Chapter 12:
Discipline
Blog 3
“It
may help to think carefully about the term discipline. This word has at least
two connotations for us as members of a discipline or field of study… understanding
discipline as a process of instruction and developing expertise is a given area
of study...”
Merriam-Webster
defines discipline in a few varieties, and I feel that some of them together
make up the best definition of discipline; training that corrects, molds, or
perfects the mental faculties or moral character, a field of study, and a rule
or system of rules governing conduct or activity.
For
example, I am an athlete. I have run for years to become knowledgeable, and
skilled in what I do. As a hurdler, I have done research on different training
techniques, and workouts that I can do to make myself better. I practiced daily
to perfect my ability to hurdle and hurdle well. I am very disciplined for I
have put in many hours outside on the track practicing, even on days when I was
tired or wanted to stay inside from the snow. I knew that it was important to
me to do something better than I could ever imagine.
This
has not only taught me hard work, but also patience and the ability to learn more
about something even when I already know a great deal about it. The book talks
about discipline as being malleable and evolving not static. The ability to
understand that there is always more to learn about something.
Brian Tracy International states
that if you are not disciplined you are unable to control yourself, and one of
the best ways to overcoming this is to create a goal. The determination and
other valuable skills you may learn are all about the quality of oneself. It is
important to understand where you are and where you want to go, without a goal
you have the possibility of wasting a good deal of time and effort into
something you could have done in an easier way. Plan how you are going to get
to your goal.
Now, if I were to set a goal about
becoming a ballerina right now, I would set out to create a plan to work towards
this. I would probably take a beginner course in ballet, go see a ballet, and
do research on different techniques and styles out there. Perhaps if I was
ambitious enough I would select a ballet that I would eventually work towards
joining. Then I would settle in and work hard, stretching, practicing, and putting
in many countless hours. Eventually I would become disciplined, I would become
a wonderful ballerina, and I could say that I reached my goal. Now, don’t get
me wrong, but I don’t have the discipline to become a ballerina.
No comments:
Post a Comment