Day 2: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”
If you read my Day 1 post and had a hard time believing that my 30 Days of Discipline could be that easy, then you were right.
After I propped open my eyelids, and limped downstairs on Day 2, it started dawning on me what I had gotten myself into. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth… Day 2 packed a punch.
To recap, here is what I’ll be doing for the next 30 days in my 30 Days of Discipline plan:
For 30 days there is no snacking. Only 3 meals per day may be consumed.
For 30 days you must wake up daily at or by 5am.
For 30 days you must take cold showers.
For 30 days there is no masturbation or internet pornography allowed.
For 30 days you must do 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 body squats per day.
For 30 days you must dress your absolute best every single day.
Every day for 30 days you must have a to-do list that you will accomplish.
Every day for 30 days you must keep correct posture — stand up straight, chest and head held high and make eye contact with everyone you see.
Every day for 30 days your answers to yes or no questions must be “Yes” or “No.” Excuses and explanations will not follow your answer.
Every day for 30 days you must keep a notebook and pen with you.
You must have one specific and definite goal. This is something you will choose. Every day for 30 days you must do at least one thing to further your goal.
You can take one lazy Saturday/Sunday morning and afternoon, but Saturday/Sunday evening is used to prepare for the week ahead.
Every day for 30 days you will spend time reading the Bible (4 chapters minimum) and time in prayer.
Every day for 30 days you will perform an act of service or sacrifice for someone else.
Maybe you’re reading that and wondering, “Why on earth would anyone punish themselves like that?” You could be asking the wrong question. Your daily life has a lot to do with how you choose to see your circumstances. If we choose to see temporary discomfort as punishment, then we’ll suffer, seek sympathy, and become physically, mentally, and spiritually weaker. If, instead, we choose to see temporary discomfort as a way to build a better, stronger, wiser future for ourselves and our families, then that discomfort ain’t so bad a trade-off. Consider this question instead, “Why WOULDN’T I take steps to become more disciplined right now, if it’s going to lead to an immeasurably better future for myself and my family?”
The reason that I started this project is because I wanted to create baseline good habits, a framework for wise living, to realize bigger goals in my life. It’s not a matter of waking up at 5am for the sake of waking up at 5am, or reading my Bible so that I can say I read my Bible and was a “good Christian” for a particular day. Few people are awake at 5am — and when no one is awake, there’s no one to send you emails and no background noise from the hustle and bustle of people trying to get to work, but there is a general stillness and solitude that is good for the soul and sorely lacking in modern American life. In that stillness, also, is opportunity. As for reading my Bible every day and praying, I do that, not for points or credit with God, but to focus my mind, heart, and soul on the things that really matter. We are flooded each day with information from all directions, all sources, and all motives, often indecipherable. If you don’t believe there is an on-going battle for your money, heart, and mind then you’re already losing. Focusing my attentions on the Bible renews and refreshes my mind and soul with wisdom that is timeless, and helps me see what really matters in this life: loving God and loving others. So these 2 goals in particular, 5am and daily Bible reading/prayer help with the bigger goals of 1) building more opportunities for productivity into my day and 2) reorienting my heart and drawing closer to God.
So building these habits now will hopefully lead to bigger and better things for myself and my family in the present and future.
In tomorrow’s post, I’ll explain why I was limping down the stairs.
In my last post, I talked about a few new elements that I wanted to add into this blog/story. I’ll explain more in future posts, but as a preview, I hope to do a sort of book review.
And as an actual addition, here is your…
Quote of the Day:
What makes a man a warrior is his willingness to place himself between what he holds dear and anything that threatens it.
Lieutenant General William G. Boykin (retired), Former commander, Delta Force
If you have any feedback, please leave it on my Facebook page or Twitter. This is a new project, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
