Let’s get one thing straight: success in communications doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of two unglamorous, unyielding but inevitable forces—purpose and discipline. Whether it’s showing up at the gym early in the morning or resisting the temptation of a slice of birthday cake, these principles are your path to long-term success.
Impactful campaigns and strategic messages don’t create themselves. Without discipline and a clear purpose, you’re just flinging words into the void, hoping something sticks. Spoiler: it usually doesn’t.
Discipline: The Unlikely Hero
Discipline isn’t flashy, but it works. It’s showing up when you’re not motivated. What gets you out of bed at 5 a.m. to jog, even though you want to hit snooze. In communications, it’s what keeps the wheels turning, meeting deadlines, sticking to strategies.
It’s also the ability to handle resistance – both literal and metaphorical. In fitness, that might be deadlifting weight; in communications, it’s dealing with last-minute feedback or pushing with all your might to close many tough projects before tomorrow.
Discipline sounds great on paper but in reality, sometimes we falter.
Think about the epic mental gymnastics where you convince yourself that just five more minutes scrolling Instagram is critical to your creative process. Or starting a project only when the deadline’s breathing down your neck, turning what could’ve been a masterpiece into a scramble.
Then there’s the classic: you know you should do something—write that press release, close that video edit, or brainstorm a script – but you just can’t. It’s like staring at your shoes knowing you need to go for a workout, but somehow, Netflix, video games or the stock market wins the day.
Left unchecked, discipline crumbles under the weight of distractions and fatigue. Here’s where fitness can teach us a thing or two.
Overcoming Discipline’s Failures
In fitness, starting is often the hardest part. But once you take that first step—lacing up your shoes, hitting the gym, or simply showing up—you’re more likely to keep going. The same applies to communications. The trick is to break the inertia:
- Start Small. If you’re overwhelmed, focus on one task. Write just the headline. Outline just one slide. Small wins lead to momentum.
- Commit to a Schedule. In fitness, showing up consistently matters more than going all out once in a while. Apply this principle to work by setting aside regular, distraction-free time for key tasks. Then, make it a habit.
- Celebrate Progress. Hitting the gym feels rewarding when you see results. Similarly, finishing a task, no matter how small, fuels your motivation for the next one.
When discipline falters, the solution isn’t to abandon it but to course-correct. One of my favourite quotes, which I recently used while pitching a major study to a group of CEOs, is: ‘The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time is now.’
Purpose: The Drama Queen of Motivation
Purpose gives meaning to the grind, whether you’re clocking miles on a treadmill or tweaking a tagline for the 47th time. It’s what keeps you focused on creating content that actually resonates with your audience. Without purpose, you’re basically working hard but going nowhere, like that one guy at the gym who spends more time chatting with everyone than doing anything meaningful.
Small Wins, Big Feels
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a new achievement. In fitness, it could be breaking a personal record or feeling an unstoppable surge of energy that powers you through the day. In communications, it’s the sweet victory of a campaign that lands perfectly or a post that actually goes viral for the right reasons.
These wins aren’t just morale boosters; they’re fuel. They remind you why you slog through, why the late nights and countless iterations are worth it. Because let’s be honest, there’s no better feeling than seeing your hard work succeed and grow in your career because of it.
“I’m Inevitable”: Pain’s Role in Greatness
In communications, the pain of discipline looks like starting early, revising repeatedly, and pushing past distractions. It’s uncomfortable but it pays off. The pain of regret, on the other hand? That lasts longer and stings more.
Thanos, in all his villainous glory, said it best: “I’m inevitable.” So is pain—whether it’s the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is simple. Do you sweat through the effort now or suffer the weight of missed opportunities later?
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