Self-Discipline

Do you find yourself setting goals only to find that you never actually achieve them? Are you good at starting a task, but find it difficult to complete? Do you struggle to find your flow and maintain momentum? I’m not sure about you, but all of these things have been true for me.

Whether it comes to working out, sticking to a diet, working towards a personal goal, or even writing blog posts, I’ve struggled with being consistent; and to be honest, inconsistency is something that I’ve struggled with for a while now. It wasn’t until recently that I got tired of not seeing the desired results in my life and realized that if I was ever going to overcome this weakness I was going to have to be intentional about doing so.

As I set out to overcome this weakness, I realized that I was going to have to change my strategy because past attempts seemed to fail me over and over again. So I did something that I’d never thought to do before – pray. You may be thinking, “You prayed about something as simple as being consistent in your actions?” Although it may not be as big of a concern as other things in our lives, I think we sometimes forget that God is willing and available to help us with anything that we ask of Him and that He cares about the things that concern us — no matter how big or small they may seem.

Through prayer, God revealed to me that my problem wasn’t inconsistency. It was a lack of self-discipline. To be honest, this shocked me a bit, because I’ve always considered myself a fairly disciplined person. Despite having a general understanding of the word, I was led to look up the meaning and came across the following definition: the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it. I was taken aback by the definition, because I came to the realization that I lacked the ability to control my feelings. Instead my feelings were ruling my life, dictating my actions and causing me to neglect the things I set out to accomplish. For example, feelings of fatigue told me that I was “too tired” to workout. Laziness caused me to procrastinate to the point I eventually abandoned tasks. Fear of failing prevented me from wholeheartedly pursuing my goals and the things God called me to do.

Although it’s only been about a month since I’ve taken intentional steps towards overcoming this weakness, I have found myself being more consistent in my actions; and I know that it is primarily because of God’s strength. In addition to the strength I received from God, I had to change my mindset and take practical steps in order to overcome some of the feelings that were hindering me. For me that meant talking myself into doing things despite my feelings. The same energy I devoted to convincing myself not to do something, I realized that I could use that energy to achieve a goal or complete a task. It also meant purchasing a planner, setting my goals for the month and writing out the daily and weekly tasks that would help me achieve those goals. I’m not sure what it is, but being able to cross a task off in my planner motivates me – ultimately enabling me to remain disciplined and consistent.

If you struggle in this area as well, the process of becoming more disciplined may look different for you, but the first step I encourage you to do is seek God for help. Whether you lack discipline when it comes to spending money, studying, spending time with God, breaking a bad habit — whatever the case may be — know that God is willing and able to help you. Lastly, I encourage you to become so determined that you refuse to allow anyone or anything (even if it’s something as simple as your feelings) to prevent you from achieving your goals, your dreams, and most importantly the things God has called and purposed you to do!

Be encouraged,

Imanne

Meditation Scriptures:

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” - Philippians 4:6

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Stripped of Shame, Clothed in Grace