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One of the major problems I’ve had in my years of development and growth is the lack of self-discipline. I couldn’t bring myself to be disciplined to stop bad habits; I couldn’t bring myself to continue good habits even after I have sworn to do so. I got tired of giving my life to Christ over and over again for many years. I learnt that self-control which is close to self-discipline is a fruit of the Spirit but I couldn’t bring myself to exercise the restraint that came with self-control on my life. I got very frustrated and annoyed at myself. Many times, I was so ashamed of my limitations that I wished myself dead. I’d travel hoping to get involved in an accident that would claim my life, but I’d arrive safely at my destination. In fact, I’ve never been involved till date and would not be involved in a fatal accident of any sort by God’s grace.

Without an iota of doubt, I knew deeply within me that the only way I can etch my footprints in the sands of time is if I exercised self-discipline on myself in the areas that the common chooses to be a slave to his situation and circumstance.

Great leaders always have self-discipline-without exceptions. Unfortunately, our society seeks instant gratification rather than self-discipline. We want instant breakfast, fast food, movies on demand, and quick cash from ATMs. But success doesn’t come instantly. Neither does the ability to lead. As General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “There are no victories at bargain prices.”

Because we live in a society of instant gratification, we cannot take for granted that the potential leaders we interview will have self-discipline-that they will be willing to pay the price of great leadership. When it comes to self-discipline which comes from the easy road and missed opportunities. Each person in life chooses. James Rohn said “the pain of discipline weighs ounces! Regret weighs tons.” In his book Adventures in Achievement.

There are two areas of self-discipline potential leaders must possess. The first is emotions:

EMOTIONS

Effective and great leaders recognize that their emotional reactions are their own responsibility. A leader who decides not to allow other people’s actions to dictate his reactions experiences an empowering freedom. A Greek philosopher, Epictetus, put it this way, “No person is free who is not master of himself.”

The second area concerns time:

TIME

Everyone on the planet has the same allotment of minutes in a day. But each person’s level of self-discipline dictates how effectively those minutes are used. Disciplined people are always growing, always striving for improvement, and they maximize the use of their time. I have found three things that characterize disciplined leaders. They have:

· identified specific long- and short-term goals for themselves.

· a plan for achieving those goals.

· a desire that motivates them to continue working to accomplish those goals.

Progress comes at a price. When you interview a potential leader, determine whether he or she is willing to pay the price. The condition for getting the prize is paying the price. Redemption came because Jesus (God) came to die on earth like a common thief and murderer. Salvation might be free now for us but it was paid for by someone. Jesus doesn’t have many disciples because he looks physically handsome. He subjected himself to the discipline of dying for the sins of mankind and the result cannot be quantified.

All you need is to understand that less than 10% of all the people on earth are not self-disciplined about one thing or the other. If all you do is develop self-discipline in any area with regards to your emotions and your time, know that you are on your way to becoming a great leader.