First a confession, I've never been a big fan of motivational speakers and the books, tapes, posters and other paraphernalia they generate.Recently, however, an advisor who receives my posts directed to me to a quote by American self help-guru Jim Rohr, which really resonated with me. This quote speaks directly to the issue of self-discipline, one of the key traits which differentiates those few who achieve great heights of success from the majority who just get by. Here's how Jim Rohr frames the issue of discipline:

"There are two kinds of pain in life - the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. The pain of discipline weighs ounces and lasts for minutes - the pain of regret weighs tons and lasts forever".

The next time you think about doing something which is critical to your long term success but difficult in the short term, consider which kind of pain you prefer - the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Whether it relates to having difficult conversations with clients, spending the time to get through the paperwork which has been accumulating for weeks or dealing with a staff member who is underperforming, you're always going to pay a price, the only question is which one - the short term pain of discipline or the long term pain of regret.

P.S. You might also want to consider this the next time you're thinking about skipping that workout; you still may opt for the pain of regret over the pain of discipline - but at least you'll be making an conscious choice to do so.