This popular Aesop’s Fable highlights the importance of discipline in the world. If we fail to inculcate discipline in children since an early age, they are likely to lead a miserable life later. The importance of discipline was explained by Gautam Buddha more than two thousand years ago as following: 

 

 “To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind, he can find the way to

 

Discipline means the practice or training to obey rules or code of behavior as required. Discipline can be achieved by using punishment to correct misbehavior and reward to appreciate good acts. This can be applied to self or to others, as the case may be. Hence, due to discipline, the conduct of people is transformed as they develop the habit of following the laws and rules of the society to avoid punishment and gradually develop good habits which earns them rewards and leads them to success and happiness.

 

It is no secret that we all wish to be successful in life and fulfill our dreams. Why do only a few of us accomplish our goals? Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker rightly said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment”. Success means the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. It means to achieve positive results that can make our life better. However, mere having a wish is not enough for success. For example, almost a million aspirants appear in Civil Services Examination, but less than a thousand finally succeed. In the same way, thousands of people want to play for their country, win medals, get fame and become wealthy, but only a few succeed.

 

It is not easy to achieve success in life because success is the result of long term hard work with focus; and, it is not easy to focus since an undisciplined mind moves in Brownian motion and reaches nowhere. It is only with discipline, that we can keep our mind focused and avoid distraction. Students need to be disciplined to study for long hours over several years to succeed in examinations and make their career. Good sportsmen train with great discipline for extensive hours a day over several years to give great performances on the field. It is only when the army is disciplined, that it can fight well in the battlefield and can defeat the enemy to protect the lives of the people. Only a disciplined professional can be punctual and focused on the job to produce the best results for the organization as well as the best prospects for the self.

 

Discipline is no doubt needed in all aspects of life. Discipline of body leads to discipline of mind, which in turn, leads to self-discipline and subsequently, change of personality for the better. Once we are self-disciplined, we can likely perform even the toughest of tasks with least external stimulus. However, if we fail to adopt self-discipline, we are made disciplined by social strictures and, at times, even punishment.