Stumbling into success is not the way things happen. Stumbling into success like winning the lottery, it is rare. It is unreliable. It is not a sure thing. It is not the way to accomplish much. In order to reach my goals, I cannot expect I am going to win the lottery.

I have to do the work I have to put in the time and learn my craft. I do not get to rocket up into history. Very few have ever rocketed into the history books without doing the work first, and most of them who have ‘made it’ without doing the work are called, ‘One hit wonders.’ In order to do something of value and of worth, I have to do the work required of me. I have to learn how to be a professional or an expert at what I do.

The hardest part about doing the work is I have to do the work. I do not get to circumvent the process. The work must be done monthly, weekly, and, truly the best practice is to do the work, daily or more. I must be trying and pushing forward every day. Doing the work takes effort from me when I do not think I have any more effort.

Doing the work requires I am constantly trying to take the next step and get to the next level. Doing the work requires me to decide over and over again I believe what I am doing is the right thing and I have to believe I can succeed. I may not be excellent today. I may not be excellent tomorrow, but it will happen. It will take time and more than time . But it will happen.

What work do you need to be doing? How have you been doing at deciding the work you are doing is worth it? What is the next piece of work you are doing to provide meaning to others?

Working,

—JT

Discipline is an amazing part of our human capacity to push forward and succeed. It requires so many parts of my personality and the more I do it, the better I get at it. Much like a muscle, the more I work it the stronger and more sustainable it is. I love the feeling of accomplishing my goals as I bring together my ability to be disciplined.

I love seeing how I have to use my ability to be diligent in order to be disciplined. I have to keep watching my work to make sure I am producing quality work. I have to keep a watchful eye on my tasks in order to make sure I am addressing my most difficult tasks. For me, diligence is the portion of discipline making me stay on top of what I am doing.

Discipline requires me to set goals. It does not let me be disciplined for the sake of disciplined. It requires enough foresight to know I am headed somewhere. I cannot sit alone in a room by myself and say I am being disciplined unless I am trying to develop the skill of sitting alone in a room.

Most of all, discipline requires me to push myself farther than I have been before.

Discipline means I am pushing into an area of discomfort.

Discipline breeds more discipline for me.

Where in your life are you pushing yourself beyond where you have been before?

Disciplined,

–JT