Load the Dice in Your Favour
Imagine three dice: one represents "you", the second represents "other people", and the third represents "circumstances".
In any given situation, for you to be successful, all three have to perform at a high level - score a 6.
If you are good, but the others are not, then you won't succeed.
If the others are good but you are not, you won't succeed.
If you and the others are good, but circumstances are not right, then you won't succeed.
For you to be successful, you have to be at your best (scoring a 6), the others have to be performing at level 6, and circumstances have to be conducive to a successful outcome (be at a 6).
It's not easy to succeed because it's not often that all three dice are showing a six simultaneously.
Over which of these three dice do you have any control?
The only dice over which you have control is your own. Only you can decide to put in your best efforts or not.
The danger is that when other people let you down, or circumstances are hostile, it's easy for us to let that become the signal to drop our own performance from a 6 to less than a six.
When circumstances are harsh and people let us down, it's very tempting to give up and to reduce performance down to a two or three.
But when your performance is not at a six, it is impossible to be successful, because even if other people were scoring a six and circumstances were scoring a six, but you are scoring a three, then the conditions are not right for you to be successful.
The implication is that every single day, it is our responsibility to "throw a six", or not even throw a six; but to place our dice on the table showing a six, and we wait for the other dice - other people, and circumstances - to roll in our favour.
Self-discipline.
It takes self-discipline and understanding to keep "rolling a six" even on the days other people let you down and on the days that circumstances seem hostile.
The only way to get three sixes on the same day is for us to ensure that the first dice (our dice) remains at a steady six every day, even on the days that we don't feel like it.
Every day, even on days that other people let us down.
Every day, even when circumstances seem hostile.
In this way we can load the dice in our favour, and we will inevitably win, since if you keep rolling three dice for long enough, you will inevitably (eventually) throw a treble six.
And that means you will find success you dream of, but ONLY IF YOU throw a six every day!
self-discipline
In personal development, self-discipline is the skill of steering your own effort. You set your own rules, place future goals ahead of present comfort, act even when you do not feel like it, and keep checking your progress. Remove any of these traits and it is no longer self-discipline.
CG4D Definition
Context: Personal development
Genus: Skill
- The person sets inner rules without outside push
- They choose long-term goals over short-term ease
- They act each day even when mood is low
- They track and correct behaviour to stay on goal
Article Summary
When you see success as three dice-yours, others and chance-the sure way to win is to keep your own die on six every day; self-discipline holds it there until the other two land in your favour.