The Pain of Discipline vs. The Pain of Regret

Quote: “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach It.” – Michelangelo

Take out a piece a paper and pencil. Draw to dots, one on the far right and the other on the far left. Then draw a line to connect the two dots. The dot on the left represents where you are and the dot on the right represents where you want to be. That long line in the middle represents a gap.

How can you bridge this gap?

You can do so with new knowledge and updated skills. You will have to do something new and different to get to where you want to be. But it won’t be easy though because anything worthwhile never is.

Just look around you. Everything you see began as a thought in someone’s mind. The chair you’re sitting on. The book you’re reading. The car you drive. The clothes you’re wearing. Everything begins with a thought. Then that thought turned into action. Action is oftentimes accompanied with pain. Why? Because you have to do something different. You have to get out of your comfort zone. You have to have self-discipline. Late Motivational Speaker Jim Rohn once said, “There are two types of pain you will go through in life, the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs ton.” Which one will you choose?

Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps trained for many years to get to the pinnacle of his sport. It wasn’t easy, but he was dedicated and stuck to a rigorous training schedule every day. If you want similar results in your professional life, you have to willing to put in the time. If you really want to get paid more and promoted faster, you have to be willing to suffer a little pain in the process. But the great thing about pain is that it’s only temporary but the benefits can last a lifetime.

Action Item: Write down 3 goals you want to accomplish. Plot out where you currently are and what you will have to do to accomplish those goals.