Flexing Your Discipline Muscle

Recently I completed the Broker Pre-Licensing Education required by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission before you can take the state license examination in order to obtain a Real Estate Agents license in North Carolina.

There was another licensed agent from Florida who was also in the class who among other professional licenses held a mortgage loan officers license in Florida. When first I asked him why he was  pursuing a license to sell real estate in North Carolina he said “you gotta follow the money“. I’m not sure if this is the kind of person I would want to represent me as a Buyer OR Seller but I don’t have to worry about it because I have my own real estate license.

During a lunch break we shared a ride to the local chicken eatery where he ordered for himself 1/2 a roasted chicken dinner with two sides and a large iced tea. Meanwhile I simply ordered a bowl of chicken soup. In itself this wouldn’t have been unusual for me but he said to me “I wish I were as disciplined as you“.

Before sitting the course I was told by many people for whom I have a great deal of respect for that it was the hardest course/exam they have ever sat. This came came from civil engineers and contractors alike. The long and short is that I passed top of my class and Mr. Follow the Money did not. Perhaps it can be boiled down to how disciplined are you and how important is it to you that your mortgage loan officer or real estate agent also be disciplined?

There is a correlation between physical exercise and performance — physical exercise develops your self-discipline muscle. The discipline it takes to get up in the morning and go to the gym is the same discipline that it takes to make an extra sales call, study an hour longer and have patience with an individual you are managing.

For me, I got tired of being fat and so I did something about it, it required denying myself what I wanted now (fried greasy food & delicious cold beer) for better choices, portion controls and yes exercising instead of watching T.V.! Two years later I am in the best physical health of my life and recently qualified for the best rating available for life insurance saving me thousands of dollars!

So committing to flexing your self-discipline muscle by adopting a healthy, active lifestyle can benefit all aspects of your life.

Research shows that physical exercise allows for the release of endorphins that lift depression, banish stress and sharpen the mind. But with all these benefits, why do so many of us neglect exercise?

The following tips may help you develop an exercise program to consistently develop your self-discipline muscle:

• Find an activity that you enjoy — it is better to “want” to exercise rather than feel you “have” to.
• Set small goals — Seeing results is a key influence in continuing a program, so set goals you can achieve and then move beyond with future goals.
• Find a buddy — It is often easier to stay committed if you are responsible for helping someone stick to the routine.
• Educate yourself — Read articles about the exercises you are doing and set out to learn new techniques that will add interest.
• Be aware of the improvements — Take time to notice the improvements in your stamina, health, energy level, and attitude. Take a look at the growth in your sales chart or productivity rate and feel good about it!

You can choose to go through life with a flabby, underdeveloped self-discipline muscle or you can choose to have a fit and trim one that everyone will respect. Get started today…your performance in life depends on it.