Marriage from A to Z

“Do you want to accomplish your goals?”

How are you doing with achieving your 2021 goals? I don’t know about you, but every goal that I would like to accomplish and every goal that I have already accomplished has required one thing, DISCIPLINE! If you have been reading my post this year, you know that I am sharing 21 words to totally “Transform your 2021.” The 12th Word for this year is DISCIPLINE. Let’s talk about it!

I am sure that you know the definition, but let’s look at what it means to have discipline: The dictionary defines discipline as: “The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.” If you want to accomplish your goals this year, you have to be disciplined.

Discipline is often difficult because the body (perhaps I should say, my body) doesn’t want to be trained to obey the rules of whatever I am trying to accomplish. For example: If you want to lose weight, you have to discipline your body to eat healthy foods, cut out some of the sweets and things that you enjoy, stop eating late at night and move your body. All of which requires discipline. I hear many people say that they want to write a book. If you want to write a book, you have to discipline yourself to write consistently in order to complete the book. You should develop the discipline of writing at least an hour a day. Think about your goals. What are the disciplines that are necessary to help you accomplish your goals? I will let you into my personal life by sharing some of my daily/weekly disciplines.

Here are 12 Daily/Weekly Disciplines that totally transformed my life and my 2021:

1. THE DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER – (Luke 18:1)
2. THE DISCIPLINE OF DAILY DEVOTIONS/READING SCRIPTURE – (I Peter 2:2)
3. THE DISCIPLINE OF WORSHIP – (John 4:24)
4. The DISCIPLINE OF EXERCISE 3-4 TIMES A WEEK – (I Timothy 4:8)
5. THE DISCIPLINE OF CHOOSING HEALTHIER FOODS & CUTTING MY EATING OFF AT 7:00 PM – (3 John 1:2)
6. THE DISCIPLINE OF DRINKING WATER (Even when I want to drink something else like juice, tea or lemonade) – (I Daniel 1:12)
7. THE DISCIPLINE OF WRITING ON A WEEKLY BASIS – (Habakkuk 2:2)
8. THE DISCIPLINE OF THINKING GOOD THOUGHTS – (Philippians 4:8)
9. THE DISCIPLINE OF SAVING MONEY – (Proverbs 6:6-8)
10. THE DISCIPLINE OF ARRIVING TO PLACES ON TIME – (Ephesians 5:15-16)
11. THE DISCIPLINE OF FASTING – (Matthew 17:21)
12. THE DISCIPLINE OF HAVING SABBATH REST – (Exodus 20:18)

I have to be transparent and say that none of these disciplines come easy for me. Sometimes I miss the mark! However, EACH one of these disciplines require a focused mind set in order to train and sometimes force myself into doing what I know that I need to do in order to accomplish my goals. You see I may not feel like exercising, but I focus my mind on how great I will feel once I get it in. Therefore, I force myself to get out of the bed and exercise. My mind wants to practice “stinking thinking” however, I have to practice having discipline in my thought life and force myself to think good thoughts. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, good, lovely, excellent or praiseworthy.

May the Lord bless you to accomplish your goals in 2021. May you practice whatever disciplines that you need in order to accomplish your goals in Jesus Name! Amen!

Until next week . . .

Carolyn