Discipline and Commitment

Discipline and commitment have emerged as critical elements for achieving goals in the fast-paced, competitive world of today. In his book "Shortcut to a Better Life," Ziad Rayess emphasizes the importance of these values in the pursuit of happiness. This article will cover the importance of commitment and discipline in achieving success as well as the guidelines individuals can follow to firm up their commitment towards their goals.

In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life", the writer Ziad Rayess mentions: According to everything I’ve studied and the research I’ve done, there are several keys to happiness. These include returning to the values you hold and relying on your habits, skills, and attributes, which God gave people so they could be successful.

I want to discuss one of these major factors, namely discipline and commitment.

I’ve found that this is a solid foundation for success. Some religious principles require discipline and commitment: God prescribed prayer at specified times throughout the day and night, fasting and breaking one’s fast at specified times, and alms of specific amounts on specific dates. There are specific timings, principles, and practices for hajj. All of these acts of worship are accomplished through behaviors and applications at specified times that you can’t avoid.

Discipline is an integral part of daily life, and it is natural that people have goals and projects in their lives, be they professional, academic, social, or in any other realm of life. But however noble and ambitious the goal, it cannot be accomplished successfully unless you have enough discipline.

No business establishment or community organization working in public service can be successful unless it clearly communicates the goals of the company or organization. Management must have as much discipline and commitment as possible. The commitment displayed by the board of directors of Merck pharmaceutical company in 1987 comes to mind. They were confronted with a disease called river blindness that was widespread in some areas in Africa. Studies showed that producing medicine was not profitable, because there was no purchasing power in the region, so it would not be beneficial to produce the medicine. Nevertheless, the board of directors resolved to continue scientific research to develop the medicine, produce it, and distribute it for free in the countries where the disease had taken hold. This decision was made because of the commitment to the company task of “humanitarian service”, which had been written when the company was founded:

Not being committed to the message would have affected the researchers and employees at the company.

To be more disciplined, you must be more committed to the following principles:

1. Immerse yourself emotionally in the dream or goal you’ve set for yourself:

You must live out this principle and keep it in mind every day, keeping enthusiasm alive within you always. Discipline without enthusiasm will fade after a few days, and there is a strong link between continued commitment and enthusiasm. You should continuously recall your goal and your destination.

2. Address obstacles and daily concerns:

Many commitments and daily obstacles will appear before you, but you must insist on honoring the commitments you previously made to yourself and prioritize them. Don’t make any excuses for delaying or postponing a meeting related to the goal you’ve set out. Be careful to make appointments and don’t look for excuses to get out of them.

3. Schedule your time:

It is crucial to determine the tasks that you must accomplish in a certain period of time and monitor your progress. Commit to setting aside time for the purpose and goal you want, without getting involved in other matters or obstacles. The biggest obstacle to discipline is doing things randomly, with no set schedule for the actions you must complete. When each decision is made without a timeline, you may fail to accomplish it.

4. Give yourself social rewards:

It certainly isn’t easy to be continuously disciplined when there isn’t something tangible for you to grasp or a result for you to see. Therefore, split up the results so there are partial accomplishments along the way toward your dream or big goal. (For example, if you’ve decided to lose 10 kilograms in six months, it would be good to set a goal for each month or two and monitor your progress, so you reach your goal at the end of each month. Share this happiness with people close to you. And if you’re writing a book, it’s a good idea to celebrate at the end of each chapter, etc.)

It is very important to stay disciplined through incentives. This may be by motivating yourself or by involving others as they cheer you on and share in your happy successes.

Finally, know that one of the most important aspects of discipline and commitment is planning ahead for what you want. Write it out clearly and hold yourself to waking up early to carry out what you’ve planned.

Conclusion:

Success in any aspect of life requires discipline and commitment. Individuals can overcome daily challenges and accomplish their goals by emotionally immersing themselves in their dreams and prioritizing commitments. Scheduling time and setting achievable targets with social rewards can also help you maintain discipline. As the Merck pharmaceutical company demonstrated, commitment to a worthwhile cause can result in outstanding accomplishments. So it's important to plan ahead and hold yourself accountable. By following these guidelines, individuals can develop a stronger commitment toward their goals and succeed in their endeavors.