Self-disciplined (自律的) people are not all outstanding (杰出的) people. But nearly all outstanding people are self-disciplined people. Some of them read every day. Some of them never run late. The real difference between an elite person and an ordinary (普通的) person is that an elite person can manage his or her time well. That’s where their success comes from. What people call self-discipline is in fact self-management.

One example is staying fit. Never underestimate (低估) someone who is in good shape. Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that it’s not easy. It’s even harder to avoid putting weight back on. If someone is in good shape, it shows that he knows the principles (原则) of staying fit and is able to stick to a plan that uses these principles.

If someone is in good shape, it means that this person is good at managing themselves and their time. Whether it is natural or acquired, it is a great skill. It also shows that this person is able to keep persevering (坚定不移的) and can balance long-term goals with short-term goals.

So if someone is in good shape, he or she is more than just healthy.

How do you learn self-management? First of all, set a goal and write down your reasons for wanting to achieve it. Create a list of all the things you need to do to achieve this goal and start to work on them one at a time. With self-discipline, small things in life will no longer trouble you. Only through self-discipline can you truly own your future.

A man was driving his car one day when he saw an old lady on the road. Her car broke down and she needed help. The man stopped his car and got out. Even though the man wore a smile on his face, the lady was worried, because the man didn't look safe. He looked poor and hungry. “I’m here to help you. Don’t worry. My name is Bryan Anderson,” he said.

After he fixed the car, the lady wanted to pay him. Bryan smiled and said, “If you really want to pay me back, the next time you see someone who needs help, give that person a hand. And think of me.”

On the same evening, the lady stopped by a small cafe. She noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant (怀孕的), but she never let it change her attitude (态度) when she served customers. The waitress had a sweet, friendly smile, although she had spent the whole day on her feet.

The lady wondered how someone who has so little could be so kind to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. The lady finished her meal and paid with a $100 bill. The waitress went to get change (零钱). When she came back, she found the lady had gone and left a note on a piece of paper. “You don’t owe (欠) me anything. Somebody once helped me the way I’m helping you now. If you really want to pay me back, do not let the love end with you.” Under the paper were four more $100 bills.

There was a young man who was in trouble. He went bankrupt (破产) and his wife went away from him. From then on, failure was all that he had seen. Struggling with this, he went into the forest alone. There, he met an old man who had lived there for a long time. He shared his story with the old man and asked “Can you give me one good reason not to give up?”

“Look,” the old man said, “Do you see that fern (蕨类植物) and bamboo there?”

“Yes,” the man answered.

“When I planted the fern and bamboo seeds, I watered them carefully. A few days later, the fern quickly grew from the land,” the old man went on.

“However, I watered the bamboo seeds for years, it still didn’t sprout. But I didn’t give up and continued looking after it. In the fifth year, a small sprout came out of the land. After a few months, the tree grew very, very tall.”

“The little bamboo tree had been growing underground in the past four years, developing a root strong enough for its ground growth in the fifth year. If it hadn’t done this, it would not be so strong. So you know, all the time you were struggling, you were actually growing strong roots,” the old man said. Finally, the man thanked the old man deeply. Then he left the forest with the hope for life.