The “D” word

Finding your purpose is one thing. Pursuing it is another.  And that’s where the “D” word comes in. You know, Discipline.

Oy…I can almost feel you recoil at the very mention. “Not the ‘D’ word…anything but that!”

Hear me out.  Discipline has gotten a bum rap.  Discipline is not a means of punishment. It’s actually the source of pleasure, the essence of power and  the path to Greatness.

Think of it this way. Discipline comes from the latin word ‘disciple,’ and means ‘being a disciple unto oneself.’  Discipline asks you to become your own biggest fan, viewing yourself in the very best light, being kind to yourselves when things don’t go well, doing what needs to be done, as best as you can.

Discipline is Step #3 of Sacred Success™. And it’s especially important to women.

In  my interviews with high earners, I noticed that success tends to be a very emotional process.  Unlike men, we haven’t  been groomed for greatness.

Practically every woman I interviewed made the same observation. In the world of work,  men assume they’re competent,  feel entitled, and tend to risk big.   Women assume they’re inadequate, feel apprehensive and tend to hold back.

So many aspiring women, especially in the beginning, described  feeling:

  • guilt (Do I really have a right to this?)
  • doubt (Can I handle it? Am I on the right path?)
  • fear (Am I doing it right? Will I fail?)

For many, these questions are like quicksand, keeping us stuck, sucking  us under.

What I wanted to know was what enabled the most successful ones to keep going higher? The answer became obvious—the “D” word .

I’m going to talk more about discipline in blogs to come. I’ll tell you about 4 techniques that are anything but traditional. But now I’d love to hear from you. What’s your reaction to the “D” word?

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Comments & Feedback

  • kelly

    I couldn’t agree more. I tend to use the word “diligence”, but discipline wraps it up just as well. It encompasses another word I’m beginning to realize leads to success: preparation.

  • I am a big believer in discipline. This is how I see it. The feminine energy is all about inspiration and creativity which can be chaotic. Without a little self discipline we can become more scattered than productive.
    If I don’t write down the five things I want to accomplish in a day and force myself to check them off, all my great ideas just stay inside my head and as Seth Godin so wonderfully states, nothing ships. And the shipping is where the money manifests.

  • Diane

    At first, discipline sounds like drudgery, boring, hard, iffy. I usually say “practice” and “focus”, and discipline can convey more focus in “practice” and put action into “focus”. And we can transmute it into a beautiful word because we WANT to do this for ourselves, and if this is the key, it’s for me (ooh, just made that up). If we worked hard for years to be wired in ways that are not helpful, then, yes, we need discipline to practice the other until we ‘become’ it. It’s in our hearts and bodies and all our cells. Yes to plan and prepare, and discipline. I want something to “ship”!! Thanks to all!! So excited. Oh, and focused…

  • Discipline is not a dirty word.

    Ask any serious athlete about the discipline involved in becoming the best at what they do. They will tell you that it is being in the moment, where they are in an almost euphoric state. They are in the flow.

    The “doing” as in doing it well, requires discipline.
    Believe me, your soul and spirit sings when you are in that place where everything is in synchronicity.

    “The expression of “being” is in the “doing”, Grasshopper”.

  • Great post & discussion….it does have such an ugly connotation, doesn’t it? But really, where are you going without it? I think I won’t be so hesitant to use the “D” word anymore!

    Thanks for the great reminder!

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Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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