The Art of Self Discipline

Self-discipline is an important skill for any fledgling businessman, and indeed for everyone. The ability to follow through on conscious decisions, no matter what you feel emotionally, lets you keep your business on track and make those important choices in even the hardest and most testing times. Self-discipline can help you avoid procrastination and time wasting, and help you take control of every area of your life. So how do you accomplish real self-discipline? Learning self-discipline is like leaning any kind of new skill. It will take time and involves practice, gradually increasing the difficulty of the task. The more you train, and the further you push yourself, the better self-discipline you’ll have There are various stages in learning self-discipline. The first step you need to take is to work out what your level of self-discipline currently is. This allows you to then know how far to push yourself and work out what you’re current limits are. Of course, these limits will change as you become stronger through your training. In order to establish your current level, think about your life and habits. Ask yourself questions such as how strict you are with regards to your health, weight, appearance, tidiness etc. These things can show you how much self-discipline you already have. For example, if you resist the temptation to eat something unhealthy when you know you shouldn’t, despite a craving for it, then it’s likely you already have good self-discipline, though this doesn’t mean you can’t still improve. There are different areas of self discipline-be it work, diet, exercise or social. Each of these areas needs to be trained separately, though having an overall strong self-discipline will obviously help.Start with an achievable limit Now you need to find things to train yourself with-tasks that you challenge yourself to do. It’s good to start off with something achievable but that will push you. This will vary from person to person, but maybe for you it’s not eating fast food for a week, or not logging on to Facebook while you’re at work for a day. Choose a goal that will test you but is attainable; something too easy won’t help you improve, and something too difficult will make you lose motivation. Once you’ve achieved this goal, try extending it- a week, rather than a day, say. It’s important not to compare your goals and level of self-discipline with others. This won’t help you, and might end up making you feel worse.Take small steps You can try to achieve your final goal through taking smaller steps. For example, perhaps you want to be able to get out of bed earlier in the morning. Instead of setting your alarm 3 hours earlier, and expecting to jump out of bed at that time, try gradually getting up earlier and earlier each day, maybe in 15 minute or half hour increments. Eventually you will get to your final goal. Also, changing your environment may help you find it easier to reach your final goal. For example, making sure you have healthy food, and not junk, in the fridge will make it easier for you to follow a diet, or putting a child block on your computer to make it more difficult to access Facebook will help you avoid wasting time on it.Manage your time better It will help greatly if you learn not to avoid things because they are difficult or boring. Part of self-discipline is doing things that need to be done even if you don’t really want to. By avoiding procrastination and getting on with important jobs, you will manage your time much better and therefore have a more productive day. For example, sorting out and tidying your office may not seem that important, and seem like a boring, tedious task. But it is something that needs to be done, and being motivated to just do it, and not put it off, will mean it’s done much quicker and will no longer be on a long ‘to do’ list. Using your time well to do these jobs will give you more time to focus your energy and concentration on those really important tasks.Be persistentIt is important to be persistent with your goals. This means that, even when you feel like quitting, you can carry on with a task. Your motivation will doubtless have its ups and downs. When you’ve had a tiring day and it’s raining outside, you’ll feel much less motivated to do that extra piece of work or resist that extra biscuit. But it’s important to stop and remind yourself that this is just a temporary feeling, and that quitting now will be a waste of your efforts so far. Everyone has weak moments, so don’t be too hard on yourself, but make sure you keep up your goals. Persistence is what keeps you working even when you least feel like it. Eventually results will make you feel even more motivated, and this in turn will give you more persistence.Lastly, it’s important to reassess your goals from time to time to make sure they’re still valid. You may find that as your self-discipline increases, your goals might change. There is nothing wrong with changing your goals and sometimes this might mean abandoning old goals. But make sure you are not abandoning them just because you can’t be bothered or no longer feel motivated, but are now pursuing a more important goal.

Article By: Jasmine Jaume

The Eight Most Common Excuses For Not Starting A Business

Anything that holds you back from starting a business is an excuse. The doubts that play back and forth in your mind can easily erase your dreams of becoming financially free.
Take a look at the eight most common excuses people use to justify not starting a business.

1. I’ve not got enough time:
Do you watch TV after work? Why not make one of those major sacrifices and ban yourself from watching TV. You’ll get the extra time you need to start a part time business or money scheme.

2. I’m not smart enough:
You don’t need to be the most intelligent to make money, all you need is the ability to absorb basic information as you go along. Learn by doing and the answers will come as you keep striving. Plus there are many free events and seminars out there to help you.

3. I am waiting for the perfect idea:
If you are waiting for the perfect idea there’s a high possibility that it will never arrive. Instead of waiting for the perfect idea, why don’t you emulate a working business structure and make it better than the competition? Almost all the successful entrepreneurs from Branson to Bannatyne have never had an original business idea.

4. God doesn’t want me to be rich:
Well, I can bet God wouldn’t want you to be poor!
5. Rich people are mean in business:
Ask yourself this question: Would you rather be a little bit tough and get the luxuries you rightly deserve in this world, or would you prefer to beat yourself up for not having the courage to chase your financial dreams? The choice is yours.

