THE FOURTH PILLAR: POSITIVE SELF-DIRECTION

I've studied and worked with highly effective people,
and I've looked for the ESSENTIALS that allow some people to
run circles around the competition. Why do some people get
so much more out of life? How do successful people achieve
the extraordinary results they get? These are some of the
most important questions in life.
I do not believe it is necessary to live, as Henry Thoreau
said, "lives of quiet desperation." There is no reason for
so many to be poor, or poor in spirit, or frustrated or
lonely. Whatever type of success you desire - from making
more money to having more time or better relationships -
other people have figured out how to do it, and once you
know the recipe, you can do it, too. I believe that with
all my heart!
So, I've been trying to share the central components, the
keys or essentials, these past weeks.
We started with the unifying foundation: Know Thyself. It
is hard to live someone else's life or follow someone
else's path. Success is achieved by creating and living "a
life of one's own." First, "know thyself and to thine own
self be true."
Second, there are four essential "pillars" that high
achievers use to create and build the life they want. We've
covered the first three: the pillar of Positive Integrity,
the pillar of Positive Passion, and the pillar of Positive
Simplicity.
Now we come to the final ingredient, the pillar of Positive
Self-Direction, or if you prefer the power of self-
discipline.
This is the most powerful and the least popular of the four
pillars. It is the pillar we avoid because we are the "me"
generation. We want "instant gratification." We are not
known for our patience or the ability to delay impulses. We
are used to credit cards, variety and pleasure. We love to
be "spontaneous" even if it means we have to "pay later."
But this is not true of high achievers. They have an end-
result in mind (see the Pillar of Positive Passion) and
they stick to it. They have a sense of Positive Integrity
that keeps them on-track, and a life of Positive Simplicity
so they are rarely distracted or confused. They know the
power of self-discipline, and understand the virtues of
patience, dedication and persistence.
They know that "Rome wasn't built in a day." They know that
the Wright brothers spent years experimenting, failing,
taking notes and moving toward their goal of building the
first airplane. They love the story of the woman who ran up
to Vladimar Horowitz after one of his concerts and gushed,
"I'd give my life to play like that!" and his reply,
"Madam, I have."
High achievers know that positive self-discipline is the
raw material of greatness. Brian Tracy has made the harsh
observation that "if you cannot save money, the seeds of
greatness are not in you." Self-discipline is the ability
to decide on a course of action, and stick to it. Whether
it is saving money, losing weight, inventing the airplane
or building a business, success requires the Pillar of
Positive Self-Direction.
Know your desired outcome and let nothing distract or
divert you. High achievers know (and announce) their
direction in life. They know their goals and the path they
will take to "get there." They know the power of daily
action, and that, "inch by inch (day by day) anything's a
cinch!"
As we begin a new year, renew your commitment to living a
life of responsible, ethical self-direction. Whatever your
most important goals or desires, develop the self-
discipline to achieve them. Success may require some
sacrifice. So what? If your goal is important, the price of
achievement is tiny compared to the rewards of success.
The winners in life have always known that Integrity,
Simplicity, Passion and Discipline are the keys to a great
life and that success is a much easier path than failure.
After all, who would choose a life of chaos and frustration
over the elegance and clarity of doing the small daily
disciplines of success? Use the Four Pillars to create the
life you truly want so you can "Thrive in 'O5!"