Rules Make Us Successful

Occasionally, I'll watch auto racing ... usually either NASCAR or an Indy car race.  I used to be a big NASCAR fan, watching the race every Sunday.  I guess there was only so many left turns I could stay excited about, because it turned out to be a passing fad.  But I'll still watch on occasion.

I know that the Indianapolis 500 is coming up -- the Memorial Day race every year.  (Along with NASCAR'S Coca-Cola 600, you can have a full day of left turns, if you'd like!)  This morning, I happened to read an article about some of the drama going on with the Indianapolis 500 preparations ("In the Pits:  Drama -- of course! -- in IndyCar Again" by Jenna Fryer).  One line jumped out at me from this article:  "Unlike Formula One and NASCAR, which both succeed operating as virtual dictatorships, IndyCar has moved closer to the model that ultimately killed CART — the inmates trying to run the asylum."

That statement jumped out at me, I think, because it clarifies a simple fact of life.  We hate rules, we rebel against rules, and yet we need rules -- strictly enforced -- to be successful.  (Parents, take note -- your children need you to be a disciplinarian.)  I don't keep up with pro football, but maybe this is what the NFL's commissioner is trying to do with the fines he levies against some of the players -- to bring about the sort of discipline that will make the league successful.

Rules give us the framework within which success can occur.  Without them, and without their enforcement, things are no longer focused, energy is wasted, and success is harder to achieve.  Perhaps though, the real key lies in the enforcement.  Just having rules is not enough to make us successful.  We need those rules to be actively applied.

Bringing this home -- to the individual level -- we can't allow our passions and appetites to control our lives.  We need to have self-discipline.  That means establishing valid rules, and -- more importantly -- enforcing them.  That is what drives us toward success.  Otherwise, we're letting the inmates run the asylum.