30 Days of Discipline

I decided a few weeks ago that my life was seriously lacking discipline. Sure I get up and go to work everyday and try to eat the recommended daily dose of veggies, but I’m basically living in a cycle of procrastination and then rushing around…no wonder I’m often crabby!

So, I decided to take the month of April to challenge myself to a disciplined lifestyle. For me this means more regularly spending time reading my Bible and praying, exercising, eating right and keeping up with the housework. All simple enough tasks, but to really stay on top of everything on a daily basis is where it gets tough for me.

April 1st was a Wednesday. This is significant because I always wait for a Monday to begin any new diet or regime. Starting on a Wednesday was a testament to the fact that I was going to do it differently this time.

Day one was pretty easy…I didn’t want to get out of bed so early, but it was day one! You can’t fail on day one! So, I got out of bed, headed out to the couch and cracked open my Bible. I was a little nervous at first. I’ve had trouble actually cracking open my Bible for longer than I’d like to admit. It’s like I always find an excuse or distraction to just put it off till later, but then later doesn’t come. So here I am at the crack of dawn in my cozy livingroom with my tattered red Bible in hand. I had a yellow sticky note stuck on a page in Colossians, so I decided to start there. I read a few chapters, and what do you know? It was great! I felt a sense of peace and refreshment as the words poured into my heart and mind. A few verses in particular stood out to me and I thought about them throughout the rest of the day!

Obstacle #2 was getting my rear end out the door and to the gym. Once I finished reading my Bible, I changed into my workout gear and made the 2 minute trip from my side door to the door of the gym. Once I get to the gym, the adrenaline and discipline of all the other people washes over me and I’m ready to go. It’s just the getting there that can be tricky. I spent a good 45 minutes working out and then headed out into the cool morning air feeling like a million bucks.

I got home and showered, got dressed, did my hair and makeup, had a moment to pack my lunch and I headed out the door for work without rushing! I had a leisurely drive to the office and when I got to work my attitude was SO much better than it usually is! I wasn’t frazzled from sleeping till the last second and flying out the door…I had actually had a morning already! My time in the Bible had really energized me and I was high on endorphins from my morning workout.

I had originally planned to just do this for the month of April as a personal challenge to myself, but I’m almost certain I won’t be able to give it up at the end of the month. It feels too good to live like this!

The other parts of my commitment are eating right by following the Weight Watchers Point System and keeping up with the housework more regularly. I allow myself one cheat day each week so that I can indulge in some of my favorite foods, but overall I’ve been sticking to WW the other six days!

My house isn’t spotless, but I’m doing a lot better at taking care of little things as I see them rather than allowing everything to pile up.

It’s day 15 of my journey and I’m halfway there. I was originally planning to blog everyday, but I guess it’s a little late for that. I’m hoping to be a bit more regular for the next 15 days and I’ll definitely have a finale entry to report any major accomplishments. Until then, I press on!