Proverb 23: 12 God’s Word
Live a more disciplined life, and listen carefully to words of knowledge.
When I read this proverb, this verse immediately sounded like some of that sage advice to which we are supposed to listen. I need to live a more disciplined life myself and this is a good call from the Lord, himself.
For my part, leading a more disciplined life means setting my priorities and working on the most important things first. I have so many irons in the fire that I tend to work on the one that is red hot at the moment. The other thing I tend to do is to work on the “to do’s” that I can complete quickly. Some of my projects require that I get to my desk and pull out the needed source materials before I can even begin. Egads! That is where I sometimes stumble. I can perform 15 other tasks immediately without having to get all settled in so those are the ones I do.
Certainly, listening carefully to words of knowledge/wisdom, helps us mange life and tasks better. Reading helps point the way to a more disciplined life. Perhaps one finds an article on sleep or on time management. We may also glean what we need through conversations. The key, though, is to formulate a plan of implementation.
Sometimes leading a more disciplined life boils down to getting out a calendar and blocking out time for the important tasks of the day. I find the more organized I am, the more I accomplish. The time I spend organizing my time ultimately pays dividends in getting more done, but also in more of the important things getting done. There are so many things in a day to fill one’s time and so many people who have needs and pull on you.
Here is one little discipline of life I will share with you because this is something I fail at routinely. Have a pad and pen near you so that when you think of something you need to do you can write it down. I often fail because of my “Do it now” attitude. Generally, that is a good concept, but sometimes the best thing one can do is continue in the present task rather than jumping around. Write down the other “to do,” finish the task at hand and then move to the next task. You will ultimately get more done. This is a discipline. Discipline yourself to writing out a schedule and then sticking to it. If you are in your reading time, read. Don’t jump on the phone or write a few emails. Get your reading done then pick off the next item.
There is so much we could discuss about living a disciplined life. Often, we talk about diet and exercise, but there is so much more to living in a disciplined way. What is it that you think you need? Where could your life use a touch of discipline. Click reply and let me know.
