"Discipline is a critical characteristic to achieving success." ~ Carlene Gray
It is increasingly valuable to long-term well-being and success, to make discipline a habit. Take some time to think about self-discipline as a skill versus an innate trait. Use this time of critical thinking to meditate, reflect, and process the value of self-discipline and its impact on the human experience and life. Has discipline been dormant in your life? Have you been struggling to apply discipline to your life? Is discipline a practice that you are becoming more attuned to applying more intricately as you mature? Has it been a continuous challenge for you to embrace? Or has discipline been an active practice instilled earlier in your life by parents, family, a mentor and or an innate trait you are fortunate to have enhanced along your journey? An indisciplined life can result in outcomes that lead to negative effects that trigger depression and other serious mental health issues. If at any time you or anyone you know may be struggling to balance life and wellness, please reach out to your personal and professional communities for support. Options include your primary care doctor, family, local health organizations, churches and libraries to locate appropriate help.
Every stage of life demands discipline. Rightly so, commitment to implementing a disciplined lifestyle eliminates many stresses. It promotes positive energy and a healthier, happier, more fluid approach to enjoying a successful life. It strengthens the ability to problem solve, mental aptitude to be inspired and self-motivated during adversities. These empowering attributes of self-discipline infuses mental toughness to push through, to persevere, to adjust, to pursue different approaches and solutions that can propel you forward with confidence and purpose. The chain effect of battling through challenging experiences strengthens our foundations, while building muscles that elevate success. Here is one example to help envision ways of strengthening your approach to a disciplined lifestyle:
> Identify 3 - 5 positive activities to start your day.
> Establish a consistent, daily routine.
> Hold yourself accountable; identify a family member, friend or mentor you trust to consistently hold you accountable in a positive, supportive approach.
> Over time, consistent commitment to a daily routine builds positive, healthy habits.
> Track your success by grouping a calendar count of consistent lifestyle practices. Choose any number of days, e.g. 15 or 30 days count measuring your progress. Upon reaching 60 days, add 2 - 3 valuable activities to the end of your day leading up to bedtime. At this stage, it is about continuing to build upon the starting point and producing a lifestyle of success oriented habits.
The example above is one step to living a more intentional, purposeful life. The discipline to take command of your day, ignites your energy to kickstart every day with purpose, fulfillment and joy. This powerful alignment serves to empower your confidence and elevates a harmonious and more organized lifestyle. Discipline is an art, a verb, a necessary personality to the human species and those who uses its characteristics to champion life.
In preparing to move past another season of twelve months, quiet yourselves and pause to reflect on those actions that benefit steadfast success. The bustle and excitement of December can influence our discipline. The holiday season can be chaotic. The world is ever changing season to season and quite unpredictable. While getting closer to welcoming winter and the start to a new year, it is necessary to be equipped and ready to pursue survival on all fronts of life. Do not allow the push and pull of your courage to be scattered with the winds of change. Have you set expectations or are you overwhelmed and hesitant to battle the storms of life that blow in your path? Will you remain unwavering and robust after the rattling waves of life beat down upon your feet, and the ground of stability shifts from beneath you? Have you stored up sufficient discipline to make it through the winter storms? Are you ready, willing and determined to survive? Is your discipline tested? Winter is not the time to wilt. Turn up your preparation. Dress appropriately for the weather. Get into gear. Dig deep into your discipline. It is the map of courage. Remember, your discipline is critical to the pursuit of success.
~ Carlene Gray
~ Communication Strategist & Leadership Coach
"Suffer the pain of discipline, or suffer the pain of regret." Unknown.
"Discipline is your friend, not your enemy." ~ Joyce Meyer.
