Arguably, the difference between a sports bettor with a successful track record and one who has an unsuccessful one is their level of discipline. An undisciplined sports bettor is at a distinct disadvantage before even starting, putting the odds of success over time at almost zero.
Self-discipline is the foundation upon which strategies for betting are constructed. The importance of discipline is easily explained. It allows control over how and when you bet, helps to methodically identify the right bets, and allows you to adhere to your bankroll and betting constraints, which will enable you to execute your strategy while taking the emotions out of your betting.
A bettor without the required self-discipline may be fortunate over the short run, but this is unlikely to last in the long run. This is because the motivation becomes betting rather than profiting. A profit motivation will cause a bettor to treat each wager as a business transaction. Emotion, left unchecked, will lead a bettor down the riskier path of impulsiveness, thrill-seeking or greed leading to losses.
An easy self-test that you can perform to see whether you have the necessary self-discipline is to abstain from betting for two weeks. During this time away, you should keep on studying the form, monitor events and improving your knowledge while identifying betting opportunities without putting any money down. Achieving this is an act of self-discipline that will also improve your betting technique. All bettors should carry this out once in a while, regardless of their prior level of success.