Discipline yourself...or we'll do it for you

Thought-provoking discussion over in the writers/editors group over at LinkedIn about self-discipline and where it comes from. Lots of interesting answers, ranging from the simple to the deeply philosophical.

My motivations have evolved over the years. When I became a freelancer, it helped that I had a stay-at-home wife, two kids in diapers and a new mortgage. We had enough savings to get by for a bit, but nothing like fear (and sometimes raw panic) to get me off my butt.

As a result, I suddenly got more out of self-employment than I'd ever experienced in the constraints of an office. Revealing? Yes. Selfish? Perhaps. Now that I've been at it for 10 years and my wife is back in the workforce, and the kids are a bit older, the work is steadier and generally more interesting. (I often say it's like earning an MBA without stepping into a classroom.) Frankly, I thrive on the deadlines paired with the desire to produce a high-quality product for longtime clients whom I enjoy and respect, and for new clients whom I want to impress and turn into long-term relationships.

The subject of this post comes from a poster that was on the wall at our kids' old elementary school.