M. Scott Peck, M.D., author of the best-seller The Road Less Traveled, describes this tool of discipline as “a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.”
This might involve routine daily decisions—something as simple as skipping a favorite late-night TV show and getting to bed early, to be wide awake for a meeting the next morning. Or it might involve longer-term resolves. A young widow with three children decided to invest her insurance settlement in a college education for herself. She considered the realities of a tight budget and little free time, but these seemed small sacrifices in return for the doors that a degree would open. Today she is a highly paid financial consultant.
The secret of such commitment is getting past the drudgery and seeing the delight. “The fact is that many worthwhile endeavors aren’t fun,” says syndicated radio and TV commentator Mort Crim, “True, all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. But trying to turn everything we do into play makes for terrible frustrations, because life—even the most rewarding one—includes circumstances that aren’t fun at all. I like my job as a journalist. It’s personally satisfying, bit it isn’t always fun.”
Achieving a balance
Never confuse discipline with rigidity. Perfection is not the aim; rather, strive for the peace of mind that comes from being in charge of yourself.
Most of us need interludes in our work to take a walk or eat snack-whatever revives and refreshes. Your breathers don’t need to be lengthy to shake out the cobwebs and give some relief. Such rewards act as incentives for finishing a task, as well as helping you to maintain momentum.
True discipline achieves a balance of producing, not driving. Even discipline needs to be disciplined.
Self-development
Disciplined people are happier people because they are fulfilling inner potential. A woman at one of my seminars told me about her six-year-old daughter who swam with a team and practiced every morning for an hour, swimming 2,000 to 3,000 meters, she related a conversation her daughter had with a family friend.