For this article, I want to talk to you about discipline. Steven Bartlett, host of The Diary of A CEO podcast, says that “success has three ingredients: Focus, consistency and discipline”. He also says that “6 months of these three things can change your life forever.” This was a message he posted on LinkedIn, and I strongly agree with his message.

Steven Bartlett has a reputation as a successful entrepreneur and thought leader on personal development. He founded the social media marketing company Social Chain in 2014, and in 2017 started The Diary of a CEO podcast, which is one of the world’s most listened-to podcasts.

The core message that I am sharing in this article is Steven Bartlett’s statement that success has three ingredients: focus, consistency and discipline, and that 6 months of these three things can change your life forever. Success in life hinges on these three key elements. The transformative promise of committing to these practices for six months is that you will generate results and make progress on your goals. You will also be more effective.

The Three Ingredients of Success

Focus

Focus, in the context of personal and professional success, refers to the ability to concentrate your mental energy and attention on a specific goal or set of objectives while minimizing distractions. It involves:

• Clarity of Purpose: Identifying what truly matters to you and establishing clear, prioritized goals.
• Selective Attention: Choosing to invest time and resources only in tasks and activities that contribute directly to those goals.
• Sustained Concentration: Maintaining a deliberate and unwavering commitment to your objectives despite challenges, interruptions, or competing interests.

In both personal and professional realms, focus helps streamline decision-making, enhances productivity, and fosters a mindset where daily actions align with long-term ambitions, ultimately driving meaningful progress and success.

One strategy to eliminate distractions and maintain clarity of vision is to schedule focused blocks of work time where you work on one task for 30 minutes or more. During this block of time, which I call a Focus Block, you don’t check email or browse social media or give in to other distractions. Instead, you stay focused and work on your scheduled task.

For example, I schedule focus blocks for writing my blog articles. During these blocks of time, I am doing nothing but writing and researching my topic. I don’t check my email while writing my article, and I spend at least 30 minutes of writing in one blogging session.

Consistency

My favorite author, John C. Maxell, says that “small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” This means repeating actions day in day out that move you closer to your goals.

Regular, repeated actions build momentum over time by creating a positive feedback loop that reinforces progress and encourages further commitment. Here’s how this process works:

• Habit Formation: When you perform an action regularly, it gradually becomes a habit. Over time, the repeated behavior requires less conscious effort, which makes it easier to maintain. This habit formation reduces decision fatigue and creates a reliable routine.
• Compound Effect: Small, consistent actions add up over time. Much like compound interest, the benefits of these actions accumulate, leading to significant progress. Each step forward builds on the previous ones, making future tasks easier and boosting overall performance. Darren Hardy even wrote a book called “The Compound Effect”, which is a book I recommend you read.
• Increased Confidence: As you notice the results of your repeated actions, your confidence and motivation grow. This increased self-belief can propel you to take on even more challenges, thereby amplifying the momentum you’ve built.
• Feedback and Adjustment: Regular actions allow you to track your progress and make necessary adjustments along the way. This ongoing refinement not only improves your approach but also reinforces the positive outcomes, further driving momentum.
• Psychological Momentum: The consistency of your efforts can create a sense of accomplishment and forward motion. This psychological momentum makes it easier to overcome obstacles and maintain focus on your long-term goals.

In essence, regular, repeated actions transform small efforts into significant achievements by establishing productive habits, leveraging the compound effect, and continuously reinforcing a cycle of success.

Small, daily habits contribute to long-term goals. Imagine someone who dreams of writing a novel. Instead of trying to draft an entire book in one go, they commit to writing for 15 minutes every day. At first, 15 minutes might seem trivial, but over a year, those daily sessions add up to over 90 hours of writing. This consistent practice not only improves their writing skills but also gradually builds a substantial body of work, making the long-term goal of completing a novel achievable.

Discipline

Discipline is the driving force behind sticking to a plan, even when challenges arise. It means making the right choices even when you feel the pressure to quit or make the easier choice.

Discipline is crucial for progress, helping to consistently choose long-term goals over short-term pleasures. It involves perseverance, self-control, and a structured approach to maintain focus and consistency. Discipline means sticking to goals, resisting distractions, and overcoming obstacles, even when it’s tempting to choose an easier route. Discipline involves opting for long-term rewards over instant gratification, even when it requires difficult choices and temporary sacrifices.

Discipline is the inner engine that keeps you moving forward when challenges arise. It means choosing to stick to your plan rather than taking the easy way out—even when quitting might feel like a tempting option. This commitment involves consistently making decisions that align with your long-term goals, despite short-term discomfort or obstacles. In other words, discipline helps you overcome immediate temptations, ensuring that every decision you make, however small, contributes to your overall success.

