A Mindset of Discipline (Part One)
I try my hardest to be as organized as possible. I have planners galore, calendar notifications, and apps to assist me in my type a-ish ways. The issue isn’t organizing. The issue for me has always been time management.
Time management is such a key role in really getting shit done. You can write as many to-do lists as you want but if your time management skills are lackluster you will suffer. I know I have suffered greatly. I always got things done but the quality wasn’t half as great as it should have been – in my honest opinion.
There are some things that may flourish under pressure but that type of stress and anxiety can be…team too much. In 2018 I vowed to take on a new level of discipline in my everyday life. Discipline is what helps me have a better grasp at time management. Discipline is literally the glue that holds all that shit together. Without it things can/will fall apart.
So, we are 24 days into the New Year and I have been the most organized in my entire life and I have been really utilizing my 24 hours. My discipline has been extremely on point and I am really proud of myself. This is all wonderful but it is not easy.
Because I have allowed myself to slack off on things in the past like work, school, self-care, even this blog….this has been a challenge. Being consistent with my discipline is an everyday process. I am constantly trying new things and seeing what works and what doesn’t work.
Here are some things that do not work for ya girl:
- Phone reminders
- Alarms
- Multiple Planners
- HELLLLLLLA Project Management Apps
- MULTIPLE Accountability groups
- Excessive social media use
- Imposter syndrome when trying to get shit done (we will talk about this another time)
In the past 24 days, I have realized that those 6 things literally slow me down. I find myself spending more time focused on those things rather than getting shit done.
Here are some things that do work for ya girl:
- ONE planner that I spend every Sunday decorating & organizing for the week
- Trello – This is a project management tool that allows you to create different boards for different projects. I have boards for my finances, classes I teach, personal projects, blogs, and ideas. There is an app for your phone as well.
- Forest App - This app has a Google Chrome extension as well, it allows you to blacklist websites (on chrome) and limits phone use so that you can get things done while planting trees.
- Perspective: Daily Journal App – This has helped me track my moods and journal daily about my day. It is very helpful for those with mental illnesses and any type of chronic illnesses, too. I am able to track my food intake for my autoimmune disease & mental illness, symptoms, and my pain levels.
It may not seem like much but those 4 things have literally kept me in check this month. I realized that sometimes all it takes is a few things to create a mindset of discipline. I can see the difference in how I work day-to-day. I feel more balanced and grounded.
The feeling of discipline, so far, has provided me with so much extra time to do things like reading, writing, and even meditating more. I low-key find myself feeling like I have Beyoncé’s 24 hours daily because I get so much done without feeling super overwhelmed all the time.
This is only part one of my whole new mindset of discipline blog post. I will be coming back in a few months to talk about discipline in my spiritual practice. I am hoping that in 2018 we are all able to provide ourselves with the discipline in our lives that we deserve.
What are some of your favorite ways to stay on track? Do you notice that when you are not being disciplined in your days that shit goes left?
Comment below!