VISUALISE YOUR SUCCESS THROUGH 3-D

Everyone of us feel proud about our Armed Forces personnel and appreciate their heroic deeds in any field of action, whether it’s an anti-terrorist operation or saving lives of people in disaster or making India proud in International sports events. Armed Forces personnel are the part of us only but what differentiates them from civilian population is the 3-D formula of success i.e. Dedication towards goal, synergising the efforts in right Direction and the most importantly, performing the job in the most Disciplined manner! If Armed Forces can emerge as a winner everytime the task assigned to them, then why can’t everybody of us emerge as victorious in any task assigned to us by following the formula of 3-D of success? This article highlights the formula of 3-D for success focusing on Dedication, Direction and Discipline in life.

Dedication- In order to achieve success in any aspect of life, one should be aware about the ultimate aim to be achieved and he should put his best efforts to achieve the same. The success can be achieved only if it comes from within i.e. self-motivation fuels the journey towards achieving the ultimate aim. The full dedication towards fulfilling your aim is the first and foremost step in the journey of success. The batting maestro, Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar, is considered as ‘God of Cricket’ due to his dedication and mastery over the game of cricket. Right from his childhood, without any fail, he dedicated his entire life for the game of cricket and as a result, he could emerge as the best cricketer in the world!

Direction- Despite of hard work in life, every individual is not successful in the game of life. The role of a ‘guru’ or a mentor is significant in converging the efforts of a person towards achieving his goals. The efforts converged in a right direction optimises the available resources and ensures the success. The differentiating factor between ‘Kauravas’ and ‘Pandava’ in Kurukshetra was not the talent of warriors on either side but the presence of a mentor ‘Krishna’ on the side of ‘Pandavas’. The world could not have witnessed the talent of batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar if his coach Mr Ramakant Achrekar would not have recognised his talent and gave him the right direction and training at right age.

 Discipline–   The central theme of success in any field of action revolves around the concept of self-discipline. The dedicated efforts given in a right direction by any individual would not be result oriented unless and otherwise these are performed in a consistent and discipline manner. Discipline should not be dictated externally but should come from within and should be the integral part of life.  Self-discipline is the ability to control one’s impulses, emotions, desires and behaviour. It is being able to turn down immediate pleasure and instant gratification in favour of gaining the long-term satisfaction and fulfilment from achieving higher and more meaningful goals. It is a myth that self-discipline means limiting oneself for everything or a restrictive nature of life. It does not mean giving up everything you enjoy, or to relinquish fun and relaxation. On the contrary, self-discipline means learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished. It also means cultivating a mindset whereby you are ruled by your deliberate choices rather than by your emotions, bad habits or the sway of others. Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time frame and to live a more orderly and satisfying life. We know that everybody of us can sing but it is the consistent ‘riyaz’ (Regular practice of music) of singers which differentiates mediocre performers from the world-class artists like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Sonu Nigam and so on. Usain Bolt runs with a lightning speed not merely because of his talent but because of his consistent practice every day, without fail, not for a day or a month but for last number of decades. All these winners in different fields of life have disciplined their efforts in such a manner that success is not a solitary occasion for them but a part of their life. For everybody of us, time management, dietary control, positive work culture, following traffic rules and regulations, financial management in a personal life- all these require self discipline. It is very apt to conclude the discussion on self-discipline with a famous quote by Harry S. Truman –

“In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline with all of them came first.’’

(The author of this article ,Lt Col (Dr) Satish Dhage, is an ex Army officer and has been qualified for IPS (Indian Police Services) through IPS LCE 2012. Presently, he is Director, MGM Institute of Competitive Exams Aurangabad. For any queries or feedback, he can be contacted on email id : drsatishdhage@gmail.com)