Discipline. That word might as well be a 4-letter cuss word to me. Not in terms of disciplining my kids but referring to my own personal Discipline.
If you have ever done Gallops Clifton Strengths assessment, (which I very much think you should if you haven’t!), you will find Discipline on a list of 34 strengths. Discipline is number 31/34 on my list. Which means it is the exact opposite of a strength. Shoot.
I see people working out routinely like machines. Disciplined.
I see people daily eating chicken breast and lettuce like it’s dessert. Disciplined.
These people amaze me. (And maybe make me slightly jealous!) I see them harnessing a superhero strength and swear I see a cape with a big letter “D” on it flapping in the breeze behind them. Impressive!
What I slowly recognize, or maybe I am just finally giving in to the truth about, is Discipline might actually be necessary. Ugh.
We think of Discipline mostly in the form of working out daily or sticking to a diet. However, it spans much deeper and broader than that.
Recently, I listened to a talk by Jim Collins, who shared a story about two exhibition groups in the 1930s who tried to make a dangerous cold-weather trek. A trek comparable to the distance between Chicago and New York. One group decided to pursue a plan in which if weather and conditions were good, they would travel as far as they could that day. When conditions were terrible, they chose to hunker down and do little or no traveling that day.
The other group decided to stick to a carefully thought out plan. They called it the 20-mile march. Each day, regardless of their situation, they would hike 20 miles. In good weather, 20 miles. In devastating conditions, 20 miles.
Guess who won the race?
Discipline.
John Ortberg would say, “Disciplines are valuable simply because they allow us to do what we cannot do by willpower alone.”
Friends I have very little will power. Therefore I must rely on disciplined behavior to carry me through the times when I have nothing left to give. I think those friends with the superhero capes understand that as well.
Disciplines help you prepare for hard times to come; when willpower is no longer possible, but your disciplines are so ingrained that you have the strength to persevere.
Disciplined eaters, healthier.
Disciplined athletes, stronger.
Disciplined bible readers, unshakable.
Disciplined prayers, connected.
We all know this, but committing to a disciplined plan, ugh, that is something else!
Jim Collins continued and simplified the idea of committing to a disciplined plan with one question, “What is your 20-mile march?”
It’s not the strenuous workout on January 2nd that you can’t maintain through January 5th. It’s not the 60 minutes of devotional time when you are on vacation that you can’t keep up when you return home.
So how do you create Discipline? It’s not easy. But 1. You need to choose something in your life that needs consistency. 2. Select a very specific, doable goal, and 3. Strive to maintain it daily.
So I would ask you, “What is your 20-mile march? What is your thought out plan?”
Maybe it is reading your bible 5 minutes a day at 6:30 am. Super specific. Super doable.
Maybe it’s committing to 10 minutes of prayer at 9:30 pm. Perhaps it’s setting the alarm every day on your phone at noon to text a friend and encourage them. Maybe it’s drinking a glass of water every hour, exercising 20 minutes every day, or cleaning for 15 minutes every evening at 8:00 pm.
What will be your “20-mile march” to create a discipline needed in your life?
With routines starting back up soon with the start of school, I challenge you to pick something and learn the art of Discipline. I know I need to! Let’s do it together.