6. I don’t need a lot of money:
You might not need a lot of money, but I bet you also don’t need a lot of stress from the bills that continue to mount up. Instead of making a fortune for yourself, why not do it for your family and the underprivileged? One of the most well known formulas for happiness is the ability to have a positive affect on people’s lives.

7. I have to wait until my foundations are right:
If there’s one thing you take from this article it’s this: The time is never ever going to be right. There will always be minor or major obstacles whether it’s not having a significant amount of capital, or some personal problems. So listen to Napoleon Hill’s wise words “Don't wait. The time will never be just right.”

8. I have children:
Having kids might be hard but you can still reach your goals. If Chris Garner can do it, so can you.

by larry Laban

The Notorious CEO: Ten Startup Commandments From Biggie Smalls

Yesterday, my iTunes shuffled its way to “The Ten Crack Commandments,” a classic and often-referenced track from The Notorious BIG’s 1997 double-album ”Life After Death.” The track is meant to be a crash-course for would-be crack dealers, but Biggie’s ten commandments actually add up to some pretty sound business advice for any industry.

I list each of the Ten Crack Commandments below, along with its underlying message for modern business operators.

“Rule nombre uno: never let no one know how much dough you hold”

For most companies, there isn’t a tremendous amount of upside to disclosing financials. As such, few privately held companies choose to do so. As Biggie says, broadcasting your financial performance can “breed jealousy,” increasing operational risks and arming your competitors with a more informed sense of your company’s weaknesses.

“Number two: never let ‘em know your next move”

Innovation drives long-term business value. If your company prematurely discloses its strategic plans, it gives your competitors a head-start on emulating or surpassing your innovative strides. It may be tempting to post your 12-month plan on the company blog, but beware the strategic edge it provides to your competitors once it’s out there.

“Number three: never trust nobody”

A healthy sense of paranoia is a valuable asset for business operators. Businesses should take steps to protect their intellectual property, including protection through patents or well-protected trade secrets.

“Number four: never get high on your own supply”

Even if you are the only shareholder in your business, you should separate what’s best for you personally from what’s best for your company. If you make suboptimal business decisions for the sake of bettering your personal life, your company will be less likely to succeed.

Another interpretation of this rule is to resist developing a strong emotional commitment to your own ideas. If you’re too wrapped up or emotionally invested in any aspect of your business, it won’t be easy to modify that idea when it leads you to a better opportunity or strategy. Sunk costs are sunk, and strategic decisions should be made as such.

“Number five: never sell no crack where you rest at”

Biggie is right: your family members are not real customers, and serving them can often do more harm than good. They will provide an unrealistic sales experience and their feedback will often be skewed by the preexisting relationship. Also, if you have a desirable product they may feel a sense of entitlement to a discount or freebies. Granting such requests can hurt your bottom line, but denying them can strain your personal relationships.

Further insight >>"...I think the message in #5 is not that you shouldn’t sell to your family, but rather that you shouldn’t sell to *anyone* out of your home, or else you’ll have crackheads coming to your house, and everyone will know where you live. Pretty soon the cops will be watching you, and it’s a bad scene.

Without a healthy work-life balance, your business will invade your personal life, and you’ll never have a moment’s peace. I think the takeaway for startups is that, while it’s tempting to work out of your home, make sure that you still draw boundaries. Keep work time and personal time separate, so that you don’t get overwhelmed and burnt out. A lot of founders find it easier to work out of cafes or cube-sharing offices for this reason...."

“Number six: that credit… forget it”

Biggie is warning about the risks of issuing credit to customers before you have enough scale to hedge the associated default risk. The broader lesson here is to place a strong focus on cash revenue generation while your business is working toward sustained profitability. Getting cash in the door is extremely important, and anything that delays cash flow will slow down your forward progress.

“Seven: keep your family and business completely seperated”

This one doesn’t need much translation: work and family don’t always mix well. While there are many successful family businesses out there, the cost of things going sour becomes far greater when family is involved. Don’t work with your family simply out of convenience– only do it if the increased upside truly outweighs the true costs of failure.

“Number eight: never keep no weight on you”

Here, Biggie is driving home the importance of physical security. Sensitive passwords, documents, products, and prototypes should never be stored or transported (either digitally or physically) in a format that could be compromised.

“Number nine: if you ain’t gettin bagged stay [away] from police”

The company you keep can be misinterpreted by your customers and competitors, and sending the wrong message can put these relationships at risk. Keep strategic conversations as silent as possible until things are set in stone and it is optimal to make an announcement (if ever).

“Number ten: consignment [is] not for freshmen”

Accumulating debt prematurely is a bad move for any business. Both debt and equity financings consume company time and may drive startups to overspend before their plans are fully-baked. They also put a greater pressure on financial performance, which is only a good thing when a company is confident in their product’s maturiy and ability to generate returns. Biggie says it best: “if you aint got the clientele say ‘hell no’ — ’cause they gon want they money rain, sleet, hail, snow.”

“Follow these rules, you’ll have mad bread to break up”

This song predates mainstream internet usage but still translates well into the language of today’s web economy. I hope at least some of these commandments strike a chord with other entrepreneurs out there. Until next time, keep it real.

source: RJmetrics