July 07, 2022

Life Skills for Business - Discipline

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments." – Jim Rohn

The first three definitions at Dictionary.com fit well with this post. We can save the fourth for another time since we want to stay positive rather than punishing.

In our personal lives, we use the life skill of discipline as a means to complete a project or a set amount of training. What about professionally? Do you have discipline in the workplace? Again, not as a penalty, but as a way to get things done.

Discipline comes from within. Yes, we can have supporters urging us on, to do a little better, to make improvements at every step. But it's that internal 'force' that keeps us focused, keeps us persevering, and hones creativity and solutions to problems.

Discipline in business comes in the form of methods, qualifications, and results. Let's look at some of these and I'll relate them to martial arts training.

Entrepreneur gives a list of discipline aspects you might have.

Frustration – I find this fascinating because it's first on the list and because it smacks us right away with reality. Nothing revs up that discipline like obstacles, disappointments, and failure. They all give you experience. How you're disciplined determines your next step. Do you give up or charge forward?

Businesses don't always succeed with everything they try. They'll have setbacks and reversals. What contingency plans have you set up to deal with these?

In my martial arts experience, I've failed tests and lost at tournaments. I have issues with certain techniques. Week after week, month after month I don't see improvements. But I'm disciplined enough to try again. Attend another tournament and improve those tricky techniques to succeed at the next testing. Eventually, I'll overcome.

Work hard – This seems obvious, right? Disciplined people work hard. You won't reach the top unless you knuckle down and do the job. Do the tough job. Will discipline push you to go the extra step, spend the extra time, and seek out that extra assistance that will get you to the next level?

Willingness – I like all of the examples given. Disciplined people aren't just willing, they want to do it. They yearn for success and will do what is necessary. Are you willing to research methods that might work in your business? You can't sit back and wait.

Go find what works.

I want to work out. I'm willing to travel to learn and practice. I accept the challenge to make the time to train.

Organized – It's difficult to succeed when the workload or workplace is a confusing jumble. Trying to do a lot of things at once? Is that messy desk distracting you? Do you have a schedule of overlapping meetings? Businesspeople must maintain organization. The strategy has to be clear, goals defined, and refined to work.

I have to keep a good work-life balance to properly train. I make plans on where, when, and on what to practice. Is today form work or go-for-a-run day? Inside routines or take that outside? Yes, my 'organization' may not be complex or planned well in advance, but I know what I'm doing when the time comes.

At bizfluent, I thought the short segment on teamwork interesting. Unless you're the sole owner, you have coworkers. Are they all on track with company goals? Are they disciplined to follow the rules and the plan for success? How could you engineer and develop that discipline? (Remember the amusing phrase: The beatings will continue until morale improves. Yeah, you don’t want that.)

In my martial arts, I routinely attend workout sessions and camps, learn from others, and practice with friends who also want to improve.

An Inc. blog has as its fifth point the idea of better communications. You may have a great team, but how well will you all do if you can't tell them the game plan and be able to show them the steps along the way?

Have you been in a store where the clerk can't provide relevant information about what you're considering? What do you think about the company if that person cannot give you clear answers to questions?

My instructor must be able to demonstrate proper technique and be able to explain how what I'm doing isn't working as well as the solution.

Crowdspring brings up a point that made me smile. Remember your goals and avoid temptation. For a business, this could include finishing a task before getting that soda or snack. Or taking the more difficult route for greater rewards rather than cutting corners for quicker success.

For my martial arts training, this is easy. One more lap before I rest. Five more minutes on this particular kicking technique before I take a break. One of my goals is better health and I can't let the temptation to quit or cut short my workouts keep me from reaching that goal.

I mentioned work-life balance earlier. Don't let the "platform" you're on tilt too much to the work side. In other words, don't be a workaholic. That's not being disciplined. It's unhealthful and in time, detrimental to your business. Take time for yourself. Enjoy life, friends, and family.

I know when it's time to quit for the day. I've done my laps or have trained my form long enough. Time to give the body a rest and refuel.

Another great idea about discipline is highlighted at Forbes. As I mentioned, discipline is internal. The resiliency you develop, strengthen, and draw from keeps you going. Keeps you focused. Shows you how to blow through problems, even those that seem overwhelming. Businesspeople can use that to aim true and succeed.

There's a workout I both enjoy and don't enjoy. My form has 96 moves. The time to complete the form is around three minutes, give or take. Techniques include kicks and hand techniques. The goal of this particular workout is to perform the form seven times, at full power, with no breaks. That's approximately 21 minutes, full bore. Of course, I don't just go out and do seven times without developing stamina. I may start with twice, then later attempt three, and so on. When it's time to go for seven, I've discovered that around the halfway point the challenge becomes less physical and more mental. I can't lose focus. I can't yield to the temptation to quit. I can't think 'only three more times.' I have to push away the body telling me to stop. I have completed this challenge several times, but each time takes discipline, that mental toughness.

Industry Highlight and CMMS

Since I've been relating discipline to both business and martial arts, the perfect industry example is the business of fitness. How would health clubs that have several branches around a metropolitan area incorporate a computerized maintenance management system?

Think about the assets of such a business. Buildings, grounds, scores of exercise equipment and machines, racquetball/handball courts, pools, spas, hot tubs, saunas, and HVACs. At some point all need maintenance. With CMMS software you could:

Create a list of equipment and categorize them

Inventory management - Set quantity minimums before you reorder.

Create preventive maintenance procedures. Inspections, lubrications, filter changes, cleaning, washing, etc.

Schedule the PMs and extend equipment life.

Initiate work orders for those PMs and any repair requests that come in.

Track depreciation.

Have better control over purchases.

Improve communication skills - Does your CMMS allow non-users to submit work requests through an HTML link?

Since the club has multiple branches, you can do all of the above for each site in one place.

How does the above relate to the important life skill of discipline? Maintenance teams are better focused on jobs with checklists and safety procedures. On-time compliance improves with efficient productivity. Workers become disciplined to work order routines.

You help club members stay disciplined in their training because equipment downtime is reduced. Customers expect access to what they paid for in their monthly dues. They don't want to see a sauna down for weeks or that a certain exercise machine breaks down after minimal usage. What will they think of the club? How will they view your business discipline?

Review the previous articles and discussion points. I think for a fitness club, organization and teamwork stand out. CMMS solutions help you stay organized with orderly lists, work orders, purchase orders, and more in one place. It helps you develop better morale for staff.

A large factor in the success of a company is one person's or a team's sense of discipline, that work ethic, determination, and willingness to see things through.

To see how a CMMS can help you stay disciplined, visit Mapcon or call 800-922-4336.