Got a dream? Part 3

We’ve talked about making THE decision and making a commitment to pursue your dreams. So, let’s talk about the third thing it requires to pursue your dream.

Discipline. This is a huge topic and we may have to revisit this one later. But it takes discipline to pursue a dream. Malcolm Gladwell who wrote The Tipping Point says it takes 10,000 hours to get good at something. 10,000 hours. Think about it. That’s a lot of time. If you worked on your dream 40 hours for 52 weeks of the year, that’s a little over 2,000 hours. At that pace it’s gonna take roughly 5 years to get to 10,000 hours. Now don’t get discouraged. Remember, you’ve made a decision. You’ve committed. And now you gotta get as tough as a drill sergeant. Olympic athletes discipline themselves in how they work out, eat, and challenge themselves beyond their endurance. Any athlete who has won the gold medal would say, “It’s worth it.” At some point they had to get disciplined. Discipline is a muscle and requires working out to strengthen it. You won’t be disciplined over night. You’ll mess up. But recommit and begin again. Discipline yourself.

If you struggle with this area, we will talk about this some more because there are strategies for becoming more disciplined. But for now, begin. And if you need someone to help you, a partner in crime, so to speak, try to find someone you can trust with your dream (remember, no one who is going to laugh or harass) and ask that person to keep you accountable. Maybe you can help your friend if he or she is struggling too.

So does discipline come easily for you? Or do you struggle? What are some techniques that have helped you be more disciplined?

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2 thoughts on “Got a dream? Part 3

  1. Mary

    Wow, Leanna, you continue to address those difficult questions. Discipline isn’t easy for me, nor is being consistent. I find that if I give God the first part of my day things run more smoothly. Daily Bible reading, prayer and quiet time to listen to Him puts me on track and helps me stay there through the day. Thank you for this topic. I am going to share it with a sweet friend/sister who needs a dream. God bless!

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  2. Leanna Ellis

    Hi, Mary! You’re so right. None of these are easy. But then if they were then anyone would be able to easily achieve their dream. And it takes work. Discipline used to be easier for me. Now that I have kids and am a busy mom and am pulled in a hundred different directions, I find it much harder to be disciplined. I do think finding an accountability partner helpful. Sometimes that’s simply a critique group. I’ve also learned from my previously perfectionistic days to give myself some grace when I’m not disciplined. And I totally agree, that my day is always better and I am better able to handle anything that happens if it begins with quiet time with the Lord. I also try not to put things off that if I put off till the end of the day just won’t get done, like working out or walking. Thanks for joining in here! I’m glad you chimed in!

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