Are you struggling to change bad habits into good ones? Do you tend to wait until the last minute to do important tasks or projects? I am learning to overcome the habit of procrastinating by implementing another tool of discipline that I am confident will help me become more successful in whatever I do. I call it the discipline of little-by-little. In looking for the areas I need more discipline in my life, I realized that I have tended to wait until the last minute to do important projects. While in college and grad school, I tended to wait until the last two or three day to begin writing when long papers were due. I always admired people who turned in their papers early or methodically planned their work.
When I employ the discipline of little-by-little, I tend bring better quality to my work, because now the goal is not just to finish but to take my time and do things well. By establishing realistic time goals with extra time allotted to address errors, re-dos, and edits, I can carefully put one brick in place at a time. This discipline of little-by-little makes it possible to focus on the details without rushing to the conclusion. Just as in reading, by reading one page at a time, the book is completed in the time that it takes. In the end, success is achieved.