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Self-control: an essential ingredient for success

23 Jul 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Controlling is an important and powerful word in the business world.

We, as human beings, want to control almost everything around us. Similarly, in business, people want employees, customers and even competitors to be under their control. It is easy for business leaders to take control of their organization. However, they have to strategize for taking control of the external environment including the market.

It is believed that controlling oneself brings more benefits and advantages. As controlling yourself is not an easy task, it takes much patience and intelligence. The two banks of the river help it flow into its final destination which is the sea. Similarly, now, there is no argument that people also should have self-control. Hence, it is absolutely imperative to have a closer look at controlling oneself.

Why?

Human mind is by nature confused and undisciplined. That is why, keeping it under control is difficult, but not impossible. It is believed that the one that can control oneself, can control or have an impact on everything and everyone around him.

It is needless to say that everyone has their own goals and aspirations. However, only the handful of them can achieve those goals. One of the reasons is the inability to control oneself in the way the goal requires. When the mind is under control, huge strength is built and can be used for pursuing goals. Modern professionals are expected to work under pressure and fulfil multitasks at once. Therefore, the need for controlling oneself has gone up considerably.

Leaders are always persons who controlled themselves and guided their disciples in the right direction. Discipline is a major competitive advantage which everybody doesn’t have, but everybody needs. It is not difficult to give examples that some well-known personalities have got their image tarnished, due to the lack of self-control. Discipline should be always with you. As soon as it is absent, you are going to miserably fail. Thus, there is no argument as to why self-control is critical for success. Now, let’s find out how it can be done.

How?
Before we make a strategy on disciplining ourselves, we have to figure out who we are. We get an audit done on our business, so that we are able to arrive at a conclusion whether any wrong or fraud has taken place in last financial year or not. Thus, based on the audit report, we introduce some internal controls and policies into the business, so that previous wrongs and frauds will never take place.

The same theory can be applied to people as well. You should do an audit on yourself for getting an idea of your undisciplined actions which led to failures, especially, waste of money, time and energy.

Having identified emotionally driven actions, one can find remedies. However, the ways in which one can be made a disciplined person, can vary from person to person, as their personal characteristics are different. Hence, people ought to use different approaches in this regard. For an instance, an alcoholic person might decide not to use it again. Once he sees drugs, what happens to him is that his determination not to use it, disappears. Consequently, it can be said that discipline should be there you need it most.

Your goals might want you to be disciplined. For example, if you are planning to buy a car, you are required to cut your expenditure and save money as much as possible. In other words, you shouldn’t overspend. That is the financial discipline. Your organization might want you to be disciplined. For example, you are expected to be punctual, then you need time discipline. In a nut shell, you are required to perform in compliance with accepted norms in the society, your workplace and your family etc.

It is when there is a deadline that people become active to achieve it. Hence, if you are going to make some changes in your day-to-day activities, set some deadlines. If you achieve it, reward yourself. On the other hand, if you fail, don’t hesitate to punish yourself. That is how you make yourself disciplined.

For what?
By today, there are many things which challenge people’s discipline. Well-packaged goods being sold in the market, endanger people’s financial discipline. Therefore, people need self-control, regardless of their positions. Successful business organization means a group of disciplined people who take right decisions at right time. Self-control is an essential ingredient of success.

(Amila Muthukutti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Colombo and can be reached at [email protected])

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Self-control: an essential ingredient for success

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