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| Discipline | |||||||||||||||||||
| by Doug Reese TTNL | |||||||||||||||||||
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| "I've never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something good in men that really yearns for discipline." Vince Lombardi - Head Coach World Champion, Green Bay Packers | |||||||||||||||||||
Discipline is the most important single ingredient to success in athletics or life. Discipline is simply:
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| Athletic Principle
The defination of self-discipline is to apply ones self. To be self-disciplined, one would be attentive, conscientious and thorough, or to say diligent. One of the greatest lessons learned in athletics is that to be truly successful you must become disciplined. Talent alone is not enough. To reach your goal in athletics and in life, you must be willing to cut out those things in your life that keep you from going to the top. Ultimately the choice is yours. Recent sports headlines tell the story of the failures of many athletes who made poor choices. They lost jobs, careers and even put their families at risk because of drug abuse, alcohol, gambling and making poor choices in the friends they hang out with. To avoid failure you need to develop a disciplined lifestyle. Not just as it applies to athletics, but in everything you do. It is important to note that everyone gets 24 hours to use everyday - that is the only thing that is equal in life. You can use the gift of time effectively, or you can lose it. It is all up to you. Develop a Personal Game Plan To succeed you need a winning game plan. There is a formula for success that can help you on your way: Goals + A Plan + Action = Success Sit down and develop your goals (see our section on Goals). Figure out what you need to do. Develop a training plan that will help you reach those goals, then organize a consistent training schedule. Keys to Success The key to success is having the discipline to follow through with your plan. The action needs to be consistent in your training program. It is an everyday, rain or shine, feel good or not attitude. You probably would not consider not eating for a day, a week, or a month would you? So is it with your plan as it applies to training. You need to develop the same kind of attitude and make it a habit. The other important steps are to: |
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"I got quite disciplined and the more disciplined I became the more gains I made." Mary Jo Blackburn - Professional Bodybuilder. |
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| Many athletes struggle with the daily discipline needed to be successful on their own. How then does one develop this kind of self-discipline?
Develop a Daily Schedule Prepare and develop a daily schedule. Your daily schedule must be followed to be effective. Be consistent day in and day out. Your schedule is your daily routine. Below is the off-season workout routine of a former Olympian. |
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| 6:00 am
7:30 am 9-11:00 am Noon 1:30-4:00 pm 4:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00-9:30 pm 9:30 pm 11:00 pm |
Aerobic / Anaerobic Workout
Breakfast Classes / school work / work Strength Training / develop flexibility Lunch / Classes / home work / work Practice technical skills Dinner School home work / relax / enjoy friends Easy aerobic workout Reading / Bed |
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| This athlete planned his work, worked his plan, and his plan worked for him. He disciplined his entire life. He made solid choices, cut out activities and social gatherings, and even peers that did not fit into his plan. He gave up certain foods and drinks that did not fit into his nutritional plan. He made sure he was doing what was necessary to be the best physically, technically and mentally.
This athlete made the sacrifices to reach his goal. His plan started a habit, the habit became a lifestyle and in the process, in his lifestyle he became a champion! |
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| God's Performance Principle
The book of Proverbs written principally by King Solomon teaches that there is a divine wisdom given to man by God, but there is also a divinely given human wisdom - or common sense, and both must play a part in daily life. Solomon clearly teaches that we must "get wisdom, discipline and understanding" (Proverbs 23:23) Everything that pertains to successful living is a concern to God - discipline is part of that plan for success. Being disciplined in your life is not easy. Self-discipline is a skill. Like any skill, self-discipline needs to worked on, practiced to be fully developed so that it becomes natural - a habit. In the beginning, like any technical skill development it can be frustrating and discouraging. However, with perseverence and perisistance you will see results. |
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| "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Paul also tells us that God will also help us in this area of our lives by empowering us. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| You need to plug into God's power - it is available to everyone who believes and seeks Him.
The road to success is a narrow one. It is a tough route to travel. Many start out, but few finish the trip. There are plenty of challenges along the way that will try to pull you off course. Temptations abound. Temptations to take it easy, to skip a workout, to drink alcohol and to party with friends, to eat anything you want, to stay up late and sleep in. Falling to temptation is creating a road to success that is a steeper, rockier and tougher road to climb. James, the Lord's brother tells us: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation..." (James 1:12). Stay strong and self-disciplined, for God will give you the strength to overcome. Plug into His power! Further Wisdom of Solomon |
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| "Diligent (self-disciplined) hands will rule." (Proverbs 12:24)
"The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent (self-disciplined) are fully satisfied." (Proverbs 13:4) "The plans of the diligent (self-disciplined) lead to profit." (Proverbs 21:5) |
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| Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, TTNL Reprinted with permission | |||||||||||||||||||
