Discipline Yourself

D is for DISCIPLINE!

I’m not talking about the punitive connotation, but the self-regulating type required of athletes, musicians, or anyone, who is serious about their calling. I tossed the words DEDICATION and DETERMINATION around as alternates, but without DISCIPLINE (self-discipline to be exact) these may be little more than wishful thinking.

No matter how busy they are, people tend to make time for things that are important to them. If this is true, (and I believe it is) I am ashamed to admit that watching Netflix (or other irrelevant TV) must be important to me since I’ve spent a fair amount of time doing it in the evenings these past few months.

What about you?

I’m going to be blunt. For most of us, “I’m too busy,” is just an excuse.  This applies to anything you may feel called to do. (Or wish you had more time to do.) Finding time takes self-disciple. 

Paul says, Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9: 24 – 27 (NLT)

Paul is talking about the Christian life, of course, but the principle applies to other areas of life. All the courses, books, and seminars in the world will not make a bit of difference if you don’t take action – and then keep on taking action! There are no guaranteed tips, tricks, or “hacks”. Moving ahead with your goals – whatever they may be – takes hard work and a stick-to-it mindset.

I know from experience that I am “gung-ho” after a conference or seminar, but applying what I’ve learned for the long haul is hard! It’s easy to lose momentum. But like that runner, I have to keep on taking steps forward, no matter how small. I need self-discipline. 

Schedules, deadlines, checklists, rewards, or other incentives are all good strategies. Do what makes sense for you. But like anything worthwhile (praying more, exercising, changing our eating habits etc.) it boils down to one thing: choice.

Self-discipline means making the choice. It’s that simple.