The great philosopher Aristotle is well known for his quote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” It is up to us to make a conscious effort to adapt positive lifestyles and this in turn requires discipline. Remaining disciplined is not easy and has often been a struggle of mine; but I’ve come to realise how important today’s actions impact our future. Each season may need something different from you but discipline is often the one constant thing required to meet the high standards that have been set for you.
Make your mind up
Getting your body to submit to the spirit is always a battle and often a warfare that occurs on the mind’s battlefield. In order to meet our destiny we have to beat our flesh daily from dragging ourselves out of bed when our body cries for the warmth of our duvet; to ensuring that we set aside time daily to meet with our Creator, despite not ‘feeling like it’. There are going to be numerous instances when our flesh and feelings will contradict what Father needs you to do but it all comes down to mind over matter. The only person responsible for the change and growth you undergo is you.
Make it better
God is merciful, beautiful and faithful and His grace is always sufficient. Every morning and breath of life He blesses you with is another chance and opportunity to make it right. I’ll warn you now that there would probably be countless times when we don’t quite make the mark, however it is up to us to keep pressing towards the goal. Congratulate the progress you have made whilst acknowledging your shortcomings. The sole aim is to make our present better than our past and even then, our present will never be as amazing as our future.
Make it plain
It is also important for us to be practical. Habbukuk reminds us to write the vision and make it plain. This doesn’t just apply to our lifetime visions but our daily aims and objectives. We may know where we are going but it is even more important to know how to get there. Commit each day to Father’s Hands and ask Him what He requires of you for that day. Write them down along with your daily discipline duties and tick them off as you complete them. Whilst trying to pick up these new habits always allow flexibility and room for your spirit to be Kingdom led.
There isn’t a short cut to getting disciplined just like there is no shortcut to getting fit. You have to put in the work. If you operate better with the support of others then find people that can help push you in that direction. But ultimately remember that in order to get and remained disciplined and subdue the flesh, the spirit must be fed regularly. The first step to a disciplined and fulfilled lifestyle is to overcome procrastination. So make the decision to start right now. Don’t delay because excellence awaits you!
By Dorcas Kissi
Twitter: @MissDKissi