Be your own Sergeant Major

If you have never been part of the armed forces, which unfortunately most of us have never been part of, self discipline is always a challenge. This is because, we give in to temptations, make excuses, make light of authority, have no clear commitment and ignore all varieties of signals that suggest we be self disciplined, if we need to succeed. Perhaps the realization, that each of us is solely responsible for our own self discipline, is a key trigger to begin our journey of success. This means that each of us as to see ourselves as both the soldier and the sergeant major in charge of our life.

Every sergeant major uses both positive and negative energies to drive his soldiers to excellence. The negatives are the last option but unavoidable considering that the objective is excellence is the at the heart of winning any battle. To be your own personal sergeant major, the positives and negative energies that you must leverage are as under:

Visualize the positive outcomes – Visualize the end  result. As Steven covey says’ Begin with the end in mind’. Most people use the same technique when they start a diet plan or begin their gym routine. The challenge is to believe in the outcome even if there are no immediate visible changes. At the heart of it all is the need to be consistent and patient.

Be aware of the negative effects – While the positive end result can help one remain positive, the fear of the consequences of not being self disciplined can be a strong stick that drives one to be disciplined. This is largely seen in the case of academics, where even the most lethargic student makes at least a last minute effort to study for fear of failing. Being dropped from a team is not exactly what a competitive individual would want. Perhaps a fear of that could push her/ him to take practice , coaching and fitness very seriously even if they are not particularly enthused.

Find motivators – Motivators will attract your enthusiasm like a magnet. Seek out the small advantages, benefits, rewards that your actions will bring in. Let these motivators pull you towards making the efforts required even if they are boring, tiresome and painful.

Avoid excuses – While motivators can pull, the danger is the excuses that have an overbearing negative influence in propping up our lethargy, casualness and indifference. The net result is we end up succumbing to the various excuses that we imagine or those that sinfully entice us. One has to be mentally stronger than the excuses that keep popping up and prevent us from doing what needs to be done.

Embrace the process – Notice the small changes. Appreciate the positive difference that you feel when you overcome all excuses and stick to your plans. Relish the self discipline that you have consciously adopted. Be glad you chose the right way to forge ahead.

Fear is the key – When lethargy, temptation, excuses keep tugging away and entice you away from your discipline, be aware of the consequences. Let the fear of the ill effects kill your temptations. You be your own sergeant major and kick your own butt to ensure you that you do not stray.

Remember that ‘Man is both the sculptor and the sculpture of his destiny. Chipping away the bad in us, is a very painful and never ending process. The end result though, would be an individual self that one would be very proud of.’

Try these:           

• What are your 5 bad habits that you are seeking to overcome? What plan of action do you have for overcoming it?
• What are the 3 good habits you would like to cultivate? Any plan of action for the same?
• What are the 2 good routines you follow? Have you influenced anyone to learn from your routines?
• Prepare your new year resolution and ensure you have a plan of action for 5 of them. By Dec 2020 notice how you managed to achieve the plan you listed, by being your own Sergeant Major.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

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