Personal Development - Self-Discipline
Personal development - Self-discipline
Personal development is the act of developing your skills, knowledge, and abilities in order to improve your effectiveness, and thus be more likely to achieve your goals.
Achieving your goals is important to you because your success depends on your ability to achieve the goals that you are given or the goals that you set for yourself.
If you involve yourself in a programme of personal development, then you will increase your effectiveness and you will be more likely to successfully achieve your goals.
If you refuse or abstain or fail to develop yourself, you will soon be overtaken by those people who do, and you will be left in the dust, trying to make a meal out of leftovers.
Personal development is the finest investment that you can make.
Benjamin Franklin, American author, statesman, diplomat, politician, inventor, scientist, wrote:
"If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the highest return."
In other words, if you spend your time money and effort and invest it in improving your own personal skills, knowledge and attitudes, then you will recoup your initial investment a thousand fold.
If you spend the same time, money and effort and invest it in entertainment, holidays and a car, you will never recoup your investment, and you will pay a heavy price of failure.
Francis Bacon, English philosopher, statesman, scientist, wrote:
Knowledge is power.
Knowledge is power, means that, if you know what to do, then you are at a major advantage over the person who is ignorant. Gaining more Knowledge can give you more power, over nature.
Everyone has heard the phrase, "Knowledge is Power". But Francis Bacon also wrote another great line that not so many people know about.
What is Francis Bacon's second line?
It is this:
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.
This statement; nature to be commanded, must be obeyed, reminds us that knowing something is not enough; you must follow the advice implicit in any given item of knowledge.
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For example; if you know that the cake has in it, too many calories, then the implicit advice is; don't eat the cake.
If you know that it is time to get out of bed and start work, then the implicit instruction is: Get out of bed and start work!
If you know that you should do your homework today, then the implied instruction is: "Do your homework today."
All items of knowledge have an implicit instruction to do or not do something.
Another example:
Inflation is at 3% implies an instruction: "Don't keep your savings in a tin, under the bed; instead, invest your savings into things that gain value, over time."
All facts imply an instruction.
But there is a snag:
Some of those instructions may be things that you really don't want to do!
And it is here, where the fighting starts.
Do you follow the instructions and do what you don't want to do?
Or do you try to ignore "natural law instructions", and try to do what you want to do, in defiance of the facts?
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.
If you want to succeed, then you must learn the art of disciplining yourself to do things that you don't want to do. For example: Sticking to your diet.
If you want to succeed you need to learn the art of disciplining yourself to NOT do some of the things that you really want to do: For example, Stay out, all night, partying.
How much you can discipline yourself to do the things that you don't want to do, and conform yourself to the instructions implicit in the facts of reality and your new knowledge, will be a deciding factor in your ultimate success.
If you can discipline yourself to do the things that you don't want to do, conform yourself to the nature's instructions implicit in the facts of reality, then you will win.
If you cannot, or will not discipline yourself to do the things that you don't want to do, conform yourself to the laws implicit in the facts, then you will never win.
How much self-discipline you have is a deciding factor in your success equation.
Here is a success equation:
(G+P) x (D.A) = S.
This equation reads:
Goals together with a plan, times by "disciplined action" = success.
If there is no self-discipline, then your success = 0.
This is because if you cannot stick to your diet, if you cannot discipline yourself to get there on time, if you cannot discipline yourself to work on the days you feel tired, if you cannot discipline yourself to remain civil, when you are angry; if you cannot discipline your spending habits, if you cannot discipline yourself to exercise, if you cannot discipline your mind to stop wandering, if you cannot discipline your bad habits, then you cannot win.
On the other hand:
- If you can stick to your diet,
- If you can discipline yourself to get there on time or before.
- If you can discipline yourself to work hard even on the days you feel tired,
- If you can discipline yourself to remain civil, when you are angry.
- If you can discipline your spending habits.
- If you can discipline yourself to exercise.
- If you can discipline your mind to stop wandering.
If you can discipline your bad habits, and replace them with actions that are consistent with the power of accurate knowledge, then nothing can stop you from winning.
Discipline yourself.
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Definition: self-discipline
Self-discipline is the personal ability that makes you follow useful rules and act on your plans, even when you feel like doing something easier. It keeps your impulses in check, pushes you to repeat good habits each day, and turns clear goals into steady progress.
Show CG4D Definition
- Drives action on chosen goals when comfort tempts retreat
- Controls short-term impulses that clash with long-term aims
- Grows through conscious, repeated practice over time
- Links knowledge with consistent, productive behaviour
Article Summary
Self-discipline turns knowledge into power; when you act on clear goals each day and repeat simple good habits, you change personal development into lasting success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What does "knowledge is power" mean for personal development?
How does self-discipline influence success according to the article?
What is the success equation given in the text?
Why should I invest in learning rather than short-term treats?
How can I apply “Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed” day to day?
Which simple habits strengthen self-discipline?
How long does habit change usually take?
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Did You Know: Key Statistics
LinkedIn Learning’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report shows 94% of workers say they will stay longer at a company that invests in their learning and growth. A 2023 University College London study tracking 40,000 adults found that forming a simple new habit takes on average 59 days of steady practice, while complex habits can need about 101 days.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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Further Reading in Personal Development
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The Business of Helping People
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How To Improve Your Productivity
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Habits of highly effective people - planning ahead
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A good training needs analysis
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Is Being Open Minded a Good Thing?
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