The Pursuit of Self-Discipline

 

So, this is to be the week of self-discipline. I’ve been a little obsessed with “getting my life together” over the weekend, and this week I’m hoping to see it play out in some positive ways. Honestly, I don’t think anyone is truly put together. Everyone has their bad days. However, I really want to try to establish some good habits. Now that I think about it, a week is a really good place to start, but it’s going to take WAY longer.

Taking advice from several other bloggers, pinterest, and numerous other sources, I compiled a list of things that I can do to practice self-discipline, create good habits, and overall be more productive and energetic this week. Hopefully you can benefit from this list too!

1. Start every day with bible reading and prayer.

For a lot of people, this might be a no-brainer. And to those people I say, good on you. Personally, this has always been a challenge, due to the fact that I am most definitely NOT a morning person and taking the time in the morning was difficult for me. However, I’ve found that when I do get up earlier to take that extra 15-20 minutes of devotional time before I start my day, I’m generally a happier, more pleasant person to be around because of it. Plus, I’m committing my day to God which somehow ends up making me way more productive. 🙂

2. Exercise first thing in the morning if possible.

Another super super hard one for me… I’m typically quite lazy, especially in the A.M. It’s way too easy for me to choose to roll over for an extra half hour in bed rather than get up to do pilates with Mum. Regardless, choosing to exercise first thing in the morning is super important for me, as it gets the blood flowing, wakes me up, gets me feeling really great, and even simply choosing to do something good for me rather than staying in bed sets a much more proactive mood for the day. For the record I failed this one this morning, but there’s still time left in the day to fit in a quick pilates sesh or maybe a walk around the block. Tomorrow morning, though, I’m gonna do it. And now that it’s been published on the internet, I kinda have to! 😉

3. Set goals (personal and practical) for the week.

Setting goals is so very important. It gives me something to work towards, keeping me motivated. A rewards system always helps too. 😉 Some of my goals include making sure to journal every evening, finishing the book I’m currently reading (The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, reading it for the umpteenth time and loving it more than ever), and cooking dinner twice this week. Goals keep me focused and driven, and the completion of said goals brings an undisputed sense of accomplishment. I look forward to feeling like I’ve earned my weekend! xD

4. Get an agenda (if you don’t already have one) and USE IT!!

I can’t stress this one enough. I have a planner that my parents bought me for Christmas last year, and honestly, it’s been great. I was just at Chapters flipping through gorgeous Kate Spade planners that I can’t afford, and despite what Pinterest says, you don’t need a fancy one to be able to plan your life. One of the best things you can do to keep your week organized and in perspective is to lay it all out in a planner. You’re less likely to forget appointments or due dates, and you reduce the chances of feeling like a hot mess by 10000000%.

5. Turn off your phone at least half an hour before bed, and read instead!

That rhymed! Unintentionally. I’m awesome. Anyway, everything you’ve heard about blue light from your phone affecting your sleep is TRUE. You. Will. Sleep. Better. And when I say turn off, I mean TURN OFF. Don’t just lock the screen. It’s better for you, and it’s better for your phone battery to actually turn it off at night. As for reading, it’s a fantastic way to calm yourself down and prepare for sleeping, as well as sneakily improving your vocabulary and overall brain function!

6. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep.

It’s true, some people need around 10 hours of sleep, whereas some people need only 6 or 7. I tend to need about 9 hours of sleep to be able to function at my very best during the day. Figure out how much sleep you need to be most productive the next day, and commit to sleeping that much. You’ll be doing yourself a favour!! EVEN IF IT MEANS WATCHING ONE LESS EPISODE OF GILMORE GIRLS. I know it’s hard, but you can do it. 😛

I think that about sums up the six things I’ve committed to doing this week to become more productive and put-together. I’ll check back in on Friday to let y’all know how it went!