This Mompreneur journey is taking me along paths that seemed very adult when I was younger. When did I become the person talking about discipline, responsibility and persistence? When did the body switch happen and while we are here, can I hit the brakes please?
I recently discovered that no matter how skilled, gifted or talented you are, there are some key factors you cannot run away from. A lot of words we have sidelined because they seem too ’serious’ or ’intense’ have revisited and come to stay. Trying to erase the word from your vocabulary does not in anyway reduce the power and necessity of applying the word in your life. Take for example, the word discipline. I have never seen a word that people cringe at so badly, me inclusive. For some reason, it just seems to require so much… discipline. But avoid it or not, Discipline is what will give you the staying power to graduate from basic to expert.
For example, a year after having my baby, the baby weight caught up with me. I am 2 dress sizes bigger and I am still trying to adjust to this huge change. I am not completely excited by the weight gain and I have complained and sought out solutions – the most sensible one being diet and exercise of course. For the longest time, I told myself, if I can get this particular exercise routine and that particular diet plan, I will be golden. I eventually got everything I needed and the truth is, I was golden… for the first 21 days. The weight dropped off like magic and I was extremely happy but then i stopped. I had no good reason for stopping except, I lacked the discipline to continue on the regimen I had put myself on despite seeing the results. So now, I sit around all day and complain about how much weight I have gained. I wail all day about how my clothes no longer fit and make unending promises to get back on that diet the very next week but this is a familiar dance routine and till we speak, my target to start is still next week because I lack the discipline to stick to the fitness plan. I am just all talk and no moves in the weight loss department. (Cake and Froyo are my constant downfall)
Discipline not only builds consistency but also yields results. There are some days you just ’cannot can’ and its the strength built from discipline that will help you power through on auto-pilot. Discipline has helped to keep me doing what I love even though my entire dynamics have changed with a baby. Discipline has helped me to make room for motherhood while keeping me running at optimum capacity in my career. Over the years, consistent daily writing and content creation built a discipline that allowed my career wheels to not only keep rolling but gain greater momentum even after having a baby.
However, if I had relied on just my gifts and talents without the structure discipline builds, I would be unable to deliver at a certain level and would give a million legitimate reasons for that failure on my path except the actual reason – lack of discipline.
My takeaway from my two sides of discipline(the lack of it in my exercise life and the little I have built in my career) are:
1. Even though it seems like such an unfriendly word, Discipline is your friend and has your best interests at heart.
2. Discipline distinguishes you and steps up your talent and gifts from ordinary into the level of expertise.
3. I don’t think I have ever met a disciplined person that lacked results. Discipline and results are an unavoidable tag team.
I am about to take my own advice and definitely get back on my diet and exercise plan next week, or the week after… I am definitely starting soon. While I flex my discipline muscles there, I plan to build up an even greater level career wise until I hit that ’expert’ spot!
TigerFireRose is the Chief Executive Officer of TigerFireRose Media. She has cut her teeth in the Visual Content Production industry, having spent time learning and running projects for various production houses commissioned by Africa Magic. Her versatility and creativity has taken her swiftly across the media space, rising in ranks and positions in a short amount of time from Content writer, to Associate Producer, to Production Manager and eventually Executive Producing her own content. She is a born leader who inspires her team to be all they can be, no holds barred!
