I was thinking about something most people don’t think about at all.
I think about it a lot, but hey I’m weird by most people’s standards so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
One of my teaching shares “The 7 Levels of Awareness”.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s awareness not knowledge that’s the trick to success. Most people either don’t know that or struggle to understand what awareness is.
If you’re one of them, here’s a simple explanation. The higher your awareness, the less controlled you are by habit. You’re more conscious, meaning your beliefs and the thoughts they generate are no longer in control of you, your thinking, your behaviours and consequently, your results.
There are an infinite number of levels of awareness (or consciousness) and “The 7 Levels of Awareness” lesson describes the typical behaviour of someone at each elevated level, from animalistic awareness, where people live in a “fight or flight” state completely controlled by conditions and circumstances, all the way up to mastery, where, as I say, an individual is creating the results they desire in life at will – no longer controlled by habit.
Along the way, between these two “states” of being, is the level of discipline.
This is where a person gives themselves a command and follows it, regardless of the opinions of others, or what existing conditions or circumstances dictate is possible.
As Jim Rohn put it so well: “Everyone must choose one of two pains; the pain of discipline or the pain of regret”.
There are two essential components to discipline – frequency and regularity. I’m often reminded how much my life is built around this.
I’m physically fitter today than I’ve ever been. This is because I’m ruthlessly disciplined in my nutrition and exercise regime.
My awareness has been elevated over the past fifteen years because of a disciplined approach to personal growth and self-improvement.
My business success has come from taking a disciplined approach to the discovery and then the implementation of direct response marketing strategies.
And the elimination of toxic habits in my life have all come from being disciplined about replacing habits that don’t serve me with habits that do.
I’m not being conceited in sharing this with you, believe me, I’m far from the finished article and have more shortcomings than I care to mention – no, I’m sharing it to make a point.
Discipline is essential to success and it isn’t as difficult as people make out.
Yes, of course, a person has to really desire the outcome enough to make it happen and expect it to but discipline really boils down to two things: frequency and regularity.
Do something enough times on a regular basis for long enough and whatever it is you’re doing it becomes habitual. It’s really a matter of reprogramming ourselves. And it doesn’t take as long as most people think.
I structured my inner circles on frequency and regularity.
Every level gets emails on a frequent and regular basis, the Group Coaching & Mentoring events in Entrepreneurial Mastery take place every two weeks and in Entrepreneurial Elite there’s monthly one-to-one meetings, monthly accountability meetings and a quarterly two-and-a-half day in person summit.
It’s no “coincidence” that people in these communities who engage the process with frequency and regularity significantly improve the results in their lives.
My Elite group and I spend time updating each other on the actions, commitments and progress we’re making in both our personal and business lives.
There’s so much going it’s not feasible to share it here and in the spirit of confidentiality, it’s not appropriate either. However one particular change is very evident to the physical eye – members are growing exponentially internally, while visibly shrinking externally.
A number of midriff’s have diminished considerably. I’m not surprised. It’s the way it works. When you bring change on the inside it has to be, by a lawful process, reflected on the outside.
And it all comes down to the environment you choose for yourself. Whether positive or negative, environment shapes you and most people don’t give a thought to their environment or the quality of person occupying it.
The smartest person in the room is always the dumbest.
Christian Simpson is the UK’s leading coach and mentor to business owners and entrepreneurs. For COMPLIMENTARY ACCESS to tried, tested and proven entrepreneurial success strategies, click here
