Last week, I read an article by Chris Brogan entitled “Five Tasks in the Morning” which has me thinking about the importance of self-discipline for business and personal success. Chris Brogan’s article is a description of the 5 social media actions he takes every morning to begin his work day. It’s a great starting point for those who want to learn from the best on how to manage social media for their business. Chris is unquestionably one the real “experts” in a world overrun by “social media experts”. However, what strikes me about this post has nothing to do with social media.

For me, the real meaning in Chris’ post has to do with discipline, being successful, being the best, and achieving your goals. As Jim Rohn says, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and achievements”.

When I think about the truly successful people I know, they all have one thing in common. They have a short list of daily habits that they execute every day. Their personal lives are framed by a handful of daily habits such as: 1. Prayer; 2. Exercise; 3. Healthy meals; 4. Dinner with family; 5. 8 hours sleep, to name a few. In their work lives, successful people can describe a structure of habits such as: 1. Reading newspapers; 2. contacting sales leads; 3. checking sales numbers; 4. reviewing goals; 5. measuring progress, and so on.

For another reflection on the subject David Campbell offers, “Discipline is remembering what you want.” In running your business, are you focusing your time and energy on what you want? If someone asked you the keys to your success, could you author an article entitled “Five Tasks in the Morning”?

If not, spend some time with your business mission and vision. Brainstorm a list and narrow it down to a top five for your business. If you start every day with those “5 Tasks in the Morning”, imagine the difference it will make to your business.