Did you know that one of the most important steps in creating financial wealth is discipline? And most financially successful celebrities, politicians, Fortune 500 business owners, authors and athletes who claim to know the secrets of wealth and success all agree that self-discipline and vision allowed them to accomplish extraordinary achievements. For example, it took Thomas Edison over 10,000 attempts to invent the light bulb; Michael Phelps holds 37 world records, more than any other swimmer in history; and, Tiger Woods had the most PGA tour wins before he was 25 years old. Do you believe that Barack Obama would have been the first Black President of the United States of America if he lived a life of mediocrity, lacking self-control and vision? Absolutely not. All successful individuals know the importance of long-term thinking and the value of self-discipline.

 

Stanford University did a study in the 1960's called the Marshmallow Study. The Stanford researcher, Michael Mischel, wanted to demonstrate the importance of self-discipline and link the value of self-discipline to positive life outcomes. In his Marshmallow Study, he offered a group of 4 year-olds one marshmallow, but told them that if they could wait for him to run a few errands and return, within 20 minutes, they could have two marshmallows. He wanted to test whether or not the children could delay gratification and control their impulses.

 

The results?

 

Fourteen years later, when the children from the experiment graduated from high school, Mischel noted that the children who waited and received two marshmallows were more positive, self-motivated, persistent in the face of difficulties, and able to delay gratification in pursuit of their goals. They also experienced more financial security as adults. The children who didn't wait, and only received one marshmallow, were more troubled, stubborn and indecisive, mistrustful, less self-confident and still unable to delay self-gratification. They also scored 210 points less on the SAT because their desire for instant gratification interfered with focused study time. It was noted that if not corrected, lack of self-discipline could result in low income, bad financial habits and overall frustration with life.

 

As with anything in life when we make a conscious choice to do or not do something, it gives us a sense of control and purpose. Having control over personal outcomes is something that many strive for but often fall short. It's easier to give in to short-term gratification. And more often than not, once you've fed your desires, you may still be left unfulfilled.

 

Do you know the story about the young woman who completed college, received her MBA and started a successful business? She had dreams of building her own Fortune 500 company and was well on her way to making her dream a reality until she met her "soul mate." She was deeply in love with the man that seemed to have come directly from heaven. He didn't have the same opportunities that she had but he had enormous potential. So she supported him 100% by paying for him to complete his education and gave him $100,000 to start his own business. And she worked as his right hand making sure that he made the right connections and gave him management advice that rivaled the famous thought leader Peter Drucker. Eventually however, he started taking her for granted. All of her sacrifices and support didn't mean anything to him anymore. He told her he didn't love her and he left. Now she's alone, unfulfilled with her dreams left unrealized.

 

Which brings me back to celibacy

 

Discipline is a learned habit and can be achieved with practice. The more you practice, the better you will become. And choosing celibacy can be an empowering move especially if you want to focus time and energy on achieving financial success. Eliminating sex from your list of concerns opens up a tremendous amount of brain and emotional space that the strategizing, analyzing and agonizing over your sex lives often fills. While celibacy may sound like an extreme choice to some, it is liberating to others. But remember, it doesn't have to last forever! You can make a celibacy vow for anywhere from one week, to one month, to one year.

 

Celibacy doesn't have to be your only option for developing self-discipline. Any endeavor that forces you to control your impulses, emotions, desires and behaviors in favor of gaining long-term satisfaction and achieving meaningful goals is ideal. Self-discipline allows you to make decisions and take action regardless of the challenges that come your way. Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time frame and to live a more orderly and satisfying life. Being disciplined doesn't necessarily mean you're living a restrictive lifestyle or that you have to give up everything you enjoy. It just means that you have to focus your mind and your energy on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished.