Separating the good from the great, the almost from the achieved…
DISCIPLINE
We admire people we consider disciplined: athletes, soldiers, super heroes, martial artists, actors, and models. We may even think to ourselves, “If I could just be like them”.
Well let’s shed the light of truth here. To some degree we are like them. It’s not that they are necessarily smarter or more gifted but they tend to demonstrate the ability to be focused, determined, and strategic and all that requires discipline.
Successful people are disciplined people. Successful people not only make plans but also follow through with those plans. And discipline is the secret sauce that compels one to follow through.
Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.
~Jim Rohn
Webster’s defines DISCIPLINE as:
Training that corrects molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; control gained by enforcing obedience or order; orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior; self-control.
An obsolete definition of discipline is instruction.
I am a disciplined person. There are times where I can allow fear to impede me from moving forward or following through but in general, everyday situations of life I am disciplined.
I am disciplined with my eating, time, money, relationships, and exercise. Even though discipline comes natural to me because of my personality type (A-Type, concrete, sequential, linear. But life has taught me to be flexible so I’m changing J), there are still plenty of times that I too have to WORK diligently at being disciplined.
One day my 11-year-old daughter and I were at a food buffet and I chose sautéed green beans and veggie sushi out of the plethora of fried, greasy, cheese, yummy options. She said, “Oh Mommy it’s just easy for you because you are so disciplined”. I told her, “Um…Not quite my dear. Actually I would love love love to have that mac and cheese but I CHOOSE to honor my temple instead.” I had to share with her that making that decision was not easy for me. The smells were intoxicating. In fact, there were several delicacies I wanted to get but I’d made my decision. And I walked away from that buffet feeling victorious that I had made a decision for my health, for my family and for our future.
Since discipline is what separates the rookies from the pros, how do we acquire it? Here are a few suggestions on how to be disciplined.
Keep Your Goal Before You
In being disciplined with my eating I keep my goals before me. One of my greatest reasons for choosing to eat right is to reverse my family medical history of illness and disease so that my children rewrite their DNA and with each successive generation we can eradicate certain diseases right out of our DNA. And each choice I make today contributes to or detracts from me reaching that goal so I keep that at the forefront of my mind at all times. There are times I fall short but I still aim for the target.
But I discipline my body and keep it under control,
lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:27
Positive Self-Talk
Think little train…”I think I can. I think I can.” The power of positive self-talk is transformative. Tell yourself who you are and what you CAN do. I can eat well. I can save money. I can bring my dream to fruition. God says speak those things that are not as though they were. And by His power and might, according to His will, they shall come to pass when you speak life.
Set Up Barriers
We all need guard rails. They are not there to hinder us but to protect us. Establishing systems and parameters keep us from straying. Budgets help keep our finances on track. Meal planning and preparation keeps our eating on track. The disciplined person always has an established set of boundaries. Even times for sleeping and waking, these all contribute to being disciplined.
Accountability
This is a huge piece missing from the puzzle of discipline. To whom do you report when you have not done what you said you would do? Will they hold you responsible for keeping your commitments? Will they dole out correction when necessary?
Keep Doing It
Discipline is not acquired after doing something three, four or five times. A successful pattern of behavior is established after doing it over and over and over. Because there will come a day when you really just don’t want to. Believe me, been there done that and have the blog post to show for it. You can read it by
CLICKING HERE. Practice may not always make perfect but practice, practice. practice will get you to your destination, imperfect and all.
Discipline is a thing that doesn’t always feel good at the moment. But fortunately we are not a people who allow our feelings to dictate our actions. We make decisions based on principles not on feelings so we discipline ourselves to choose well even when it hurts.
For the moment all discipline seems painful
rather than pleasant, but later it yields the
peaceful fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 11:12
Think about a person you admire for their discipline. In what area(s) are they disciplined? Where do you think they got the will power to be so disciplined? What separates you from having that same level or even greater discipline?
You have it too. Just dig deep into THAT place. Commit to following some of the steps above for acquiring discipline. I’m here in your corner cheering you on. I know you can do it. And I don’t want to hear, “Oh Tyra, that’s good for you but I just can’t, ” Uh-un I don’t want to hear that. I can’t isn’t permitted here. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Let me know how I can pray for you.
As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News #DanceWithJesus, Grace & Truth, WordsWithWinter