Did you know that there’s an equation for happiness that’s reliable and consistent?  Like any good equation, if you plug in the right parts, you’ll get the right results.

What’s the equation?

Discipline + Purpose + Gratitude = Happiness

Let’s break this down:

Discipline

The dictionary says discipline means: “To train yourself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.”  But I like Andy Frisela’s definition better: “Discipline is the ability to keep the promises you made to yourself.”

• Discipline means consistently saying no to the inner voice that makes you want to procrastinate, self-sabotage, and give up.
• Discipline means pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and doing whatever it takes for as long as it takes.
• When you keep the promises you make to yourself, you can live in an abundance of peace knowing that you are the biggest factor in your own happiness and you can control you!

Purpose

If you don’t know WHY you want or need to do the hard things, you’re probably not going to do them.  It’s important to have a clear picture of what you want in life.  Visualize it and see it clearly because that’s what’s going to drive your motivation to execute and be disciplined. To quote Danny Young: “Desire Drives Discipline.”  Be possessed by your purpose.

Gratitude

“If happiness was a coin, one side would be the ability to get what you want and the other side would be the appreciation for what you already have.” –Andy Frisela

If you never take the time to appreciate what you have and enjoy what you have right now, you’ll end up miserable.

• Form a daily ritual for gratitude. Like while brushing your teeth! Take those two minutes to be grateful for all you have.
• The opposite of gratitude is entitlement. The opposite of giving thanks is complaining. If you’re not cultivating good habits you are going to slide into bad ones.

Like a good equation, plug in the parts and you’ll get the results. Be thankful for what you already have as you visualize and cultivate your sense of purpose which will give you the fuel to be disciplined enough to put the effort in.

You might not have your day go as planned but it can still be a great day!

All the Best!