What would it take for you to maximize your full potential? Are you in need of organizational skills? An accountability partner? Or do you need discipline? In thinking of those who attain great successes, a key aspect of their journey required self discipline. Discipline demonstrates focus, attention to detail, and may require shutting off access to items that draw you away from your purpose. Thus, personal responsibility is inclusive of making tough choices which others will not always understand or agree with but are intended to motivate growth.
Personally, self discipline has been one of my own struggles. My desire to be socially accepted has placed me in situations where my physical, emotional, and financial safety was in question. There was a time when I lacked balance due to trying to prove that I was independent and strong. On multiple instances, I would be ego driven and battle with the men I dated in an attempt to assert false dominance all because of poor discipline. For example, I lacked boundaries, therefore, I would agree to bare minimum treatment (i.e. not making the guy prioritize me), yet play the cat and mouse game just for need of companionship. The lack of self discipline in those situations revealed that I wasn’t able to control my emotions and was easily swayed into complacency.
On another note, bringing myself down to fit in with those who were part of my upbringing proved detrimental too. I had a time in my life when I was a functioning alcoholic. Traumas that I’ve faced were unresolved and I gave into cultural and environmental stereotypes of suppressing my feelings by attaining what I can the bulldozer method. This method is the “get over it attitude” where I would want to talk about how I felt, but I didn’t want to show weakness which led me to alcohol. I'd be at bars, lounges, clubs at least three times a week drinking my problems “away”, squandering my hard earned money. I had no desire to plan for the future because my profession granted me a pension. Soon enough, life humbled me!
In November of 2020, I was left with the reality of single motherhood and the nominal savings I did have, were gone sooner than I could blink. My poor judgment left me in debt and living paycheck to paycheck all while trying to provide for my daughter. Then, my pastor placed me on a strict budget in which I worked multiple jobs outside of my teaching career to crawl myself out of the rut. Through that experience, God taught me the importance of discipline by taking away my destructive mindset of poor planning. Nearly three years later, I was finally debt free!
Great read