Self discipline is important for both individuals and a country's economics and business according to the author. A lack of self discipline in Indonesia, such as widespread violations of traffic laws, contributes to risks and uncertainties that negatively impact investment. Corruption, which is a lack of self discipline as it violates ethical standards, is high in Indonesia and undermines economic growth and development. For Indonesia to reach its economic potential, individuals must improve their self discipline as it starts from within each person, not from external authorities.

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SELF DISCIPLINE : What’s the catch in business and economics?
By M. Nino Mayvi Dian
Self discipline, most of us already knew what’s the meaning of this word, but do you
know exactly what’s the conjunctions betwen self discipline and the country’s
economics or let say in small scale, like business.
I write this essay because of my highly concerns about Indonesia present conditions.
Most of us must have realized that this country has serious problems on behaviours,
such as self discipline, which we’ll discuss further about it in this essay.
Well, before I start, let me define what’s discipline. Discipline is the assertion of
willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with
self control (en.wikipedia.org). Refer to that definition, I concluded that self discipline
is the way we drive and control ourselves toward agreed self objectives. Just like
Harvey Schachter (columnist of ‘The Globe and Mail’) said that it’s simply about
doing the hard things you know you should do, even though you don’t feel like on
doing it.
Mostly in self discipline, we have to do things that naturally we don’t like on doing it,
such as, wake up so early, so we won’t be late on arriving at the office. If we follow
our conscience, naturally we’ll continue our bed time and not necessary wake up so
early in the morning. But, what will be the consequences if we’re arrived late at the
office? First, your boss will be mad at you, your allowances will be reduced, and
don’t forget the risks might be happened if you’re in rush to go to the office, you
might have an unwanted accident.
Then, let’s discussed what’s happening about self discipline in Indonesia. I think you
can describe about the big picture of self discipline in Indonesia by seeing what
happens in your daily life. For example, what do you see in traffic light intersection?
Red light is no more define as stop signage, motorists are freely trespassing red light,
and rarely law enforcement officers are directly taking actions on these traffic
regulation violations. But, instead of regulation violations, do you know the risks might
occurred if these motorists keep doing it? Yes, accidents, and it might results on
casualties.
So, after you know the examples of self discipline in real daily life, what’s the catch
then related on Indonesia economics or in business?
Indonesia current economic conditions is quite prospective and growth in 2013 was
forecasted around 6.3% (World Bank). But I refer further about what will be the
obstacles in Indonesia, World Bank said, “A number of legal and regulatory
announcements over the year have added to the risk of domestic policy
uncertainty, potentially negatively impacting investor sentiment, which remains
fragile across the globe”. You must ask me, why I put bold and italic on several parts
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of this statement and what are the relations of this statement and self discipline as
our main topic.
Until now, I still believe that Indonesia is the most promising country in South East Asia
region. Why? Indonesia has the most crucial resources compare to other nations in
South East Asia. If we take a look back in our history, we had our independence
since 1945, and it was earlier compare to other South East Asia countries (excluded
Thailand). But, why our country GDP per capita in 2011 is still lower than Malaysia,
Thailand, and Singapore (World Bank Data)? It is related to the part of statement
above, “Legal and regulatory announcements over the year have added to the risk
of domestic policy uncertainty”.
Legal and regulatory infrastructures in Indonesia, for over a decade, after
reformation era at 1998, had slight improvement and no improvement at all to
minimise or even eliminate corruption rate in Indonesia. In 2012, 43% of Indonesian
people think that the corruption rates in this country are increased, and 35% think
that government efforts to fight corruptions were inffective (Transparency
International, www.transparency.org). That’s why Indonesian economic risks are
predicted to be increased caused by domestic policy uncertainty.
I don’t want to discuss further about what kind of policies have or will be taken to
overcome these corruption problems, but I want to underline what’s the connection
of corruption, as one of example lack of self discipline, with Indonesia economics or
in business itself.
Corruptions are defined as wrongdoing on the part of an authority or powerful party
through means that are illegitimate, immoral, or incompatible with ethical
standards(www.businessdictionary.com). So, if we move back to the early
paragraph on this essay, you’ll find that self discipline is about how we act or do
things that naturally we don’t feel like doing it, but due to acceptable norms or
standards (no late arrival at the office or schools, study to pass the exams, etc) in our
environment, we must do those things or unwanted consequences will be occurred.
Corruptions are also categorized as the form of lack self discipline, because it’s
incompatible with ethical standards.
If the corruption rates are high, what will be the figures of self discipline in Indonesia?
Yes, you already know the answer, our country is having lack of self discipline and it
impacts directly to Indonesia economic. Some say that Indonesia is very promising
for investments and it will growth significantly in more upcoming decades, but will it
be happened if most people in this country are lack of self discipline, which it shown
from the corruption rates in Indonesia. From my point of view, these growth won’t be
happened and everlasting not more than a decade, if we don’t fix our people lack
of self discipline.
How will I explain about that? First, other people or other countries will not fully trust
their investments in our country, if they found another country who has slightly same
or less opportunities but more trustworthy, they’ll invest on that place. Just like you
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and me, you’ll find a trusted institution to put your investment, it’s not just about the
returns that you might have in the future, but we do need certainty or manageable
risks when put and decide where to invest.
Second, it has been almost 15 years after reformation era, but no significant
achievement was made by our country, our GDP per capita is still under Singapore,
Malaysia and Thailand (World Bank data), corruption rates in 2007-2010 are
increased (Transparency International, www.transparency.org), etc. Even World
Bank already told that legal and regulatory announcements in Indonesia are
causing risks incremental in domestic policy uncertainty.
With those two reasons, from your point of view, who should responsible to fix self
discipline in our country? Your country or your government? Your managers or
superiors? Your parents? Your teachers?
If you ask me who should responsible to fix self discipline, I’ll answer with ‘ourselves’.
Why? Back to the literally written on ‘Self Discipline’, it emphasize on ‘Self’, so it’s all
about you or ourselves. You don’t have to blame your leaders because they don’t
give you examples of good self discipline, because it all starts from ourselves. If we
have good self discipline, no matter what other people do in your environment,
you’ll receive good consequences of it, whether in business, career, social life,
family, etc. I believe that if I do good in my self discipline, I’ll help this country to
improve the economics and the environment. What about you? Would you start it
by improving your self discipline?
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