Take 5: 13 Jan 2015 by Mr Tan Shun Loong

13 JAN 2015

On Monday, Vice Principal Mr Lee Kah Wai kick-started the academic year by sharing six strategies to build self-discipline. They are:

  • Acknowledge your weaknesses
  • Have a clear plan
  • Remove temptations
  • Practice Tolerating Emotional Discomfort
  • Visualize Long-Term Rewards
  • Recover From Mistakes

As we approach the weekend, it is timely to ponder: Have we made progress in building up our self-discipline, both individually and collectively? I will share with you some observations I have made this week, which I hope will spur you to want to build up your self-discipline even further.

S1 students
It is pleasing to see how our S1 students, the new members of the Gessian family, have shown impeccable behavior to date. S1 students, you listened attentively to our Vice-Principal Mr Lee and the student leaders when they spoke, and almost all of you diligently recorded key points that were made.  Listening attentively and recording key points are signs of self-discipline insofar as they lead us to form clear plans for ourselves.

All Gessians
As for Gessians on the whole, I note that many of you have been turning up for school on time. To me, punctuality is a virtue that will never go out of fashion and that I look out for in others.

I must admit that there was a phase in life, during my 20s, when my observance of punctuality would differ depending on the nature of the appointment. I would try my utmost to be punctual for commitments pertaining to school or National Service, partly because dire consequences often await tardy students or NS-men; however, I would be less serious when it comes to turning up for appointments with friends.  There were quite a few occasions when I would be as late as 20min for some of such appointments, and I had no excuse to be late, even if some of my close friends had a habit of being so.

It was somewhere in 2006 when I made it a point to be punctual for all appointments. I noticed that one of my close friends, whose punctuality record had used to be as patchy as mine, started to turn up consistently on time if not earlier for our appointments.  When I made that observation to him, he explained that whilst doing his Master’s course in the UK, he noticed that almost all of friends made it a point to be early or on time for social outings.

My friend’s resolution to follow suit led me to think that if one associates punctuality with the value of self-discipline, then one should practice that regardless of context and regardless of whether there are consequences or not. I started to then record all appointments in a diary and made it a point to give buffer time for contingencies, e.g. I missed the train or bus or there was bad weather.  I also made it a point to not procrastinate; when it is time to leave my home for an appointment, I would almost immediately cease surfing Facebook and conversing on Whatsapp.  It is, as Mr Lee said, important to remove temptations.

CCA members, AVA Crew and Prefects
I will now talk about students preparing for the S1 CCA Orientation, which took place last Friday. When I came back to school on 29 and 30 December 2014, which were technically still part of the school vacation, I noticed that several students were already back for CCA activities.  The scouts were setting up structures, members of the SJAB were practicing what I think was first aid, and members of the Military Band were practicing their instruments.   What impressed me was the self-discipline these students exercised in bringing themselves back to school during the school vacation.

Other groups of students that have impressed me include the student leaders who helped out at the S1 Parents Welcome Tea, the AVA Crew and the prefects. These students ensured that morning assemblies and school events take place smoothly.  In particular, the AVA Crew and the prefects work out among themselves a roster and turn up for school early to ensure that everything is in place for the rest of the school.

To me, these students put aside their temptation to stay at home and visualized the long-term rewards of practicing collective discipline. Coming back to the S1: I will also like to commend a student who was honest in returning a wallet that he found last Friday evening. This student clearly put aside whatever temptation that might arise from seeing a stray wallet.  The student is Jeremy Lee from S1C.  Well done, Jeremy!

Application
I will like to conclude by quoting Jim Rohn, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment”.  I will like to exhort all Gessians to continue to have a clear plan, remove temptations and visualize long-term rewards as you build up your self-discipline to reach your goals.

Onward! Thank you.