April 5, 2005 Volume 2 No. 7
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Commit To Discipline

In his essay "The Common Denominator of Success" , E.M.Gray states, "The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don' t like to do." In spite of fear, laziness, not being in the mood or feeling like you may not be equipped---make up your mind to do that thing you have been putting off!!!s!

Enjoy the newsletter and have a Blessed Two Weeks!!


Cathy Morenzie


"Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility and commitment."

~ H. Ross Perot p>

There is an on-going struggle in our lives between the lure of mediocrity and the desire for excellence; between satisfaction with doing just enough and the all out thrill of giving life all that you have. The battle is won only when we decide in our minds that we cannot be content with less than our best. Of course there is great difficulty in doing this, otherwise we would all be living at the height of our potentials and charging the atmosphere with perpetual brilliance.

The challenge is that we are often in charge of disciplining ourselves, our minds, our wills and our emotions to reach the desired goals. "Self-discipline" , the word alone conjures up flashbacks of failed attempts to eat right, exercise, get adequate rest, stick with New Year's resolutions, complete a course of study, and the list goes on. We are all too familiar with the disappointments that arise when we are responsible for disciplining ourselves to reach a particular goal. The result: we give up and render the attempt hopeless and futile.

There is no magic formula that can be applied, no 12-step program, and no motivational speech to be given to tell us how to discipline ourselves. It has to be something that we make our minds up to do, one step at a time, one goal at a time. The problem is not that we may fail; the problem comes when we refuse to get up from that failed attempt and try again. Let us endeavour to retrain our minds and feed it a steady diet of consistency, perseverance, determination and discipline for success is not a destination we reach, it is a journey we take. Enjoy the journey; don't be too hard on yourself but hold yourself accountable to a standard of doing, giving and being your best. Be blessed and remember to live life one day at a time, one moment at a time, one thought at a time.

~Nadia C. Thomas
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Do you lack the discipline you desire to stick to your health and wellness goals? Here are some tips that have worked for others. Maybe one or more will work for you too.

ü      Pack your gym bag the night before and put it at the door

ü      Make time for and record your exercise sessions in your day-timer

ü      Grocery shop and stock up on food so that you won't have to visit the food court on your lunch hour

ü      Stay focused on your purpose… it ‘should’ over-ride your feelings.

ü      Go to bed earlier so that you'll have the energy to make it through your day without coffee, chocolate bars or something to give you a boost

ü      Get up a bit earlier (providing you go to bed earlier) to prepare breakfast so you will not have to buy a coffee and muffin or donut for breakfast or early morning snack

ü      Set your VCR so you can watch your favourite program while you exercise on your treadmill or Stairmaster

ü      Keep a balanced scheduled so that you have the energy and motivation to exercise and eat healthy and resist unwanted food cravings

ü      Keep extra healthy snacks on hand in your desk or purse so that you are always prepared

ü      Recruit a friends or two -- you are likely to have better results if you tell someone of your goal -- better yet, invite them to workout with you!!  A workout partner can help keep you motivated and on track.

ü      Make a back-up plan in case you are unable to keep your appointment with yourself.  Life often seems to get in the way of our best made plans

ü      Take inventory of your refrigerator -- do you have enough food to get you through the week?  Will you have enough time after work to prepare dinner or do you need to prepare it in advance. (On Sundays I often cook a few different meals to get me through most of the week).

ü      Review your goals regularly.  We can sometimes lose sight of why we initiated a health and fitness program in the first place.  Try posting your goals on your refrigerator!!!!

ü      At the beginning of every week take the time to record your workout sessions in your day timer.  Record any upcoming meetings or social functions where you might indulge a bit more than usual.  Make a plan for compensating for those additional calories -- either by scheduling another workout or eating less throughout the day.



Learning the Art of Discipline

Are there activities which you dread doing? Taxes? Washing dishes? Chances are regardless of how you feel, you still have to do them anyway! And just like smoking and weight loss, you can break the bad habit once you commit to changing. When you do, you'll increase your productivity and accomplish things you never thought were possible. Try these tips to get through these perceived painful activities with minimal discomfort.

  • Commit to performing the task for just a few minutes -- once you get started you will usually finish it
  • Add some fun your routine -- make it into a game (we do a 1-minute tidy by putting away as many things as we can in one minute)
  • Do the things you dislike most first... then its all downhill from there
  • Enlist some help -- call a friend to exercise with you, talk on the phone while you are washing the dishes or get a study buddy
  • Plan ahead ... spend 5 minutes each day to make a to-do list and a schedule -- be sure to schedule the least pleasant activity first
  • Change your attitude about the tasks -- try listing alternative thoughts that will help you accept the situations with a more positive attitude (i.e., find "meaning" in them)
  • Instead of focusing on how you'll feel doing the work, focus on how you'll feel when it's finished.

You may or may not get over your dread of performing certain tasks but getting them completed will increase your effectiveness, productivity and peace of mind and that is what discipline is all about!

 
 
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