The Key to Success!

This year, I took on two of the biggest hurdles that stand in our way when it comes to a life of peace and happiness. I chose to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into my busy and sugar-filled life and gain back control of my finances, which meant confronting the monster in the closet: my school loans. Now, this is not to say that diet, exercise, and money are the answers to peace and happiness, but they are many of the goals we lay before us in pursuit of the two.
 
Most goals, year after year, are connected to health in both body and finances.  What I have found on my journey is that the two are strongly connected in the sense that the same vehicle leads to both. The big "D" word. No. Not determination, although that is often what begins the journey. But it is DISCIPLINE that ensures you stay on the journey long enough to see the results. 
 
In creating and managing a unique budget every single month, I have become empowered to spend each dollar wisely. I know where EVERY dollar goes and I plan for events in advanced. If I know there is a birthday dinner later in the month, money is set-aside specifically for that. If an invite to the nail salon pops up midweek and I know this is not in the budget, I say no! The same is true for my diet. I CAN eat a donut! I CAN have a slice of pizza. I CAN have a couple of beers with friends. But it needs to be planned! And more importantly, I need to be disciplined enough to know when I can and can't afford something, whether it is a new shirt or a cheeseburger. It is as simple as that!
 
But is it?
 
We live in a society that is accustomed to instant gratification and we have convinced ourselves that we no longer have control. We want so bad to lose weight but have accepted the idea that our body is different. What we refuse to acknowledge is that our diet and lack of mobility is also very different. We want financial freedom, but we convince ourselves that only people born into money get to experience that. Meanwhile, we drive better cars and take more vacations than millionaires! And the reason being is that IT IS HARD!
 
It is hard to put off the sweets until Friday. It is hard to save 10 years for the car of your dreams. It is hard to wait! And we are undisciplined! We are used to getting what we want, when we want it. But the cost is that we are unhappy. Peace and contentment is what we really want, but we refuse to be patient enough to wait for it. 
 
So I am asking you to discipline yourself. And give yourself time to change your habits. Just like it takes time and patience to discipline a child or a puppy, know that you will fail. But keep reminding yourself that you are simply undisciplined, and that your failure will become less frequent until your new way of living is natural. And find an accountability partner to help you through. Because, again, it is hard! And the hard things are always easier to overcome with a friend encouraging you along the way. 
 
You CAN learn discipline. And it WILL change your life.