Characteristics of a disciplined person

1. Organised
They discipline themselves to work within necessary time constraints. They are tidy – within reason.
Prov 14:4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
In other words, it’s easy to keep everything clean and tidy if you don’t do anything. A certain amount of mess is inevitable – it’s proof that you’re still alive. But if you’re constantly searching for your tools, documents, dress, bills, letters, keys, cash, wallet, phone, isn’t that a problem?
A disciplined person usually knows where to find things. Of course, if you put things back in the same place each time, it’ll be less of a problem.
2. A planner
Having no plan is a plan to fail. If you want something tomorrow, you must plan something today. Pr 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty… A person who plans is punctual. They get to appointments on time, they pay bills on time. They don’t constantly forget things. They may have the occasional lapse of memory, but it’s not the norm. If you have a problem in this area, the remedy is simple: write it down immediately.
3. An achiever
Pr 22:29 Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men. The foundation of excellence is self-discipline. If you want to achieve anything in any area of life, it takes self-discipline. It’s something I didn’t have when I was at school, and the main reason I dropped out. Achievers also achieve because they meet deadlines. They pace themselves by doing consistent work and not leaving it all to the last minute.
ILLUS – Some people are nice and relaxed, having a good time, then suddenly: “Aaagh! I’ve got to have this report in by tomorrow morning.” “When did you find out about it?” you ask. “Two months ago.”
Everything is urgent because they don’t work on things till the situation is desperate.
Ask yourself: Do I get things done when I’m supposed to? Or am I constantly late handing in reports, submitting assignments, returning library books, lodging tax returns. How often do you have to plead for an extension? Or make excuses? Disciplined people fulfill their commitments when and how they promise.
They aren’t habitually double-booked. They don’t break promises to family due to the fact that they forgot about some other important appointment. Mat 5:37 But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No.” For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
4. Balanced
Balance is important. Being balanced means knowing when to stop. Musicians, artists, actors, businesspeople, sportspeople – so many have lost so much due to a lack of discipline. They didn’t know when to stop. But there’s more to life than making money, playing music, or involvement in sport. Relationships are always more important. If a person takes any area of life and concentrates on it to the point where other areas are neglected, that’s not discipline – it’s imbalance. Balance means maintaining an even workload. It means taking time to relax. Even God rested from all His works on the seventh day as a pattern for us. Jesus took His disciples aside to rest. (Mark 6:31) You’ll always be able to think of something else to do, but you need to take time to rest.
5. They prioritise
This means putting things in order of importance. If it doesn’t need to be done before you leave home, don’t try to cram it in. Make sure that if you have a deadline for something – handing in an assignment, paying a bill, leaving home by a certain time – that you focus on the things that need to be done in order to fulfil your responsibility.
6. Singleness of mind
By that, I mean a sense of purpose, a vision, something that drives you on. This aspect of self-discipline gives a person the ability to set goals and stick to them till they’ve achieved their aim. They don’t jump constantly from one thing to another. They finish the things they start. They do unpleasant tasks when they need doing.