The Importance of Discipline and Commitment in Leading a Successful Life

It is known to most people that discipline and commitment are closely related to one's ability to exert self-control in order to achieve the desired goals, which cannot be reached unless one has the qualities of discipline and commitment. History is full of people who left their mark in life, armed with discipline and commitment as their defining characteristics.

Ziad Reyes, author of My Experience of a Better Life, says, “According to what I have studied and researched, many factors are required to succeed in life. Some of the reasons the Lord has provided for individuals to be blessed and successful are attributed to the values you must uphold, while others are attributed to the habits, skills, and traits that must be displayed.

Here, I would like to discuss two critical factors: discipline and commitment.”

The importance of discipline and commitment in our lives:

These two elements, in my experience, are crucial for success. The performance of the religious pillars demonstrates discipline and commitment. The Lord has established prayer at specific times in the day and night, fasting and Iftar at particular times, Zakat at specific banks, amounts, and dates, and Hajj at specific times, pillars, and procedures. All these acts of worship are carried out through actions and implementations at specific times that cannot be exceeded or departed from.

We conclude that discipline is an integral part of daily life. It is natural for a person to have goals and projects in their lives, whether at the level of their professional work, academic achievement, social status, or the various areas of life they practice. No matter how noble or lofty the goal or dream, it cannot be successfully achieved unless they have enough discipline.

A public commercial institution or association cannot be successful unless its members are given the sanctity of the goal and the mission carried out by this institution or association, and unless its management is characterized by a minimum of discipline and commitment. Here, I'd like to draw attention to the promise made by the "Meirc" Pharmaceutical Company's Board of Directors in 1987, when they were informed that the disease "river blindness" had spread to parts of various African nations. The study stressed  that the production of the drug is economically unfeasible because there is no purchasing power in the region, and it will be a useless production. However, the Board decided to keep up scientific investigation in order to discover, produce, and offer the drug gratis in nations where the disease is prevalent. This decision was due to the commitment to the company's mission that has been developed since its establishment: "Serve humanity," which is to help the researchers' and employees' stay unaffected in case of a lack of commitment to the company’s mission.

To be more disciplined, you must adhere to the following:

1. Emotionally engage in the dream or goal you set for yourself:

You have to live and remember every day while maintaining your enthusiasm that discipline without enthusiasm will stop with the passing of the days. There is a strong link between  maintaining discipline and enthusiasm and the constant invocation of the goal and the place you seek to reach.

2. Deal with obstacles and daily concerns:

Many daily obligations and obstacles will appear, but you must insist on sticking to the commitments that you have already set for yourself and give priority to them. Do not give yourself any excuse for delaying or postponing a meeting related to the set goal, and take care of the deadline unless compelling circumstances occur.

3. Set a Schedule:

It is of the utmost importance to identify the required achievements within a specific time frame, monitor them, and commit to allocating time to the desired purpose and goal without engaging in other matters or obstacles. The biggest obstacle to discipline is living randomly without a schedule for the work to be accomplished. Each decision taken without being time-bound is a decision that can fail to be achieved.

4. Set a social reward for yourself:

Surely it is not easy to be consistently disciplined unless there is something tangible to see as a result. Work to divide the results. There are small achievements along the way to your big goal. For example, if you decide to lose 10 kilograms of weight within six months, it is okay to set a goal for each month or every two months, monitor your progress, and be happy to reach it at the end of each month. Share this happiness with those close to you. If you are writing a book, it is okay to celebrate the end of each chapter, and so forth.

It's important to keep discipline going through motivation, internally and with yourself, or through others sharing it with you, motivating you, and sharing your joy of accomplishment.

Finally, know that one of the most important things about being disciplined and committed is to plan in advance what you want, write it clearly, and oblige yourself to wake up early to do what you wrote.