Congratulations! The excitement at the beginning of any endeavor is enough to get you started on the right foot, but not enough to make sure you stay motivated and still are consistently taking action even through difficult times of hardship. The reality is most people give up when things get difficult, especially if that difficulty lasts a good period of time. Sticking to your guns and following the path of what others have done before you to lead to success is the best way to succeed even if the success is not immediate. Discipline comes from trusting the process that has been trusted by those before you. There have been so many avenues paved to success for anything you can possibly think of, all you need to do is stay consistent no matter how hard it gets.
Making up excuses
As a real estate professional, I know how hard it is first-hand breaking into the industry. As an agent, getting leads in your business is your lifeblood. Oftentimes, agents when they first start don’t have the money to pay for leads or the reputation to get referrals. This means that newbies will likely have to bootstrap it for some time, make cold calls, and door knock houses, as well as ask family and friends known in the industry as “your circle” for business. This can get tough and discouraging really fast as you may speak with hundreds of people and still not find someone interested. No clients means no income as a realtor so your career fully depends on getting out there and finding business. Most enthusiastic beginners accept this challenge and are quick to start the process. However, that initial excitement only lasts so long, and after a month of lead generating with no real leads, it can become difficult for the person’s psyche to find the discipline to continue. This is the breaking point that is reached not only as a realtor, but in anything worthwhile you are looking to achieve. This conundrum will quite literally determine if you make it or not. 1/100 people, the one with extreme discipline, will understand the process takes time and that there will be little success in the beginning. The early trials and tribulations help you grow and learn and are necessary challenges. The other 99/100 people will not see it through and move on to the next thing as the results they had expected have not come to fruition and they are frustrated. In the book Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, it is explained that seemingly hard times cloud the view of opportunity standing right at the doorstep. In other words, getting through the most difficult early beginning stages will no doubt land you some success. These stages work as building blocks on top of one another, and it is often hard to see the success that lies ahead when you’re used to so much disappointment. The people who fail to see things through will justify their decision with every excuse in the book. “I need to find a more secure income.” “I just can’t seem to find leads.” “This is such a tough market we’re in. I’ll try again when the market cools off.” Justification for quitting is a defense mechanism that those who lack discipline use to explain their failure. Don’t be that person and make sure you see through what you set out to do till the end.
The problem with instant gratification
We live in a world that expects instant gratification. If we did something, we expect to be rewarded for it right away. This kind of thinking eliminates discipline as a principle from our lives as we expect everything to work out in our favor instantly. This however is not based on reality. Going to the gym to lose weight and gain muscle takes discipline and time. Building your real estate business takes discipline and time. Gaining wealth and financial freedom takes discipline and time. Everything worth achieving takes discipline and time. The fact that we as a society have put this concept on the backburner is a reason why so many people struggle to follow through with things. There is a process in place to follow for success at anything, yet so many people give up on the process early and view it as a failure due to their need for instant gratification. This trait is poisonous to success and giving up on a proven process or even when paving your own process, time and discipline are needed to see it through to success. There are no shortcuts. Inherit this trait as there is no way around its necessity to achieving your goals.