By: Rick Warren
Over my many years of working with people, it has been my observation that high achievers usually have at least one obvious thing in common: Personal discipline. Successful people are willing to do the difficult things that average people are unwilling to do.
As the pastor of a church with over 20,000 attendees under my care, I have had the opportunity to know and counsel many of our area’s most successful business and professional leaders. As we have met together, they have taught me a lot about success and the traits necessary to achieve it.
I have observed that successful people express self-discipline in six key ways:
Successful people master their moods. They live by their commitments, not their emotions. People who do the right thing, even when they don’t feel like it, accomplish most of what gets done in the world! “A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken down walls” (Proverbs 25:28).
Successful people watch their words. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths. “He who guards his lips guards his life” (Proverbs 13:3).
Successful people restrain their reactions. How much can you withstand before you lose your “cool,” before your emotions take control? “If you are sensible you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it” (Proverbs 19:11).
Successful people stick to their schedules. If you don’t determine how you will spend your time, you can be sure that others will decide for you! “Live life with a due sense of responsibility…make the best use of your time” (Ephesians 5:15-16).
Successful people manage their money. They learn to live on less than what they make and they invest the difference. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go, rather than wondering where it went! “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (Proverbs 21:20).
Successful people maintain their health. By taking care of themselves physically, they can accomplish more and enjoy their achievements. “Each of you should control his own body, keeping it pure and treating it with respect” (1 Thessalonians 4:4).
Where do YOU need to develop more self-control? The disciplines you establish today will determine your level of success tomorrow. But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-control. It takes a power greater than yourself. Good intentions, by themselves, often are not enough. Think about this promise from the Bible: “God does not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). He can give us the strength and resolve to do the things we cannot do in our own power.
Rick Warren is the author of the highly acclaimed, best-selling book, The Purpose-Drive Life, which has been translated into many languages and sold throughout the world. It affirms the importance of having a carefully considered, clearly expressed purpose to guide everyday life.