Hey there, everyone.  Ready for some more of the Summer of Growth Series?  We’ve already touched on the cooking part, and I haven’t really seemed to have a problem in that area lately, so I thought we should move on to something more critical.  The self discipline.  This has been a constant struggle for me.

I’ve been trying to make a point of setting aside a quiet time for myself and God. I have been doing this and I really enjoy it, but I haven’t been very consistent.  Its not that I don’t want to or that I don’t have the time to do, its just that I get distracted by something else that needs to be done (and I’ll be honest; sometimes its just another good book I can’t put down).  So the real problem just seems to be “self discipline.”

Also, I have been wanting (needing) to start running.  I started to right before we moved, but then the weather got cold and the hustle and bustle of moving became my scape goat for slacking off.

Since I don’t seem to be getting too far on my own, I’ve decided to do some research.  What I’m finding, of course, is just common sense,  it seems.  Ugh.  I was hoping to stumble some ancient Chinese secret which I could in turn share with you all and forever be the hero of self discipline.  Alas, its not that easy and does take some work.   Improving your self discipline is much like improving your physical strength.  Like muscles, your self obedience is only as strong as you build it to be.  If its something you’re constantly working on, you’ll be stronger.  But if you slack off, you lose that strength.

Also, like physical training, its something you have build up to.  When you decide to start lifting weights, you can’t just jump right in to lifting 200lbs.  You have to start with something a bit smaller.  Something just out of reach.  You need to set obtainable goals.  Goals that do make you work, but are obtainable.  Once you’ve accomplished that goal and made it something you can easily keep up with, its time to up the ante.  Make a new goal one step above the last.  Setting and completely small goals will also keep you in the game.  No one likes failing over and over.

So, here’s my ultimate goal for the end of the summer: I want to get up early enough, every morning, to have my quiet time and go run with my thoughts before Lilie ever gets out of bed.  Now, Lilie wakes up between 8:00 and 8:30 every morning.  That means, ultimately, I need to be getting out of bed by 6:30 every morning.  Or maybe just during the week.  Can’t my weekends just be weekENDS?  A girl needs her beauty sleep, right?

Ok, so lets break this down into smaller goals for me to meet shall we?  Let say I start off by just doing my run in the morning and continue to do my quiet time during nap time.  That means I just need to be out of bed by about 7:30am (which is a feat all in its self).  I will also be sure to make myself sit down for thirty minutes, during nap time, each day for my alone time with God.  Once I have completed those two tasks every single day for a week, I’ll try to start getting up just 15-30minutes, earlier each day, to check me email before I go run.  I think once I have conquered that, I should be ready to move my quiet time to the early mornings before I go for my run.

I think you’ll see that the more you build your self self discipline, the easier life, in general, will become for you.  The challenges you once wouldn’t have thought twice about attempting, will become a walk in the park.  In turn, I also believe that the stronger your self discipline becomes, the more successful you will be in life.

I wonder if any of you are doing anything to try to be a better ‘you,’ right now.   If so, how’s your self renovation coming along thus far?

Next week, I want to write about the five pillars of self discipline.  I hope to see you then!