13 Oct The Power of Daily Disciplines
I always told our kids when they were growing up that with the right discipline, they could be outstanding at anything. Deep down, we all know this to be true. But how many of us actually act on that and implement good, healthy daily disciples into our lives? Not many.
So here’s a question for you: What new disciplines could you start acting on today? And which discipline do you know will improve your business and/or your life, but you just haven’t done it yet? Here’s a quick exercise you can do right now. Just fill in the blanks:
I know if I just did __________________________, __________________________, and __________________________, I’d get _______________________________________.
This stuff is inherently simple, and deep down most of us already know what needs to be done. Putting it down on paper is the best way to clarify it with yourself so you can begin to take action. It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to do everything at once. That’s the point of daily disciplines. The aim is not to make a massive change overnight, it’s about making tiny improvements day after day that add up to big change.
I try to think about it as making today a better tomorrow. My goal is just to improve every day—whether that’s a 10% improvement, a 1% improvement, or a .01% improvement. Just think about it. If you made a 1% improvement every day, you’d have a 365% improvement for the year. 1% doesn’t seem like much, but 365% is a massive improvement. Make today a better tomorrow, because what we do today has a direct relationship to the results we get tomorrow.
I discuss this further on Episode 180 of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast. It all comes down to discipline.
What is discipline to you?
The dictionary defines discipline as, “an activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.” You probably have your own thoughts on what discipline means, but let me tell you my definition…
My definition of discipline is: “Doing things daily that you know you should be doing—even when you don’t feel like it, even when you don’t see immediate results, and even when no one’s watching.”
Every successful person I’ve talked to, interacted with, or read about understands this definition of discipline and practices it in their daily lives. Successful people form habits, which turn into disciplines. You cannot achieve success without it. It’s that simple!
In my own life and business, I can point to three specific disciplines that have been instrumental in my success. These are simple, but I do them every single day.
- I make a pointed effort to meditate, practice yoga, or work out on any given day.
- I track numbers for everything in my business. When you track and monitor something, it will improve and grow.
- I take time to journal and think every day.
These three disciplines didn’t come easy at first. A lot of experts say it takes 21 to 30 days to develop a habit, and I think there’s a lot of truth to that. It could even take longer. But whatever it takes for you, you have to start somewhere.
So, with that said, let’s look at some simple disciplines you can implement in your own schedule to improve your life, your business, and your relationships over the coming years.
Make three calls per day
I don’t care what business you’re in, you can do three calls. Call three new people, three new businesses, three new prospects that can add potential new business for you.
That comes out to 10 or 15 a week. You might want to adjust the numbers, but the gist here is simple — reach out to people every day in your business. This is just a few minutes of work on your part, but it could provide massive breakthroughs for your business and your revenue.
Three calls per day is 1,095 calls per year. How much new business do you think you could generate from calling 1,095 prospects?
Substitute a good discipline for an unproductive habit
This one is simple but incredibly powerful. Take a habit that you don’t like or one that is unproductive and substitute it with something else.
Let me give you a really simple example. If you currently get up and go to breakfast or grab coffee, what if you substituted it for a workout? What if you had something healthy to eat instead?
I go to the gym at 4 a.m. Why don’t you get up an hour earlier and go? It’s not really that big of a deal, is it? There are probably hundreds of small changes you can make to remove unproductive habits and replace them with good disciplines.
Read daily
What if you started reading? It doesn’t necessarily have to be in your area of expertise, although that can be helpful. Reading, in general, will help improve your mind. Check out some of our recommended reading to help you start building your business.
The key to implementing this discipline is to stop saying, “I’m going to read more.” Instead, just tell yourself, “I’m going to read for 10 minutes every single night.” Maybe you want to do it by pages—whatever it is, just make it an easily attainable goal. Don’t say, “I’m going to read a book a month”, or something crazy like that. Just raise the bar a tiny bit—even five minutes will do it. Start somewhere.
Journal daily
If you don’t have a journal, get one. It doesn’t even have to be a real “journal,” just a couple of sheets of paper will do.
Write in your journal each night, and answer these questions below:
- What was the best thing that happened today?
- What was the most challenging thing that happened today?
- How can I improve tomorrow?
If you can just implement this simple discipline, you’ll be so much further ahead than most people. This one simple exercise will help you clarify how to improve each day. As you go through the next day, you’ll always have that third bullet point in the back of your mind. And by recognizing your best and worst moments, you’ll begin to understand how to replicate the good and eliminate the bad.
Isn’t that simple? Write in your journal every single day, and you’ll be amazed at how it affects your business and personal life.