Discipline

The most difficult thing early in training is the discipline portion.  You can say you have the best intentions.  “I’m going to lose weight.”  “Tomorrow, I’m going to start running.”  “I want to look better.”  These types of ideas are only that, ideas.  It’s too broad.  They will always be ideas or intentions until they are implemented.  What I discovered through doing this is if you have broad idea’s or good intentions, then you leave yourself room to veer off track.  “I’m going to lose 25 pounds.  Starting tomorrow after I go out for a big dinner tonight.”  Or, you are 2 weeks into a routine and you take a couple days off because you just don’t ‘want’ to.  You have the best ideas or best intentions, but you are not discipline enough to hold yourself accountable to the plan.

This is when you realize you cannot do this alone.  One of the most difficult things that I found out during my journey through exercise is disciplining myself to get up, push through any discomfort and change my routine.  I had to commit to something before I started.  In 2012 I ran my first ever half marathon.  But before I started training and telling myself, “I’m going to run in a half marathon” I leave myself to much room to veer off track.  I would have left space so in case it got hard, I wasn’t committed to doing it and could quit.  So I did it.  I registered first.  I looked at my registration form, put on my work calendar 12 weeks out and daily reminders that would pop up.  I had a buddy that we held each other accountable that we would run.  If we didn’t run together, we would ask each other if we got our miles in today or this week.  You DISCIPLINE yourself to make sure that you do not let your accountability partner down.  Create that visual that you have to mark off or even report in on.
 

It’s right there.  Its right in front of you.  This is what I’m doing today.  Put it up somewhere you will see it every day.  Make it a part of your day.  Because when you do this you change your routine.  You change your thought process.  You change your life.  In the fall of 2012 I ran my 1^st ever Half Marathon in Akron Ohio.  In the spring of 2013 I ran my second in Cleveland.  A full year after running my first, I’ve run a total of 3.  But not without people like my wife, my friend Jamey and my others supporting me and holding me accountable.

 

 

Recently I read a passage in the Bible that talks about discipline.  Hebrews 12.  In my sons Bible this chapter is titled, “Gods Discipline Proves His Love.”  It does talk about how hard it is to be a follower of Christ and we are constantly being Disciplined by God.  But he loves us like a Father who disciplines his son, because he loves his son.  We are getting in shape for the right reasons.  Our bodies are temples of God, and we are to discipline ourselves physically equally as much spiritually to do what is right.  I’ll hold you accountable because I’m being held accountable too.