Today, I want to share with you the #1 most powerful personal discipline in all the world.
It struck me like lightning a few days ago when I came across it in Dan Kennedy’s No B.S. Time Management book.
Dan says everybody he has ever met who sticks to this discipline ends up hugely successful… while everybody who doesn’t stick to it eventually fails.
In other words, this one discipline is the difference between the winners and the losers… the Bugs Bunnies on the one hand, and the Daffy Ducks on the other… the Jerry Seinfelds and the George Costanzas of the world.
So with that intro, would you like to know what this discipline is? Get ready:
It’s punctuality.
“Gaaaah, come on!” you say. “Next you’ll be telling me to brush my teeth and make my bed each morning!”
Keep yer shirt on. I’m not telling you to do anything, tooth-wise or punctuality-wise.
I just want to share what Dan says about punctuality. He makes a big case for punctuality being a proxy for trustworthiness. According to Dan’s research into the brains of the rich and successful, the higher you go up the wealth ladder, the more people will judge you based on your punctuality.
Even so, maybe punctually genuinely is not an issue for you.
It’s never been an issue for me. I show up to meetings on time, I deliver client work at agreed-upon deadlines, I do stuff when I tell people I will do it.
But here’s the lightning bolt that struck me when I read Dan’s praise of punctuality:
I realized that while I’m punctual in my contracts with others…
I’m not at all punctual in my contracts with myself. Rather, I’m very sloppy and lax with myself.
The fact is, I’m lazy by nature. I take advantage of working on my own, with no evil boss standing above me with a big wooden ruler, ready to rap me on the knuckles as soon as I start to lag.
So I show up to work when I feel like it. I take long lunches. I pay no mind to the clock. Why would I? It’s the benefit of working for myself, by myself.
Here’s Dan Kennedy again:
Good news. bad news.
Good news! You are now your own boss!
Bad news! You are a lousy boss with one unreliable employee!
So all I want to tell you is that I’m now taking punctuality a lot more seriously. Yes, even when I’m by myself. Even when no one around to judge me or distrust me or make me feel unprofessional.
I can tell you I’ve been more productive as a result while spending less time working. And more importantly, I feel better. I also feel a little morally superior to that undisciplined sloth who lived in my skin until just a few days ago.
Normally, this might be the point in my email where I suggest the same change of attitude to you.
I certainly won’t advise you against taking up the personal discipline of punctuality. But I won’t advise you to take it up either.
Because I don’t have to.
If you’re curious how I can be so cavalier and confident about your self-discipline habits and your future success… well, sign up for my newsletter. My email tomorrow will explain everything. I’ll send it out at exactly 8:37 PM CET.