My Will of Iron

I have just finished listening to Robin's latest podcast on his website. A few minutes of his words could inspire you to at least make the effort to change. Although I do feel that he mostly talks to the rich and well-established not to mention his not-so-subtle marketing of his high end clients like Starbucks, NASA, and FedEx, he does bring a light to my day.

He talked about self-discipline as a way to build a willpower of iron. I have already started to implement the first of his practical tools for a successful life, waking up early in the mornings. I still feel like I have to battle with my mattress sometimes when I wake up.. but then I think how badly I would regret it if I woke up in the middle of the day, not accomplishing what I could have.

His tips for developing self-discipline for a will of iron are:
1. Wake up early at 5 a.m. everyday
2. Finish what you start
3. Do what makes you uncomfortable
4. Celebrate little wins

I truly am making good inroads into my well-being with the first tip. Robin says that it generally takes 3-4 weeks to install a new habit, but I surprisingly was able to wake up early quite easily. We tend to think that sometimes we have a great battle ahead of us and that things like changing our habits are too out of our reach. But believe me, it is not as hard as you think. Going out for a run every morning has helped clear my head and set my tasks for the day.

I must admit, I have a long way to go for the self-discipline I want for myself deep inside. I do not have a problem finishing what I start. But I do have a problem starting something I have to finish! Sometimes I feel like I'm afraid of success as well as failure. I guess this leads to the next tool of doing what makes you uncomfortable. Since I clearly stay away from what makes me uncomfortable, I probably can't start what I have to finish. I need to jot down what makes me uncomfortable and weird, and then try those things out.. if getting up early wasn't that hard for me, maybe overcoming what I feel uncomfortable doing won't be either.

I definitely celebrate little wins. I feel rewarded inside when I wake up early every morning and take in the cool crisp air while I run. But I confess that I celebrate more of the things I get that aren't in my control.. like an email or a message from someone special, or when a high-level executive accepts a request for an appointment with me. I need to start celebrating the accomplishments that I've achieved out of my own doing.

I limit myself believing I can't do certain things. They make me uncomfortable, and I wouldn't do them right if I tried.. and when I try to do something new, I rarely embark upon it without some sort of support by my side. It is not so easy when you haven't found solid ground in life yet.