Planning, Discipline, and the Long Road to Success

Planning is an important aspect of living a successful life. Many people shy away from making plans because they find them to be limiting, restrictive, or a threat to personal freedom. These individuals prefer to view themselves as “spontaneous”, “unbound", and “free-spirited". Eventually however, when they fail to reach their goals, they experience dissatisfaction and realize that they’ve wasted large parts of their life without meaningful progress.

Self-discipline doesn’t restrict freedom, but gives us the freedom to do what’s truly right for us, rather than getting pulled into what pleases others or wastes our time. If we don’t define our life goals, the world around us will do it for us, and we may eventually discover that we’ve lived to please others instead of fulfilling our higher values.

Self-discipline anchors us to our true goals and prevents us from being swept away by distractions or the agendas of others.

The Importance of a Plan

A disciplined individual is committed to their goals and does not deviate from them. They take full responsibility for themselves, their aspirations and their values, and don’t leave themselves vulnerable to chance or circumstance.

People want success but aren’t always willing to pay the price- they love to dream but resist waking up to the hard work required. As the saying goes, the dictionary is the only place where “success” comes before “work.”

To truly succeed, you need a clear plan, and the discipline to follow it. This may be a long-term plan that stretches over years, but even then, every day needs its own defined tasks and goals, along with the commitment to follow through. Self-discipline enhances every aspect of life: it makes us more creative, productive, focused, successful, and respected.

King Solomon wisely said, “The hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4), and “Do you see a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings” (Proverbs 22:29). The long road is the only truly short one- every other path is just an illusion.

Long-term studies tracking disciplined children over ten, twenty, and thirty years found they earned higher incomes, enjoyed better family lives, and suffered far less from addictions, mental health issues, and even physical illnesses.

At the end of their lives, people rarely regret failures, but they regret the opportunities they didn’t pursue. In most cases, the cause of inaction was a lack of self-discipline- they had dreams and desires, and maybe even took a few steps, but didn’t persevere.

Mental Energy

Discipline requires energy and drive, which depend on our physical condition. When we’re tired, hungry, or weak, it’s more difficult to stay disciplined and do what we must.

A fascinating study reviewed decisions made by a parole board over the course of a year. The strongest predictor of whether an inmate would be granted early release was not their crime, but the time of day their case was heard. Inmates whose hearings were just after breakfast had a 65% chance of early release; those heard late in the day had only a 10% chance.

Our mood and physical energy dramatically affect our judgment. When the judges were well-fed and rested, they made thoughtful decisions, but when tired and hungry, they lacked mental energy and defaulted to the safer option to deny release.

Identify with Your Goal

To maintain self-discipline, we need to genuinely identify with our goals. We must believe in their value and feel that they are worth the investment. True success is not reached in days, but is earned through weeks, months, and often years of effort. Patience is therefore crucial.

During the journey, there won’t be applause, as progress is often slow and invisible. The end goal must therefore be powerful enough to keep us going through the silence, the lack of recognition, and even the envy of others.

If we were rewarded too early or too often, we might become satisfied with fleeting approval instead of striving for lasting achievement. Obstacles remind us not to settle too soon, because the real reward is at the end

When we move forward without immediate praise or gratification, driven purely by purpose and vision, can we achieve something truly meaningful.