What discipline did you make to yourself?
One week ago today I was inspired by Gina Parris (my online friend) to start writing for 30 minutes first thing EVERY morning. Feeding the pets and making a cup of coffee are the only things I do prior to writing. I have stuck to my personal commitment and did just that very morning. Even the morning I had to meet clients at 7:30, would be with them until 5pm and then fly home, I got up at 4:30 to write. After all, I not only made a commitment to myself but I also made a commitment to the 25 people that asked to join in. That accountability I take seriously.
The process has been amazing for me. I am actually in the throws of writing my book! Yesterday I found myself writing a series of questions that will lead to personal self evaluation of knowing who you are and your voice. Some of the questions are around lying and discipline. These traits directly affect knowing your true voice.
I once wrote a post about the power and importance of Discipline. Discipline is the ability to do what you have committed to do, when you agreed to do it, whether you want to do it or not. I think that level of personal commitment is even more important than a commitment to others. Unfortunately, we have become a world of people used to disappointment and let down from others. But when you lie to yourself, and rationalize why you are not doing what you set out to do, you lose a piece of yourself. Every time.
Do you rationalize away why you did not complete something you set out to do? Then you just might be losing the most precious thing you can have – truly knowing who you are.
Want to read the 30 day challenge series?
Part one Part Two Part Three Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
Oh wow, I am going to give it a try. I will start tomorrow. I am inspired, Ann. There’s only one way to do it and that is to JUST DO IT. Congrats on making some fab progress on you book, Ann.
Oh wow, I am going to give it a try. I will start tomorrow. I am inspired, Ann. There’s only one way to do it and that is to JUST DO IT. Congrats on making some fab progress on you book, Ann.
Thanks Chrystal- I’d love to hear how it goes for you. For a long time people say “when are you going to write a book?” Who knew it just took a space like this!!
So true Ann…this post speaks to me. I’ve been working on improving my discipline and improving my commitment to myself. This 30 day challenge is keeping me accountable and drawing out all kinds of things I never knew were there.
Darcie
http://www.discoveringdelicious.com
Devoted to finding all things delicious.
I’ve said ‘yes’ to WAY too much and have had to re-negotiate with myself.
The 30 day challenge is a great idea! I liken it to training for a marathon or a triathalon. Discipline is key. I also think we are more likely to be commited to something if others are on board with us!
The 30 day challenge is a great idea! I liken it to training for a marathon or a triathalon. Discipline is key. I also think we are more likely to be commited to something if others are on board with us!
hmmm…Molly did you read this post? Not what it was about at all, so your comment confuses me!
Not wanting to confuse you so early in the morning, Ann! You are up early and probably writing. I did read my post…I was focusing on your discipline aspect of the blog-getting up early, writing for 30 days and the positive results. Much like one might need to for a marathon (not that I’d know). All about commitment! Make more sense? Maybe too early for me…
Sometimes I hate your honesty, Ann. It’s like you are living in my head! Seriously every time you tell it like it is, I have to stop and loo and admit that yes, I am doing that. Lying to myself and rationalizing it as something else. The 30 day writing challenge is helping me to see more into myself and who I am. I am not lying to myself about that commitment but it easier for me to keep a commitment to someone else than to myself. How sad is that. How much of myself have I lost over the years? Isn’t it time to stop? Questions only I can answer.
Susan Berland
A Picture’s Worth
http://www.susan-berland.com
Yes sometimes I do – but less than I used to. I have committed to make follow up calls to people I have met at networking groups and have rationalized why I’m not doing them so this stung. Going to do some now. Loving the writing challenge, thanks for letting me join late – used it as therapy through my jetlag but plan on structuring it better now and moving towards a book outline. Thanks for starting it!
Louise Edington
Fabulous and Fearless
http;//louiseedington.com
This has inspired me! Writing has been a great outlet for me and it has helped me realize truly who I am and I am grateful for that.
I feel that I should do more of it, but sometimes I feel it takes me away from things, but as I read your post it actually would benefit me in so many ways. Thank you for that, Ann!
I shall try this 30 day writing challenge for 30 minutes a day. I can do 30 minutes. Waking up earlier would help as well.
haha! My little gremlin in my head said…this week is not a good week…but I’m telling it just do it like Chrystal said. LOL!
xoxo
Alara
I started last week Alara and this week at to gt up at 4 am 3 days to meet with clients at 7:30, I got up the extra 30 mins early to keep my commitment to me- you can do it 🙂
I love the synchronicity of how this writing challenge came into my life at a time when I have been struggling with what to do with my desire to write, dodging arrows from my sister who has been trying to get me to commit to my writing for years now, and realizing that right now is a perfect time for me to face my fears of failure and grasp onto the gift that I believe God gave me for a reason. As I am meeting your challenge for these 30 days, I am beginning to relax a bit and explore why I am writing and what I want to say. You talk about finding your voice, and I am so excited to be able to recognize what that is for myself. I have been journaling for years and when I go back and read what I wrote 5 years ago compared to what I write today I begin to see a pattern, but also see a thread of something that I need to focus on and identify. I believe that God is using you to help me on my journey and I so appreciate you and how you have touched my life.
