The 3 Battles of Daily Discipline: Mind, Mouth, and Movement
For most of us self-discipline is a passive concept. It’s not one we very often think about, and when we do it’s often because we feel guilty about some bad decision we’ve made, or were lamenting to a friend about why we need more of it. Unfortunately it’s that in-deliberate attitude that usually leads to our lack of self-discipline. Many of us think of discipline as hard and we don’t understand the Pain Paradox. Discipline doesn’t have to always be difficult, brutal, or painful as long as it’s perpetually intentional and consistent.
There are 3 primary battles of self-discipline that need to be won each and every day by all of us. They are 3 things that we have absolute control over and that regardless of our profession, age, or income we must deal with. Avoiding these areas is not an option because as I mentioned on my Twitter page, you are either consciously forming good habits or you are unconsciously forming bad ones. The battles I’m referring to are
for your MIND, your MOUTH, and your MOVEMENTS.
The struggle for gaining control of your MIND begins at the exact moment your alarm clock goes off. For some, the tendency of our wandering mind is much towards the negative; that is for whatever reason an un-monitored mind slips to complaining, distractions, and indulgence. You have to be intentional and fiercely protective about each thought that you allow to materialize in your head. You can influence this with positive affirmations, mentorship, reading positive material, surrounding yourself with positive people, or by sheer will. Understand that the war on your MIND is immediately waged as soon as you wake up and it has eternal implications.
Today it seems like the MOUTH is the most underestimated tool for self-discipline. Our words are the overflow of our hearts. Just as you do with your thoughts, you have the ability to completely control your words. Errant jokes, flippant comments, and foul language are sometimes (not always) indications of someone who doesn’t have control over their MOUTH. They speak without thinking. They talk without evaluating the impact their words have on themselves and others. I’m not judging what type of language is or isn’t appropriate but I’m adamant that un-intentioned use of the tongue can be violently dangerous to your life and your dreams.
Last is our MOVEMENTS or our actions. For the most part we have control over what physical things we do with our bodies. Again, I wouldn’t pre-suppose to tell you what movements are good/bad, right/wrong but you must realize that your actions have impacts and if you don’t have a deliberate reign over them, they can get you into trouble. For example, in the male culture there is a common theme when it comes to cheating which is, “I can look as long as I don’t touch.” Yet, is not the first step to every adultery a simple look or an indulgent thought? Does debt and bankruptcy not begin with a single small loan? Would it ever be possible to surpass our desired weight without first taking a single bite?
Just as success is achieved with 1 small action at a time, so is failure. So that 1 small action is critical and it must be congruent with whatever you value most for your life. Otherwise, in the words of my friend Mark Hall from Casting Crowns, “It’s a Slow Fade.”
Unfortunately I’m not wise enough to tell you what all of your thoughts, words, or actions should be. But I am inspired to share with you that they should be done with discipline for what YOU want your life to be and perhaps with disregard for what others around you are doing. A good rule of thumb whether it is with your MIND, your MOUTH, or your MOVEMENTS, is to avoid the indulgent mindlessness of the escalator mentality and to instead Take the Stairs.
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See you in the stairwell,
Rory Vaden
Take the stairs – Success means doing what others won’t.
Tags: accountability, discipline, focus, forming good habits, master your emotions, Motivational Speaker, performance expert, raising your performance, sales performance, Self-Discipline, Take The Stairs
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