What does this word really mean anyway?
According to Webster”s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition,
discipline, as a noun, is defined primarily as “punishment.”
My, but that has a harsh ring to it. An alternate
definition is “self-control.” Well, that”s a little closer
to my idea.
I submit that discipline, as it relates to making your home
business a success, is the following:
D = Decision The decision to succeed at building a lucrative
home business must be a firm commitment, a fiery yearning in
your soul that you ARE going to do this. A flimsy, “Oh,
we”ll see how it goes, attitude wont get you where you
want to go. Sorry. It”s best that you know this up front.
I = Integrity You must relate on a mutually beneficial
plane with the rest of the world. If you think you can make
good by foisting a cheap bill of goods onto unsuspecting
customers, you”re wrong. You might make a few quick
sales, but your success will be short-lived and your ruined
reputation might never recover.
S = Sincerity Do you really believe that your product is
worth it? Are you really concerned about helping the people
you do business with or are you just trying to “take their
money and run?” I know there are people out there like
that because I”ve been the victim of a few of them! Those
unfortunate experiences taught me that I certainly don”t
ever want to be like one of the greedy bunch.
C = Concentration It is wise, especially in the beginning,
to concentrate your efforts on a single home business
program or business “guru.” With so many ads enticing you
with rewards of abundant riches, it might be tempting to try
out a few at the same time. You should resist this
temptation.
Some people try to get their fingers into a few different
pies, hoping to speed up their inflow of cash, and the
results are disastrous. The problem is that as you spread
yourself so thin, you become unfocused, your enthusiasm
wanes, and you quite simply become confused as to details of
each program.
Such sloppiness generates few rewards, as any prospective
client will be quick to spot this lack of commitment. And
you may well become lulled into inaction by your confusion
and lack of focus.
I = Inspiration Where do you get yours from? Do you find
quiet time for yourself? An occasional mental vacation is
helpful, too. It”s so important to visualize your desired aims,
to keep your goals lively in your imagination.
Do you have a network of people to stimulate you, people who
can provide information, encouragement and insight when you
are tapped dry? It”s a sad and lonely road if you”re trying to
do it alone.
Thank goodness it”s not necessary. Avail yourself of a good
forum. One of the very best for any aspiring entrepreneur is
Michael Green”s How To Forum.
http://www.Calling-All-Entrepreneurs.com/Forum.html
And I just happen to know of a really terrific newsletter,
too! 🙂 http://www.Calling-All-Entrepreneurs.com/
P = Pride Are you proud of your status as an entrepreneur?
You certainly should be! Or do you mutter, shrug your
shoulders, look down at your shoes or give a dismissive wave
of your hand when asked about your line of work? Can you
imagine any of the pioneers of the Old West acting like that?
Not on your life!
It takes courage and self-respect to venture forth into new
territory. Stand up straight and tall and hand out those
business cards with pride, Brothers and Sisters!
L = Levity Can you take it lightly when a prospect rejects
your offer? You will be turned down much more often than
not, you know. That”s just the nature of sales. It always
has been, always will be. It”s nothing personal, my friend.
Really, you must internalize the fact that no one is rejecting
YOU. A prospect isn”t ready to take advantage of what
you”re offering? It”s no big deal. Just remember, some will,
some won”t, so what, someone”s waiting. Don”t even think
about letting it affect your self-esteem!
I = Introspection We must all take a good, hard look inside
our own selves to discover what is holding us back. No one,
but no one has the power to control your thoughts.
It is worth all the effort necessary to get your thoughts in
alignment with what you want to believe. It”s not so easy,
because society is constantly telling us what and how to
think.
It takes boldness and a strong commitment to oneself to keep
the reins on our own thoughts. Thought is everything. Make
no mistake about it. Read, meditate, affirm, visualize, don”t
give up, and then do it all over again. And again and again…
N = Nurturance Nurture yourself. So you want to be your
own boss, eh? Make sure you”re working for a reasonable
and decent person. You wouldn”t stand for it if a “regular”
boss called you an idiot and told you horrible things. So
please, don”t ever do this to yourself. Treat yourself with the
same dignity and respect as you would expect from a terrific
boss.
By the same token, hold yourself to the same standards of
performance and accountability that any responsible employer
would. You wouldn”t expect your boss to stand for it if you
decided you just didn”t feel like showing up for work, right?
Would a boss allow you to sit through TV reruns while there
was work to be done? We both know better than that.
E = Evaluation What”s working? What”s not working?
Make changes, modify, tweak, but DON”T GIVE UP.
Do you remember the first time you tried to drive a car?
When you slammed on the brakes instead of coming to a nice,
smooth halt, did you jump up out of the driver”s seat and cry
out, “I give up! I can”t do this!”
No, of course you didn”t. And the analogy is really not that
far-fetched, is it?
Building a successful home business requires commitment,
attention, patience and, yes, a healthy dose of discipline.
Come on, you can do it! The rewards are tremendous!
