What does this word really mean anyway? According to Websters 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, thats 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, well see how it goes attitude wont get you where you want to go. Sorry. Its best that you know this upfront. 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, youre 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 Ive been the victim of a few of them! Those unfortunate experiences taught me that I certainly dont ever want to be like one of the greedy bunch. C = Concentration It is far better to concentrate your efforts on a single home business program. 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. I know of one guy who wanted to deal in an arsenal of products so that he could always sell something to somebody. He had one company for diet pills, another for legal services and yet another for software programs. He figured he had all bases covered. Well, I dont guess I need to tell you that he ended up selling nothing to nobody and he lost a bundle of money besides. I = Inspiration Where do you get yours from? Do you find quiet time for yourself? An occasional mental vacation is helpful, too. Its so important to visualize our desired aims, to keep our goals lively in our imagination. Do you have a network of people to stimulate you, people who can provide information, encouragement and insight when you are tapped dry? Its a sad and lonely road if youre trying to do it alone. Thank goodness its not necessary. 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. Thats just the nature of sales. It always has been, always will be. Its nothing personal, my friend. Really, you must internalize the fact that no one is rejecting you. A prospect isnt ready to take advantage of what youre offering? Its no big deal. Just remember, some will, some wont, so what, someones waiting. Dont 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. Its not so easy, because society is constantly telling us what and how to think. It takes courage 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, dont give up, and then do it all over again. And again and again.. N = Nurture Nurture yourself. So you want to be your own boss, eh? Make sure youre working for a reasonable and decent person. You wouldnt stand for it if a regular boss called you an idiot and told you horrible things. So, please, dont 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 wouldnt expect your boss to stand for it if you decided you just didnt 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 = Evaluate Whats working? Whats not working? Make changes, modify, tweak, but dont 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 out of the drivers seat and cry out, I give up! I cant do this! No, of course you didnt. 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! |
