There ain't no success without it.

A skill held highly by the ancient Greeks and cherished by achievers of every age.

Once you make this part of your M.O.; success in just about any endeavour is within reach.

The skill I am referring to is one of THE most valuable skills you can develop if you want to enhance your life.

The skill of self-control.

Take any goal you have right now.

Chances are you have a reasonable idea of what 'success' looks like. You may even know what is required to achieve it.

There are tons and tons of books, seminars, blogs, wikis, videos and TV shows on every topic imaginable.

Yet, all too often, many people fall short of achieving anything close to their desired goal.

Succeed far below their potential.

Self-help programs focus for the most part on what is required to be successful.

Few focus on how to consistently do what is required to be successful.

You may have heard the saying:

It's true.

But perhaps not in the way you think.

Take any goal.

There will always be a few critical conditions that must occur in order for the goal to be achieved.

People who are successful consistently do the things that are required to achieve their goals.

They don't do them just once.

They do them over and over again.

Consistently.

Rain. Hail. Shine.

Doesn't matter.

Are they some kind of superhero?

Not at all.

They may be totally "lazy" in other areas of their life but in regards to the achievement of that specific goal; the consistently do what is required.

They exhibit strong self-control.

It sets them apart from those who 'try'.

So how can you we all get more self-control?

A friend approached me recently and said something that made me laugh.

He said: "Tom, you're weird!"

I responded with a puzzled look. My friend continued:

"I noticed over the years that you keep doing things, even when you don't enjoy them."

"For me as soon as I don't enjoy something I stop, but you do the tasks anyway, even if they aren't enjoyable."

I stopped for a moment and thought about it. He was right.

I reflected back on many occasions in my life where I would have preferred to have been doing something else, but I did the tasks anyway.

Not in some kind of robot way.

But a conscious goal-connected thought.

Like anyone who has achieved something worthwhile, there will be moments, sometimes entire periods where things really are a struggle and you wonder are you making any headway at all.

Your brain and body wants to give up.

That inner voice bitches, wines and moans perhaps.

But something inside you says:

"Move on. Keep moving forward."

That steely determination, self-control and unbending resolve that you are going to do what needs doing (those critical few tasks/objectives) is what really counts.

It build great self-confidence and belief in yourself.

So my friend asked:

"How can I develop self-control like that, so I can experience and achieve more of what I want?"

I reflected back on my own process and let him in on a simple rule I've lived my life for many periods of my life.

A rule that has been passed down by one achiever to the next.

"Do one thing every day that you REALLY don't want to do."

Friend: "What??"

Me: "Seriously, this one simple act can change your entire attitude and build rock solid self-control muscles."

"You do the act, simply for the practice. Over time you get a kick off of seeing how far you've come."

With daily practice to begin with, your mind-body will quickly get the message, when you Ava Jean, say you are going to do something - that the only choice it has is to get on board and do it.

You become more of the captain - and less of he servant.

When you set a goal, your mind locks on… fixates on ways and means for you to achieve it.

You drop the word "trying" from you vocabulary. Your mind switches to a place of expectancy.

Your brain and body operates from the position that the goal has been achieved; there are only X number of actions that need to be completed to create the conditions you want. And you get to work.

It's one of the simplest and most powerful personal development techniques I know.

Do one thing you REALLY don't want to do every day.It will change your life.

What are some ideas to get you started?

Anything that when you think about it, brings up a strong visceral turning away from response, and perhaps inner phrase of "I don't want to do that!"

Here are some common ones I've noticed that are common "hate to do" tasks for people.

• Wash the dishes
• Walk for 30 minutes every day
• Mediate at a set time every day
• Phone that person you've been putting off calling for ages
• Balance your budget/do your accounts

Etc.

Everyone has their own list of things.

What are some of yours?

Take out a sheet of paper now and write down 7 things you really don't want to do. Things that need doing and will have a positive impact (and reward) when you do them, but upon first thinking about them you go "anything but that!"

Write down at least 7.

Then start right away and do the first one.

After you're done, tick it off.

Then do another tomorrow and so forth.

You can even repeat your "Don't Want To Do" actions if they need to be done every day.

This one change separates the dreamers from the doers.

The achievers from the talkers.

You'll become a better you.

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