I don’t think this is something I have ever written about – The Art of Discipline. I think it’s easier to be more disciplined if you are blessed with being a morning person. I remember being in high school and my routine was to wake before dawn, have a time of Bible reading and then study for 2 hours before going to school. I did that for several weeks running up to my exams. I have always found the early morning hours the most productive – I’m most alert and refreshed. These days, while I don’t need to get up with the sparrows, I still have fallen into a daily routine, which is where the Art of Discipline begins.
John Maxwell once said something very interesting…
The big things in life are seldom achieved in gigantic leaps – they are achieved in little steps – small incremental amounts of time doing something useful and beneficial that when done repetitively, builds up to something amazing.
One of the things I did at the start of January, was I downloaded the 30 Day Fit Challenge Workout onto my cell phone. You can open the link on your smart phone and download it for free. Then just about every day, I have done the exercises it required of me.
What I was so interested in is that the first days of exercise literally took me a few minutes. Even now, at the end of the month, I’m up to 9 or 10 minutes. Yet, believe it or not, I can feel the difference. My core is getting stronger – I can plank for longer – do more push ups and squats and all the other exercises. Today is my ‘rest’ day, of which you get 2 each week. I have still been going to my Personal Trainer Pal Melanie, so I have skipped those days with the app. Melanie has been wonderful and has kept me fit over the last several years.
It’s been a few minutes of exercise each day that has accumulated into worthwhile toning and strengthening.
The other daily thing Mike and I do is our Bible reading. Each day, before the exercise, I do my Bible reading and it’s just a few pages. About 15 minutes altogether. By the end of the year, I will have read through the Bible.
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. Getting into a routine of doing something every day creates a habit which will change your life. Just make sure what you do daily is positive and not detrimental to your health.
Changing the way you think is another thing to try and do every day. If you are given to negativity, try redirecting your thoughts – memorise Bible verses, smile more, speak out that God is in control of your world and you need not fear the future. Get into a habit of praying.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
These are little things to do daily that will create a habit that changes your life.
The art of discipline = little steps.
Tomorrow is the 1st Feb. New month, new opportunities for change! 🙂
#183 of my 1000 thanks is for finally buying the cleaning tablets for the coffee machine! Yay, I can now clean it when it asks! 🙂
These are the days!
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