Discipline = Bridge Between Goals + Accomplishments

From Brian Josnson's "The Optimizer"


“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. That means developing great habits. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, and that bridge must be crossed every day. Over time that daily crossing becomes a habit. And ultimately, people do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future. 

"What are you doing daily that needs to change? What needs doing? Maybe more importantly, what needs undoing? Advice columnist Abigail Van Buren quipped, ‘A bad habit never goes away by itself. It’s always an undo-it-yourself project.’ What are you willing to change doing today in order to change what you will be doing tomorrow?”

The quote is by John C. Maxwell (a well-known motivational expert and business advisor) from: The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

 The above paragraph is from the chapter on the Law of Consistency. Maxwell repeats this phrase a number of times throughout the book: “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.”

And I LOVE (!) the image of discipline as the bridge between goals and accomplishments. Remember: We need to cross it daily.

Reminds me of my interview with Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine. As we discussed his mental toughness classic Unbeatable Mind (see Notes), he told me that SEALs need to earn their trident every day. The training and testing to become a SEAL is the most grueling on the planet.

But that’s only the beginning. Then they need to cross the bridge every.single.day.

The same is true for us. So, let’s get specific here. What do you need to change in your daily routine?

What’s the #1 thing you need to START doing that, as you build the habit of doing it DAILY will have the most positive impact on your life?

#1 +1 = ________________________

And, what’s the #1 thing you need to STOP doing that, as you completely (!) eliminate it from your life, will have the most positive impact on your life?

#1 -1 = _________________________

Fantastic.

Here’s to cultivating the discipline to cross the bridge from our goals to accomplishments. Every.Single.Day.