When most people think of motivation, they think of that feeling they get that makes them want to get up and get busy doing that thing they know they need to be doing. That makes motivation a feeling. An emotion. And we can’t go around basing our actions on our feelings. What a mess that would turn into!! And we know that our hearts are deceitful, and will lead us astray, yet we will wait until we “feel” like doing something and say we lack motivation. But that is not true, is it? We want to be healthy so we can chase our grandbabies, and be around to see our families grow. We want to be healthy so that we can enjoy life without being tired or in pain. Those are huge motivators. We have motivation. But what we lack is discipline and self control. Ouch.
Discipline is like a muscle that will be weak until we take the time to work on it and strengthen it over time. Discipline is doing the thing that needs to be done even when we don’t feel like it. It’s doing the dishes, even when we don’t want to. It’s cleaning the house. It’s taking the time to cook a meal from scratch instead of grabbing take out because you had a hard day at work. Discipline is hard. Self control is hard. But it is crucial for our walk with Christ.
1 Corinthians 9:27 reads:
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
And we are not only told the importance of discipline, but also the importance of our willingness to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Picking up our cross means we are willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, just as Jesus suffered. It also means that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for others, just as Jesus sacrificed himself for us. This is all very motivating, but again, motivation (desire) without discipline (action) is dead.
So what do we do? Well, we don’t wait until we FEEL like doing something before we get started. We use discipline to get going, and momentum to keep going. Have you ever noticed that once you get started doing something, it’s easy to continue? That’s because we have momentum at that point. So how can we use this to our advantage? Here are a few ways.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes, and commit to just 5 minutes. Most people can easily keep going until the task is complete after getting started.
- Put on some upbeat happy music and spend a few minutes dancing while you work. Dopamine can do wonders.
- Gamify your task by racing to see what all you can finish, or to race someone else to finish a room, etc.
- Put a sign up that says Discipline is doing the thing when you don’t want to. When you know your goal is to be a disciplined person, this constant reminder can light a spark in you to keep you going…. It actually worked for me for a long time…until my granddaughter erased it from my dry erase board.
- Don’t forget to post convicting scriptures around you to remind you of your motivation.
- Tackle a small task first. Need to clean the bathroom? Start with taking out the trash or taking the dirty laundry to the wash.
- When possible, set yourself up for success the night before. Want to go for a run in the morning? Set out your clothes beside the bed the night before, or even sleep in your running clothes. The lower the barrier to getting started, the better.
God tells us what we need to do, but he doesn’t always tell us how. That is where our individual strengths, gifts and creativity come in. So get creative, think outside the box, and get that stuff done!
I hope you found these ideas helpful. I have used all of them, and still do when I need to. I would love to here what techniques you use to get going!
