The other day I had a revelation that I was very structured but not disciplined. It made me laugh. I have structures and systems that work, but I often do not use the structure I created or I ignore it or quite simply I do not feel like doing it. It’s quite a revelation to me. I have a lot of hacks on creating structure, like putting it on the calendar, hiring a coach, teaming up with a buddy, buying the tickets first so you are forced to go, having an accountability partner, or only doing things you like. It’s a long list of ways to reduce the resistance to do what you need to do — what I need to do.
They all work for a time… that is, until you figure out a way to avoid it or life throws a curveball, or suddenly you do not have access to your accountability buddy or your gym closes down. It’s in those moments that attention drifts and one workout is missed, which makes it easier to miss the second one, and then six weeks later, we wonder why we’ve gained 10 lbs.
I notice this a lot with financial advisor coaching clients who are on hiatus or have felt that they no longer needed a coach. They drift and forget what matters and what their priorities are. It’s strange to think that a successful adult would forget what their priority is and forget what they are designing and actively pursuing. But it happens, and if you’re reading this, you know it happens to you as well. It happens because life and business are very distracting. Everything and everyone is vying for your attention, and once it gets pulled in a particular direction, it can be very difficult to get back on task. How do you know that you are thinking clearly and staying on the task of your design?
The key is to be structured and disciplined — the discipline to execute on your structures that will serve you. A structure is static; it exists. It is objective. For example: wake up at 5:00 a.m., workout MWF, walk 10,000 steps a day, three anvil appointments per week, Bible study for 10 minutes each day, and five contacts per day. Now that sounds like a structure that works! Now it’s time to execute, but what is the base of execution? It’s the practice of discipline. You see, structure is not a practice. A rock is a rock, a girder a girder, a structure a structure. It’s a tool. Structure is a tool to set you free.
Discipline is the practice of freedom and the adherence to your structure. It’s the practice of. For some reason, this is a very big deal for me — a revelation if you will. Much like a gun is a tool, but shooting is a practice. Having a gun does not make you a good shooter; the practice of gunning makes you a good shooter. What gets in the way of the practice of discipline? Our feelings. I do not want to. I do not have the time. I am tired. I don’t feel like it. I have done enough. It’s good enough… and all the other subjective excuses you and I use not to execute on the objective structures we created to serve us.
That is the irony.
So how do we become more disciplined? Create a structure that serves you and practice implementing it. Each time you execute, your practice of discipline gets stronger. Like anything, the more you practice, the more you will learn about your subject. Way will lead onto way. The markers for great growth will be “I don’t wanna” yet you do it. The thinking creates the structure in the first place. Ignore how you feel and instead do. Each time you do, it will get easier. It is called a practice because no one is an expert at it. But the more you practice, the better you will get. It’s exactly like anything else! Each time you execute, it creates the freedom of your design.
If you are a financial advisor who is committed to taking your business to the next level, I encourage you to reach out to complete our Personal Assessment so we can work together to minimize the distractions and practice our discipline to stay on the task of our designs.
Coach Ken
Author of The Journey: An Evolution of a Financial Advisor