Never thought of it in those terms, that I was losing a part of me! That makes it very important to maintain that commitment. And I never thought about how much the writing would let you know who you are. I realized after my writing today that even though I lived with fear for too many years 24-7, I never let it completely stop me. I still did things because I wanted to be like others and becuase I wanted the experience of water or snow skiing. I never thought of myself as brave but that takes a tremondous amount of guts to do what I did. Thanks for challenging us to join you.
Julieanne CaseAlways from the heart! Blog: http://www.julieannecasefromtheheart.comReconnecting you to your essence, joy, vitality, youth.| Healing you from the Inside Out |Reconnective Healing | AgeLoc Skin Care | Pharmanex Supplementswww.thereconnectivehighway.com
I’m a procrastinator by nature, but I guess I don’t try to rationalize it, I just accept it. Someone else to check in on how I am doing is a great motivator, so are check lists 🙂 I love checking things off! The act of giving your word, committing to something with others is so powerful! I guess we don’t hold ourselves to our word often enough, maybe a lack of discipline that you wrote about. I love group exercise classes, group cleanses just for this reason, having other people help hold me accountable helps me succeed, but I probably need to be more disciplined on my own! Congrats on your book, must be a great feeling to start a project like that and make progress!
‘But when you lie to yourself, and rationalize why you are not doing
what you set out to do, you lose a piece of yourself. Every time.”… Wow! very powerful words Ann.
I know i am guilty of this and I am not very disciplined. But i don’t usually make excuses or lie to myself, i just accept that this is who I am but I also understand that I cannot expect to keep doing the same thing and get a different result, so i am working on trying to become more disciplined and to make myself more accountable for doing the things I (not so much say I am going to do) but that i know I should be doing.
Julie Labes: The Fun-Loving, Feisty, Fearless, Frisky, Fierce Over 50 Traveler
“Do you rationalize away why you did not complete something you set out
to do? Then you just might be losing the most precious thing you can
have – truly knowing who you are.” — ouch, that one hit home. I am aware that there is so much more to my blockages, to my behaviors, than just my mind but my mind, my thoughts, my rationalizations are something that I can directly affect regardless of understanding all of what led me to where I am in my head. I am very much looking forward to this book and am loving this writing challenge. For so long I’ve been out of my right-brain creativity as well as my left-brain language abilities as I’ve lost my own voice in trying to please everyone else. I’m on my journey to change all of that and am so grateful for those in my life, you included, who call me on my crap and smack me upside the head. I need it, and I appreciate it. I need to set clearer goals for myself and truly hold myself accountable. It’s funny, because as a behaviorist and former autism specialist, I know all about writing clear, concise, and measurable goals… I just don’t do it for myself.
Geez, stop writing about me! 🙂 I have terrible discipline, it’s the one thing I’ve worked very hard and consistently on for the last 8 months. I’m still not where I want to be, but am getting there, and feeling good about it.
I think the 30-day challenge that you’ve given yourself is awesome, and I’m glad to be a part of it. I look forward to seeing where you are at the end and how it all turns out, for all of us. It’s the practicing of the discipline that’s a great start, but also what evolves during this 30 days of writing, that’s the real interesting part.
Lisa Vitale, Mompreneur
http://lisawifemom.wordpress.com
So, here’s the thing: how come it’s easier to commit to someone other than oneself? I get a gig and have a deadline – I’m totally committed. A good friend needs a favor – I’m there and offering my help when she needs it. A personal goal…not always, but more often than I’d like to admit, I let myself down. The 30 minutes of writing has been great – knowing that I’ve committed to more than myself means I can’t back out. I’m glad that this challenge has yielded a result for you as well as me Ann. (I have to confess, though, I’m more likely to stay up past midnight than get up at 4am – otherwise, the ugliness in my writing is likely to take a very nasty turn…)
Great timing, Ann…as I have to finish two books right now for the publisher – oh, my! It was one thing to pitch it, write the sample chapters and now another to finish writing them! I already do most of my writing in the am – I share that love of early am work with you – LOL! Now I just need to add regular book time to the schedule…and yes, commitment and discipline are undervalued 🙂 Brandy
Agreed about discipline, Ann. Like they advise aboard an airplane, in case of emergency put on your own oxygen mask before you help someone else. Only if I can depend on me, can anyone else depend on me. Similarly, about breaking a promise: I’m unlikely to accept it from anyone, so why would I accept it from myself?
About dependability, there’s a sign on my office wall: “If you can’t be on time, be early”, and I’d add, “If you’re only just on time, you’re late already”.
Ann thank you for sharing this journey of writing with us. Discipline is so important, especially when you’re an entreprenuer and your own boss. There isn’t anyone else to hold you accountable to get the tasks at hand done. Sometimes it can be difficult to stay focused and do the tough to do tasks, easier to procrastinate. But I’ve found that having an accountablity partner, or sharing a deadline with someone helps to keep me on track. And if I’m really struggling with something I’ll “bribe” myself with a reward after completion. Tonight the reward was a bowl of ice cream after tackling my to do list.
I was told by a very wise mentor a long time ago to take the word “try” out of my vocabulary. He also advised noticing when people used the word, did they or did they not follow through with what they were going to “try” and do. And he was right! People who say they will “try” to do something almost never do. Now when I hear someone say that to me, red flags go up, and I either try to get a better commitment, or write them off immediately. That’s what your post kind of reminds me of. If you join this 30 Day Writing Challenge, don’t “try” to do it every day – just do it!!!
Sharon Hiebing
Relocate Without Rose-Colored Glasses