No matter what goal it is that you are looking to achieve, it all starts with DRIVE followed by DISCIPLINE. The drive is essential because if you don’t really want something bad enough, it is not a serious goal and very likely not something you are thinking about all too often. Trust me, when you genuinely want something, you not only think about it constantly but you will do whatever it takes to manifest the goal into a reality.

That is where discipline comes in, as I consider this to be a very important life skill in helping you reach your goals. Just about every successful person I know implements discipline into their lives in order to achieve great things. It is also very noticeable to me when someone lacks discipline because they tend to be lazy people who will put instant gratification over their long term goals–if they even have goals to begin with. Although I recognize that not everyone is born with discipline or were provided with a strong upbringing where discipline was taught, the good news is that you can still pick it up and start to build this skill into your life. Like most things, it is never too late as long as you are committed to yourself and make the effort to learn how you can become more disciplined. Here are a few things you can do to start:

Write Down Your Progress – I consistently preach the importance of tracking down your progress because it measures your growth over time. I prefer old fashioned pen and paper but find a tracking system that works for you and stick to it. It is remarkable to see your results unfold when you compare where you started to where you are now. Some goals can take years, so do NOT be discouraged when you are not seeing fast results and continue to track anyway.

Make Sacrifices Often – Keep in mind that with discipline comes sacrifice. That is fundamentally what discipline is all about–making a ton of sacrifices. Sacrifice does not need to mean deprivation. I am not suggesting you deprive yourself of anything but what I am saying is that you are going to need to make some sacrifices (which requires discipline on your end) to obtain the results you are looking for.

Take as Much Action as Possible – What sets apart a disciplined person versus someone who is not is that the disciplined person is constantly taking action. Even if that means doing things they are not too fond of (again, sacrifice), they are doing it anyhow! Disciplined people understand that you have to do these things in order to get to the greater good in life. They will take as much action as possible to get closer and closer to their end goal. Remember, any action is better than no action!