The art of Discipline

Discipline is rough. My whole life it's something I've tried to develop though I've struggled to actually get anywhere with it. I know the benefits, I believe in the message, but walking it out has been my great dragon to slay. There are areas of life and certain disciplines where it comes more easily to me. Maintaining a workout schedule and routine isn't very hard for me, but going to bed at eleven o'clock is. As a Christian, someone who's passionate about what he believes in, everyone expects me to read the Bible… well, religiously. I think they expect me to have it built into my daily routine, but the truth is it's just like all the other disciplines. Even a gym schedule can be difficult.

I have trouble reading the Bible. I don't even want to develop that discipline all the time except for the fact other Believers expect me to. What I am learning I'm capable of doing now is meditation. I've tried it before and it never stuck, but something about this time feels different; it feels like my character has leveled up and I chose the right perk, and although it's not a habit, I'm capable of it now. "Alan, as a Christian aren't you supposed to read your Bible?" You may be right, but it's written there "do not worry." If meditation can help me let anxieties go and stop worrying so much then I'm doing much better than read the Bible: I'm living by what it says. The mantra of my life is this: work smarter, not harder. If there's a better way to do something, then do it that way. In this case, I'm getting my toes in the water of something very difficult for me, discipline, by way of something easier to do, meditation.

Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, told it like this: there was a time in their life where they were swamped in debt and hemorrhaging cash. They couldn't pay their bills and the collectors were calling. They made the decision to snowball it. They picked the bills and debts they could afford to pay focused on them, and then when those bills were paid they moved on to the next one. Developing disciplines and learning new skills is the same way. Without focus and commitment you're gonna end up with a lot of spinning plates and a lot of headaches and not a lot of success. You'll be stressed or depressed and wonder why things aren't working. Or, you can duck it up and narrow down your horizons. It's not true that you can't do it all, but it is true that you can't do it all right away. If you want to be whoever it is you want to be then don't set your goals too far outside your boundaries. Work from where you are and take it one step at a time and you'll be amazed at how far you've come.

It's a principle for just about every aspect of life, that if you don't work from where you're at you'll fall flat at best. In the fitness world you need to start with the weight you're capable of lifting, not øne you can't. That sounds super obvious, but until we see things spelled out we don't listen. Even after things are spelled out we often don't listen. The best people started small with something manageable and built to greatness. If there's something you'd like to excel at, then focus your mind and attention, and practice it. Exercise discipline and gather your efforts; you will see progress in due time.