A variety of factors influence your success. All types of skills, habits, and mindsets contribute significantly to your specific success. Despite the fact that other factors are important, one stands out above the rest: self-discipline. A lack of self-control can result in an unhealthy lifestyle.

If you lack self discipline, you’re not in control of your own life. Here is why…

• Poor Decision Making – We make decisions every day, our daily decisions compound and create our future. If you don’t have discipline you’re not in control of your decisions. You’re controlled by your moods and emotions, which lead to poor decision making.
• Inconsistent Habits – It takes almost nothing to create bad habits. It takes discipline to create a good one. If you don’t develop the discipline you will always fall victim to your bad habits, and your success will never exceed your habits.
• Unreliable Motivation – Motivation comes and goes. If you only rely on motivation you’re not in control of your life. If you only work on the days you feel motivated you won’t go very far. Success doesn’t happen when you’re motivated. It happens on the days you are NOT.
• Delayed Gratification – Discipline is about putting in the work even when you have nothing to show for it. Discipline is making short term sacrifices because you know they’re necessary to achieve your long term goals.

What would you add to the list?