Discipline: The Key to Adulting
Welcome back to #CenteredThursdays! I'm rolling with the vulnerability train this week and opening up about my lack of discipline.
Ugh.
Even writing this post about my lack of discipline is making me uneasy about it. But we're gonna push through. Ready?
So. I've never had to try to be good at anything. I know that sounds ridiculous, but hear me out: I've never had to work hard to do well in life, at least not until recently. I've always depended on my personality, innate leadership and intelligence and common sense, and relying on those traits has done well for my first 25 years. they've done well in the sense that i have been able to skate by with doing the bare minimum necessary just to get by.
Now, let me clarify: I'm not good at everything, by no stretch of the imagination. so what about the things I'm not good at? I quit. Literally. I stop trying and I switch my goals and attention to something else I might do better at with the least amount of effort.
But why is this? Why have I been able to jugg the system up until now? The key is discipline. And I have none of it. and learning discipline at 28-29-30 years old is stressful and challenging and makes mediocrity look comfortable and safe.
This is where I am now. My potential has fueled my journey thus far and now I'm on E, boo. So in the middle of my proverbial desert, how on earth am I supposed to get to each checkpoint throughout my human odyssey? I have to get out and push this ride and that concept is scary af.
I never had a bedtime. I didn't have anyone actually checking my homework. When people get to know me, most tend to like my personality and are enamored by my vision and flexible with the outcomes expected from me. Complacency and resting on my bright potential has led to my lack of discipline, so here we are. What do I do with this introspection? How do i flip this knowledge of self into my next growth factor?
I have to start small. Real small.
Imagine how hard it is to tell a big-picture visionary that they need to think small. I don't know how to do that, in all honesty. Thinking small and actually taking things day by day has been the toughest pilgrimage I have ever faced. Ever. But I am convinced that my complete emergence as the adult that I am meant to be lies on the other side of conquering this concept of discipline.
Its so easy to become complacent and put things off indefinitely as an adult because no one is there to check you. When you're young, you have your parents to keep tabs on you. As an adult, you have to choose people to be in your life to hold you accountable. Its just as easy to choose yes-men as friends! But the only way to grow is through your potential as an adult, and you can do that with practicing discipline.
Here are the ideas that i am currently trying to help improve my discipline:
- Going to bed on time: I know that I need at least seven hours of rest each night in order to feel rested. Feeling rested gives me the energy that I need to accomplish the many tasks that I am responsible for. Practicing rest is an act of discipline that ensures that you are presenting your best self in your endeavors
- Drinking water everyday: Remaining hydrated throughout the day helps to keep your mind clear so that the decisions that you make are sound. Feelings of sleepiness are often the first signs of dehydration, so drinking that water will help you remain focused and alert
- Using my planner: I am a stationery addict and a writer by nature, so using a planner had been part of my life since middle school. Seeing my mom with her DayTimer influenced me to get started in my journey in organization. Making lists is a big part of my life, so breaking down lists into my planner helps me to see what all I need to do and their respective deadlines
- Compartmentalizing my day: My attention span aint all that. So for me to be as productive as possible, I have to carve out my day by sectioning out timeframes to get ish done. I have found that I feel the most productive when I not only make lists, but I combine my lists (work, school, personal) into one list and diversify my attention
- Meal planning and prepping: I love to cook, but I don't always have the time or energy to do it. Meal planning and meal prepping have been lifesavers when I make the time to do it. Check out my Meal Prep Pinterest board here for some great ideas (vegetarian options included)
- Balancing business and pleasure: As you can tell, I often have many projects on my plate at a time, which can lead to my feeling overwhelmed and anxious. One of my best friends reminded me that as much as I have business to take care of, I also need to make sure that I plan fun things to do. Having activities on the calendar can help you look forward to completing the mundane duties so you can party hard
- Journaling experiences: I'm a writer, so it feels like second nature to write out my feelings. When I have journaled at the end of my day after being productive and crossing items off my lists, that reflection has fueled me into the next day to be even more productive than i was the day before
- Using technology to my advantage: My name is Jazzmyn Blu, and I am addicted to my cell phone. I admit that there is a problem and I accept it. But there are ways to use this hindrance as a source of accountability and productivity. I use the Flora app to help minimize my distractions throughout the day and I set alarms to remind me to do certain things (to remind me to work in my planner, to remind me to eat and to drink water, to remind me to take time to read, and to remind me when to get ready for bed)
- Remaining grateful: None of us are perfect, so we shouldn't expect perfection from ourselves. I don't always meet all my tasks when I expect to, but gratitude in discipline requires that I remain thankful and grounded when I meet my goals and when I don't. This journey is about progress, not perfection
I hope that these tips help you guys develop some discipline, and let me know which tips are your favorites!
Discipline: The Key to Adulting is an original post and appeared first on BYNKradio.com by Jazzmyn Blu.