Life Plan: A Day in the life of...?

You might be familiar with the phrase “If you fail to plan, you will plan to fail”. How often have you got to the end of your day and wondered why you didn’t achieve anything? Would of, could of, should of, but didn’t.

Recently I watched “Aaron Smith – A day in the life” on YouTube. At the age of 32 he has his sights firmly fixed on the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and his age is certainly not a roadblock to achieving that goal. What Aaron has discovered though, is that as he has aged, he has had to be more intentional about attitude, life, and training. Here are seven things he focuses on to help him:

1.      Planned Day: A planned day is important for consistency and structure

2.      Attitude: Important to keep positive and contribute energy to the day

3.      Trust in prep work: This enables a baseline to work from

4.      Practice: To be the best you must practice more than everyone else

5.      Have Fun: Teammates enjoy the joking and light heartedness

6.      Rest, Recovery, Relax: Make time to recharge mentally and physically

7.      Be Present: Key relationships require time and this needs to be intentional

It’s no wonder that he’s considered one of the world’s best rugby union halfbacks. Becoming the best doesn’t happen by chance, it happens by being planned, intentional and self-disciplined. I wonder what differences we would see in our lives if we consistently applied some of these principles. Could life be better if we were more planned, intentional, or self-disciplined?

Dr John Maxwell writes:

“Discipline is a matter of taking total responsibility for your future. Choose not to blame circumstances for the outcome of your life. Choose to go beyond your natural talent. Choose to make wise decisions repeatedly. Choose discipline as the path to your potential.

Four Truths about (Self) Discipline

What were you born to do? What is your dream? To become the person you have the potential to be, you have to cultivate a life of discipline. Consider these truths concerning discipline:

1.       Discipline Comes with a Price Tag

Discipline is costly. It demands a continual investment of time, energy, and commitment at the expense of momentary pleasure and ease.

2.       Discipline Turns Talent to Greatness

Super-talented individuals can coast on sheer ability and neglect building the daily habits of success that will sustain them. If you want to reach your potential, attach a strong work ethic to your talent. 

3.       Discipline Focuses on Choices, Not Conditions

In general, people approach daily discipline in one of two ways. They focus on the external or the internal. Those who focus externally allow conditions to dictate whether or not they remain disciplined. In contrast, people with internal discipline focus on choices.

4.       Discipline Does Not Bow Down to Feelings

If you do what you should only when you really feel like it, then you won’t build disciplined habits. At times, you have to act contrary to emotions. If you refuse to give into your lesser impulses, no matter how great they will make you feel in the moment, then you’ll go far.”

My 5 Learnings:

·       Be clear and committed to my purpose or goals

·       Identify where I need to grow to achieve my goals

·       Be intentional about having a positive attitude

·       Work hard and don’t give up

·       Take time out to relax and have fun

Self-Discipline is an intentional action, and it takes effort and self-control. Anyone can achieve their goals if they put their mind to achieving them. Be self-aware in identifying things in your life that are not helping you move forward, draining you or wearing you out and get rid of them.

My 3 Questions for you:

·       What dreams and goals do you have that could become a reality by applying self-discipline?

·       What is one small change you could make in life to get you closer to your goal?

·       What could you change in your attitude to help make someone else’s day more positive?

 “Self-discipline is the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” ― Elbert Hubbard

 If you have something you have learnt from this blog, or if there is something you have questions about, please talk to me. I would be happy to chat with you.

 Remember daily to, “Find value in your influence”