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Discipline – The Plan Part 1

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The Plan 

“There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment.  If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.” – Nick Saban

Passion drives the vision, Position directs it and Peculiarity determines ownership, with the vision in place we are now enabled to move into the action.  This is the Plan.  Remember, a vision without a plan is merely a wish…  Countless individuals have had greater and broader visions than others, yet it was the failure to execute the vision within a plan in which becomes their demise.  

Maybe you have a vision to improve your fitness level or better manage your finances and time.  These are wonderful ideas, but sitting around talking about them will not bring success.  I have heard numerous men and women tell me how they ‘need’ to make healthier choices, ‘need’ to cut back on spending and ‘need’ to tighten up their schedule.  All the while they are eating a donut, scrolling through Amazon for a new top to add to the already twenty they don’t wear, at the same time bouncing back and forth on social media.  We’ve all heard the saying ‘talk is cheap’ which is incredibly true; but the cost is high.  We use the word ‘need’ today without consequence, what we need is to breath, drink water and eat food.  What we desire is better health, finances and more time.  Well, if you are willing to develop a disciplined mindset in your vision, it will require a suitable plan to execute, which can be broken down into three segments.

Plan – Purpose

Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.”.  One of the first questions we must ask ourselves when designing a plan is: “what is the purpose?”.  In all fairness, if this question cannot be answered rather quickly, one must stop, rethink the element in which is truly driving their vision.  Faulty visions will fuel a fire of failure quicker than anything.

Here is an example, someone wants to lose ten pounds, this would be the vision.  In order to execute this vision, they must be passionate about losing the weight, have the position in their daily schedule to perform the required exercise to do so and the desire to lose the weight must be for themselves (it must be peculiar or personal for them, not another’s).  So, again, what’s the purpose?  The answer is to lose ten pounds correct?  Yes, but to drop weight for ‘kicks and giggles’ is not a purpose, neither is “because my buddy wants to”.  

Learning to be disciplined in order to execute the vision outlined in a plan first requires purpose.  In our given scenario, someone wants to lose ten pounds; herein is the vision.  The plan is to do so by taking the needed steps in healthy choices, increasing their level of fitness and maintaining the proper food and water intake.  Now purpose kicks in, meaning when all the dust settles and the new wears off, there is a fire from within pushing this person to walk past the junk food isle, get into the gym when it is cold outside and take the time to prep meals the night before.  PURPOSE! The reason for which something exists or is done!  Some good examples of purpose in our example would be, better fitting clothes, improved movements on the rig, lower blood pressure or in many cases the difference between certain diagnoses which are directly associated to being over weight.  A plan is a necessity, without a plan goals are only words written on paper which worth less than the ink it is written with.  

So, today, search your heart, what is the purpose of your vision?  You already have the image in your mind of what you want to become or achieve.  Are you ready to make the choices today in order to attain such vision thus fulfilling your heart’s desire?  If so, your plan is beginning, find the purpose and drive onward and upward.

“Anyone can say they want success, but the one with a disciplined mindset will see it come to pass.”

Discipline – Vision Part 3

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Vision 

Thus far we have seen two of the three major components involved in developing and having a vision leading into establishing a plan into setting goals for success.  All of which are achieved through the mindset of Discipline. 

While Passion drives the vision and Position directs, it is Peculiarity in which determines if the vision is your own.  Quite often, many people are moved by what they see in others in developing a vision for themselves.  Now, this does not mean we should not be motivated by others, it does mean such motivation should not turn into emulation.

Vision – Peculiar

Peculiarity, does not necessarily mean odd or strange, as we in this modern era have expressed.  According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, peculiar is defined as Appropriate; belonging to a person and to him only, special”.  In other words, rare.  Diamonds have great worth because of their rarity and uniqueness.  The more rare a diamond is, the greater its worth.  The reality is, diamonds are worth what people are wIlling to spend.  Whereas, diamonds are abundant in general, high-quality diamonds, especially the large ones, are certainly rare.  The process of ‘mine to finger’ is still laborious when it comes to diamonds.  Mining is costly, cutting is still widely difficult, precise, and expensive.  According to one De Beers representative, when interviewed concerning the diamond business, stated: “For the next ten years, we had our engagement ring customers (our most valuable customers of all) fill out a credit application BEFORE we showed a single ring. Then, armed with his monthly earnings, we showed the ring that matched that two month figure. It was like taking sweets from a baby.” 

Why is this?  Because it is a unique jewel, made and fit for a very special occasion… a personal occasion owned by the ensuing groom-to-be and his dear bride.

The same holds true within the vision, you MUST own it; it must be your’s and not another’s.  Everything about the vision needs to be precisely built for your hopes and the dreams you have developed within the mindset of Discipline.

“Anyone can copy the vision of another person, but the one who owns their vision will see it come to fruition.”

Discipline – Vision Part 2

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Vision 

Recapping quickly, remember, in order to make choices beneficial to one’s life and assist us in achieving success or at the very least to give us the best option of success, we must develop a mindset of Discipline. 

Success in anything in life, whether you want to improve your work ethic, lose ten pounds or increase your back squat requires Discipline, beginning with a sound vision.  Such vision starts with passion, which is something no one can take away from you, even if it is lying dormant underneath layers of frustration and excuses, dig it out and execute.

Vision – Position

Once passion has set ablaze in your heart, kick starting your vision, there must be a Position in life for such a vision.  Here is an example, one particular individual is passionate about becoming a partner with the corporation they are working for.  However, in order to do so, they will have to work twice the hours, accumulate three times the customer base, all the while compete against thirty other employees vying for the same position.  One must ask themselves this question, “do I have the position in my life to pursue such passion?”.  In other words, is there enough time in the day, week and year to achieve this level of success? 

To make this more sensible, if you are passionate about losing 20 pounds or increasing your bench one rep max do you have a position (time) in your life to dedicate to such an achievement?  The position is what makes the passion a reality, which does not mean, by any reason we should settle for mediocrity at all, it does mean our vision will enable us to establish a plan with realistic goals based upon a proper time frame.

As your vision develops, passion will drive the vision, but position will direct it.  The mindset of Discipline deciphers between the actual and the hopeful; it is within these two contributing factors the vision begins to take shape and formulate into hunger allowing you to take the next step in solidifying such vision which will establish the plan to achieve your goals.  

“Just because someone is the loudest person in the room doesn’t make what they saying more important or even correct… follow your passion despite the antagonist.