Everyone wants to know how to get what they want. But in searching for solutions of what to do and how to do it, they overlook a more critical element: what they must not do. The path to earning the vision in your mind begins not with saying yes but with saying no. Success, in all its limitless definitions, starts with identifying and eliminating preventable mistakes.
Saying no to undisciplined impulses. Saying no to low standards. Saying no to intrusive thoughts. Saying no to reactive actions. Saying no to dysfunctional patterns. In short, saying no to what we know never works.
The fastest and easiest way to build security and strength is deciding what not to do. Recall the Simplifier (or Yoda) role of discipline, which I explained not long ago.
Even if you find every solution for what to do and how to do it, those solutions never get a chance to produce what you want until you discipline yourself to not do the things guaranteed to derail you. The mistakes that block solutions, undermine their impact, and destroy their progress. The best part is these mistakes are identifiable and preventable.
Recognize and remove the thoughts, actions, and decisions that lead to failure. Some of these are entirely in your control — like blaming, complaining, and defensiveness. Some are partially in your control — like doubt, envy, and insecurity. Only you can decide whether things like this have a presence in your life, whether they have a role, whether to do them or not do them.
Deciding what not to do is the first 50% of how you win. Because the first 50% of winning is not going down a losing path. If you do not decide what not to do, you cannot discipline yourself to not do it. You will make obvious but preventable mistakes that will derail your efforts.
The discipline to not do certain things is a massive step toward getting what you want but still haven’t achieved. But it requires that you make actively disciplined decisions.
Event + Response = Outcome. Do the work.
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