Fun a Day Reseda – Day 29: The Benefits of Discipline

Fun a Day Reseda - Day 29Is it hard to write a blog post every day?

Yes.

The hard part is sitting down to write. Once I get started, the words flow. It’s the act of getting to my favorite chair and starting that’s hard. Some days are harder than others. I may have a busy day at work followed by a long night of errands. I may have spent the day dealing with family stresses. When I have the time to write, I barely have the energy left to pick up my laptop. I’d rather watch Food Network or do some mindless Web surfing than write.

That’s why discipline is beneficial.

I would be watching Chopped or reading nasty comments about the State of the Union address right now if I didn’t make the commitment to do a blog post every day this month. The discipline is what drags me to my chair and gets me to open my laptop. Once I get started, I can do the work. The key is to get started.

Getting started is the hardest part of any change. Did you make a goal to exercise three times a week, but your workout clothes are still in their packaging? Are the rice cakes you plan to eat for your diet waiting in the pantry while you’re still gorging through your potato chips? Did you get around to buying the materials for your art project? Discipline is what you need to put on the workout clothes, toss the chips, and drive to the art supply store. It’s what gets you to push through the inertia and start new habits to replace the old ones.

Discipline is the commitment you make to get started. It’s deciding to work on your goal whether you feel like it or not. It’s avoiding temptations and excuses. It requires energy, but not a lot. Once you get started, you can get into the task. Discipline sets the work in motion, and the momentum that comes from doing the work keeps you going.

So, even though I’m tired after a long and busy day, the discipline of writing — which came from a commitment I made — enables me to bring this blog post to a close.

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