Building self-control and resilience is a gradual process that involves developing mental strength and healthy habits. Here are several insights to help cultivate these qualities:

• Start with Clear Goals:
  Defining specific, meaningful goals provides a sense of direction. When you know what you’re working toward, it becomes easier to resist short-term temptations in favor of long-term benefits.
• Establish Daily Routines:
  Consistency in your daily actions reinforces self-discipline. Simple practices, like a morning routine or scheduled work blocks, can help train your mind to stick to your plans even when motivation wanes.
• Practice Mindfulness and Self-Awareness:
  Regular mindfulness exercises—such as meditation or reflective journaling—can improve your ability to notice and manage impulses. Recognizing triggers that lead to impulsive decisions allows you to intervene with more thoughtful choices. I write in my journal every day, and it helps me reflect on my day and learn from my experiences.
• Embrace the Growth Mindset:
  Viewing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning rather than failures builds resilience. This mindset encourages persistence, helps you bounce back from difficulties, and strengthens self-control over time.
• Use Small Wins to Build Confidence:
  Celebrating incremental progress reinforces positive behavior. Each small success boosts your confidence and makes it easier to tackle bigger challenges in the future.
• Develop Strategies for Delaying Gratification:
  Practicing techniques like pausing before making decisions can help you choose actions that align with your long-term goals. Over time, this builds your ability to resist immediate temptations in favor of more rewarding outcomes later.
• Cultivate a Supportive Environment:
  Surrounding yourself with people who encourage your efforts can be a crucial factor. Whether through mentorship, accountability partners, or a like-minded community, external support can provide motivation and perspective when challenges arise.

In summary, building self-control and resilience is about creating a structure of clear objectives, consistent practices, and reflective habits. Over time, these strategies not only help you manage immediate impulses but also empower you to recover from setbacks and continue progressing toward your long-term goals.

Why 6 months?

Bartlett emphasizes six months as a critical period for habit formation and personal growth because it strikes a balance between being long enough to see meaningful change and short enough to remain a practical, achievable commitment. Here are several reasons why this timeframe is so impactful:

• Time for Habit Formation:
  Research suggests that while some habits can start to form in as little as a couple of months, truly ingrained behaviors often require a longer period. Six months offers ample time to transition new behaviors from conscious actions into automatic habits.
• Cycle of Feedback and Adjustment:
  Over a six-month period, you have the opportunity to experiment with new routines, assess what’s working, and adjust strategies as needed. This iterative process helps refine your approach and solidify effective practices.
• Building Momentum and Resilience:
  Consistently applying focus, consistency, and discipline over six months allows you to build momentum. As you encounter and overcome obstacles during this period, you develop resilience and the confidence to continue progressing toward long-term goals.
• Observable Transformation:
  Six months is often long enough to notice significant changes in your personal and professional life. This visible progress reinforces your commitment to the process and validates the effort you’ve invested, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages continued growth.
• Identity Shift:
  Extended commitment to new behaviors doesn’t just change what you do—it can also change who you are. Over six months, the repetition of positive actions helps reshape your self-identity, aligning your habits with your aspirations and long-term vision.

In summary, Bartlett believes that six months is a pivotal period because it encapsulates the time required to establish solid habits, adapt to challenges, and witness real, transformative change.

Practical Strategies for Implementation

Some strategies for developing focus include setting clear, specific goals, using time-blocking techniques, and minimizing distractions.

For maintaining consistency, daily actions are reinforced by the value of routine, accountability systems, and tracking progress.

To build discipline, break tasks into manageable steps, practice self-reflection, and learn from setbacks.

Overcoming Challenges

Common obstacles include procrastination, lack of motivation, and external distractions. These are things that might impede your success.

Solutions to these challenges include adjusting your mindset and seeking support (e.g., mentorship, community). John C. Maxwell says, “Change your thinking, change your life”. Another thing to keep in mind is the following anonymous quote from ChatGPT: “You are the author of your own story. Make each chapter count, and don’t be afraid to rewrite the parts that no longer serve you.” This means making conscious decisions and changes in your life when something in your life is not working the way you want it to.

Conclusion

Steven Bartlett taught me that 6 months of focus, consistency, and discipline will change your life. Focus, in the context of personal and professional success, refers to the ability to concentrate your mental energy and attention on a specific goal or set of objectives while minimizing distractions. Consistency, which is repeated actions, builds momentum over time by creating a positive feedback loop that reinforces progress and encourages further commitment. Discipline is the driving force behind sticking to a plan, even when challenges arise. It means making the right choices even when you feel the pressure to quit or make the easier choice.

I encourage you to commit to a six-month journey of focus, consistency, and discipline in your life. This will give you potential for substantial, lasting change. I invite to start your transformational journey by embracing these practices in your life.