When God places a desire in your heart to accomplish something for Him, often, it feels like you are standing at the bottom of a mountain with a boulder in front of you, and the mission is to push the boulder up the mountain.
You want to be obedient to what the Lord is calling you to do, but discipline is required to get the boulder moving.
At first, pushing that boulder is challenging, tiring, and maybe even frustrating.
The more you show up and do the work, the easier it will get, and soon, you will find you are on flat terrain where everything feels a little easier.
Developing discipline is about learning to love the challenge of doing the difficult things until they become second nature.
The key to building discipline is not just loving the outcome but embracing the struggle that gets you there. God has asked you to do this assignment, so you can trust Him. If you commit to the process, nothing will get in the way that He will not help you overcome.
How can you build this kind of discipline? Here are five habits to help:
- Just Do It: Take action without overthinking. Break the mental resistance by starting when you count to three —1, 2, 3, go!
- Eat the Frog: If sooner or later you must eat the frog, then get it over with! Tackle your toughest task first thing in the morning. Putting the worst task behind you can make you more productive because the rest of your tasks will feel easy in comparison.
- Start Small: Make tiny changes. Success builds momentum, so break down the project into small steps, and take one step at a time.
- Do What You Don’t Want to Do: Get comfortable with discomfort. Pushing out of your comfort zone strengthens your discipline muscle, making future challenges easier to face.
- Set Non-Negotiables: Decide on daily tasks that must be done. List your non-negotiables and stick to them.
Look, I’m not sure any of us truly love the rigor of being disciplined in our daily habits, but there is a lot to love about the results. Developing discipline is about trusting that consistent effort will lead to something greater.
What boulder are you willing to push up the mountain for kingdom impact?
