“Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.” – Jim Rohn

In the last article I discussed my wonderful new job at the Spring Branch Store. It’s been just over a week since I’ve been thankfully employed there and boy have I learned a lot in that time. What I’ve learned is pretty much summarized in the quote I have here by Jim Rohn.

In the year I’ve been in Texas, it has been easy for me to just relax and drift through my days. That’s not a wrong thing, but it has lead to stagnancy in what I’ve demanded in myself as a person. Has anyone else been there? Well my co-workers are reminding me of some of the values I care about; hard work, diligence, excellence and attention to detail.

It seems to be the case that we take one another for granted with respect to the contributions we make to the national economy. It’s true that country music is filled with music about the workin’ man and the value of working with your hands. But what few realize is all the details that go into each job, including working at a convenience store. There is an excellence that is required in order for any business to not only survive, but thrive in these difficult economic times.

So back to the striving for excellence in all things; to do this, one needs to practice discipline. To achieve your goals it’s as simple as knowing what your goal is and then setting small markers that help you get there. For example, I want to write a book or memoir about a certain aspect of my life. In order to do that, I need to determine each day to sit down and write for a block of time and even decide when the book will be done and the revisions can begin to happen. I think writing is another area people tend to overlook as being an easy task. Everything in life has detail and various levels of intricacy that we’d do well to not over look.

Excellence is needed in all things. Having an active engagement in your life will get you to the place you want to be. I remember the determination I had to become Jewish. I threw aside any barrier that prevented me from becoming a Jew. After that was accomplished, the next step was to be responsible to a Jewish community as well as learning Hebrew. The same thing goes with doing well in a job, such as the one I’ve been honored with. It’s attention to detail and going further to make things even better. I’ve been missing this understanding for awhile, but it’s been found.

In these difficult times people are pursing passions they’ve long held because of losing a job or other difficulty. Set your goals to achieve the excellence and success you want in life – this Jewish woman has determined to do that for sure!