The "D-word" Black People Need to be Successful

In discussing the path to personal growth and success with my clients, the conversation often revolves around motivation and its role in driving them to achieve their goals.

However, I must bring to their attention the D-word that is more important than motivation in playing a fundamental role in this journey, particularly for us as Black people. It’s a crucial factor for Black people striving to make significant moves as we negotiate the largely mental and spiritual roadblocks perennially in our paths.

The single most crucial factor for Black people striving to make significant moves as we negotiate the largely mental and spiritual roadblocks perennially in our paths is discipline, not the kind that is meted out with a belt or paddle by an upset parent to a child who disappointed them.

In fact, the goal of every parent should be to teach their child how to discipline themselves, and how to develop and consistently act by goals and values that affirm their worth, even in the face of adversity or distractions.

Discipline looks like commitment, self-control, perseverance, and actions that display a steadfast dedication to personal growth. While motivation can provide initial enthusiasm, discipline is what sustains progress and ensures long-term success. In other words, while motivation can get you started, discipline will keep you going.

In the Black community, social, economic, health, political, and educational inequities fueled by systemic racism and discrimination continue to impede and often block access to opportunities, negatively impacting our overall well-being.

These external challenges have contributed to an environment that demands resilience, determination, and self-discipline to remove obstacles and experience personal and collective advancement.

Overcome adversity

When I think about how discipline helps me show up for myself and for others who depend on me, one of the things that comes to mind is how it has helped me overcome adversity. I can’t name the number of outright failures and dreams deferred I’ve experienced personally and professionally.

Mine came early and often. But because I refused to play the victim, each setback empowered me to push through. People, namely my children, were depending on me, so I needed to demonstrate exceptional discipline to continue pressing on, regardless.

Build resilience

Another thing that comes to mind when I think about my own journey to self-discipline is the resilience I developed, the ability to bounce back from failures, setbacks, and disappointments. To maintain focus and continue working towards my goals took extraordinary energy and forward thinking. Achieving consistent, sustainable progress requires my making conscious, deliberate decisions.

Nurture Consistency

I also learned that nurturing consistency facilitates self-discipline in that while motivation can fluctuate over time, mainly because it’s based on how I’m feeling, making it unreliable as a sole driving force, discipline is based on practices and actions that I perform despite how I’m feeling which ensures steady improvement. It is this consistency that yields tangible results in the long run.

Cultivating Self-Control

In addition, discipline required that I be in control of myself which helped me resist short-term temptations and make choices aligned with my long-term objectives. This self-discipline is especially important in areas such as personal finance, education, career development, and overall lifestyle choices.

Harnessing Opportunities

I’d also add that making sure that I maintained command of myself, my emotions and my actions helped me recognize what true opportunities were when they do arise ensuring that I could capitalize and maximize them fully. 

While motivation certainly plays a role in inspiring Black people to start a journey of personal growth, discipline is the driving force that sustains progress and creates lasting change. By recognizing and promoting the power of discipline, we can foster an environment where we have the tools and mindset necessary to achieve remarkable improvements in our lives.

If you’re interested in learning about how you can access some of the most effective tools in building self-discipline I have a special opportunity for you!

Use this link to apply for your free one-hour Certified High Performance Coaching strategy session. During the hour we’ll explore five specific areas of your life where self-discipline makes the most impact:  clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence. I guarantee you’ll walk away with at least one tool you can use to exercise an increased level of discipline in your life. 

See video here.