Discipline. Yeah... we need more of that.

Those who know me IRL will tell you I'm not 100% disciplined. I have a pizza addiction... I don't exercise like I used to... I might enjoy lazy Sundays a little more than I should... BUT, when it comes to work, I am disciplined. What does that mean, though?

When I take on a project, I set expectations, envision a timeline and begin to create a strategy that I believe is attainable (not easy, mind you... but realistic). And then I set to work, breaking big chunks into bite-sized nuggets of deliverables across the team. All of it builds up to what needs to be shipped by the predetermined date. Do I end up kicking things up a notch towards the end in order to meet the deadline. YES! Like, 105% of the time!

Here's the thing, though... I don't miss those deadlines. Sometimes I have to manage the expectations to match my team's progress because of extenuating circumstances, but even then, I rarely let the deadline extend. Why? Have you ever heard of Parkinson's Law?

In a nutshell, if you give yourself (or your team) more time to complete a project, they will fill that time completely. Unfortunately, I have seen this happen many times (especially with yours truly!). No matter how big the box we have, our inclination is to use every bit of it to create within. So... even when changes come at the last minute (and they always do), I prefer to keep the same deadline. THIS is where discipline really kicks in!

Remember, I said "...when it comes to work, I am disciplined"? Things will change; the due date does not. Professionals know these last-minute changes will come, but things still have to be completed on time. It's time to suck it up and perform!

There are many ways the word DISCIPLINE can be applied in business, but this is the first that comes to my mind. We don't stop until we reach our goal. And then we take a moment to celebrate our success before tackling the next challenge.