Today I was hugely amazed by something… and I cannot afford not to share this great lesson with you. Tomorrow marks 5 months since I decided to teach my daughter the vital habit of SAVING money. The opportunity came on May 8, 2014 when, after enjoying daddy’s great skills at his big guitar at home, she saw a small but beautiful guitar in a supermarket and requested me to buy it for her. Ensuring I maximize the empowerment opportunity, I lovingly explained to her that without having the needed money (Uganda Shillings 30,000 only) put aside for the guitar, she may not have it soon. I immediately bought for her a piggy-bank and encouraged her to start saving money therein so that once it increases, we can buy her guitar.
The journey began – a journey that has given birth to a huge lesson I am about to share. Whenever someone gave her any money, I reminded her to save it. Two weeks into the expedition, she started reminding herself. A month down the road, she started asking me for money to save… and I gave her some pocket change. And whenever she dropped it into her piggy-bank, my wife and I clapped, made some “holy noise,” and gave her high5 to encourage her. As if she sensed that the amount was already enough to achieve her goal, 2 weeks ago, she started to insist that we open the box and count her money so she could buy her guitar.
Today, October 8, 2014, we had a “piggy-bank opening ceremony” for her at about 1pm – and I learnt the lesson of the month! Pouring the money on a cloth, her face lightened up — and ours too! Paper note after paper note, coin after coin, we patiently counted. I now take the pleasure to inform you of results – before I can share the huge lesson here: between 8th of May and 8th of October 2014 (5 months), Petra saved Uganda Shillings 36,300. This is an average of Uganda shillings 242 daily – Uganda shillings 7,260 per month. I intentionally did not first tell you how old she is. Now, if someone 4 years and 3 months can manage to do this, what CAN you and I the adults do IF ONLY we got committed to such simple yet powerful daily habits?
My lesson: THE PRICE OF SUCCESS IS SELF-DISCIPLINE. There is a great success-value in disciplining oneself. Discipline is not about being made to lie down and receive lashes of the cane. It is about policing oneself, reminding oneself to be consistent with those monumental daily tasks that add up to make a huge difference. It is about focusing on the prize, not the price, thus having the inner drive to do what it takes to arrive at our desired destinations in different aspects of life.
If all people developed this one trait, a lot would change for good. Time to begin is NOW! The visibly satisfied Petra is getting her guitar. Goal achieved – both her goal of a guitar and my goal of teaching her the habit of saving. Mission accomplished, but the journey has just began. May her story inspire you to take baby-steps in areas where you have been struggling to be self-disciplined. It takes a commitment beyond desire. All of us are willing, but it takes more than willingness. It takes commitment to the goal, persistence to keep going, and patience to reach the finishing line.
To Your Success
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