Doers of the Word Blog

Saturday, July 17, 2021

YAY!! It is the year of the Summer Olympic Games which will be held in Tokyo, Japan!!!  I love many of the Olympic events such as boxing, swimming and gymnastics, but my all-time favorite is Track and Field.  In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, I watched many track meets as the athletes competed for a coveted spot on the U.S Olympic Team.  Have you ever followed the life of a professional athlete, through the highs and lows of competition, grueling workouts, and catastrophic injuries?  Have you ever seen an injured athlete return to a level of competitive excellence that defied all odds?  I have seen it happen many times and watched in awe as these athletes reach the top of the podium again.  The question I have always asked is, "what causes these athletes to continue to push their bodies to their physical limits year after year with the hopes of becoming an Olympic athlete?" 

Is it willpower or determination?  Is it motivation or perhaps discipline? If I interviewed a group of professional athletes, I would likely get a variety of answers which would include some of these words.  I've used these words interchangeably myself at one time or another in relation to many of my goals, with little thought to their actual meaning.  So, for this blog, I researched the meaning of each word and documented the results below:

• Willpower is defined by Merriam Webster as a "strong determination that allows one to do something difficult."  The American Psychological Association (APA) cites willpower as the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals.
• Determination, according to Merriam Webster, is a "firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end."  According to Wikipedia, determination is "a positive emotional feeling that involves persevering towards a difficult goal in spite of obstacles."
• Google's Oxford Language Dictionary defined motivation as "the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way, or the general desire or willingness of someone to do something."  Wikipedia stated that motivation is "what explains why people or animals initiate, continue or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time."
• Finally, per the results of a Google search, discipline is defined as "the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience." Merriam Webster states that discipline is "control gained by enforcing obedience or order; or self-control which is "restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires."

While I am in awe of the training regimens of professional athletes, I also have some friends and family members that have impressed me as well.  For instance, my oldest nephew was a competitive swimmer from eight years old through high school. He put in hours of practice before and after school and followed a strenuous strength training regimen as well.  He is in college now with a rigorous schedule and no longer swims competitively, yet he continues to work out in the gym and sticks to a vegan diet.  Likewise, I have been inspired by two dear friends who happen to be a happily married couple of 25+ years.  To improve their health, this couple switched to a vegan diet and eliminated common ingredients such as sugar, salt, and oils from their diet.  They also incorporated daily exercise, and as a result, have been able to lose weight and eliminate the need for prescription medications.  Finally, I have a couple of friends who maintain healthy lifestyles through meal preparation and regular exercise routines.  One of them is a long-distance runner who has completed several marathons and half marathons, while working full time for the federal government and running his own business.  The other, who also works full time for the federal government, has participated in several fitness competitions and continues to maintain her exercise and healthy eating routines although she is no longer competing. 

As I compare my lifestyle with those of these individuals, I wonder what makes them successful while I continue to struggle with my goals.  How are they able to remain committed, while I consistently throw in the towel?  What traits do they have that I'm obviously missing?  So, I decided to interview my friends and family to see if I could find commonality in their responses.  I asked each of them the following questions:

1. Why did you start your current program or regimen?
2. How do you stick to your program when you simply do not feel like it?
3. What is the one word that you would use to describe your ability to maintain your program or regimen?

The answers to question 1 were remarkably similar.  They wanted to be healthier, live longer, and even gain weight (muscle weight, that is)!  One person shared that she wanted to be a good steward over her temple as commanded in God's Word.  Her husband had the same "why," stating that it was his conviction to this commandment that caused him to begin his journey for better health in the first place.  Another indicated that he found strength training workouts to be satisfying and therapeutic, and even liked the feeling of soreness that he experienced afterwards. 

For question 2, several people said that their commitment to their "why" caused them to stick to their programs.  One stated that the regret he feels from not working out causes him to stick to his workout schedule.  Another stated that she adheres to a predetermined schedule for each day which she views as her game plan.  She further elaborated that she lays out her exercise clothes each night to eliminate all excuses for exercising in the morning.

To question 3 there were different answers:  Goal, Results, Determination.  As mentioned above, the "results" that the couple achieved by following their regimen allowed them lose weight and get off prescription medicines.  My nephew stated that having his "goal" before him was key and that he was motivated to keep going by the progress he has made.  One of my friends stated that she gets energy from working out with others, but that the "determination" to maintain her program started within herself.  She added that praying for strength before starting her day was crucial.

I must admit that I was completely shocked that none of them mentioned the word "discipline."  Yet, as I listened to their responses, all I could think about was how disciplined they were.  Yes, they mentioned being goal-oriented and determined, but I am sure there were days that they just did not feel like working out or eating healthy meals.  There had to be days that they did not feel like getting up early to work out or going to the gym at the end of a long day.  After all, they are human, just like me, right?  Yet, they consistently stuck to their plans and followed their programs year after year.  In contrast I've struggled year after year.  I am fully convinced that the difference between them and me is discipline.  Simply put, they have it; I don't!  No excuses allowed here!

To illustrate why I believe discipline is the key to their success, I am sharing a revelation I received while preparing this blog.  Disclaimer:  This revelation may only apply to me, but I am still charged by God to share it.

1. Willpower has never worked for me, and never will, because it assumes I have power within me to do something different.  However, I know that without Christ, I can do NOTHING! (John 15:5).  There is NO power in my life to do ANYTHING apart from Him, so I've learned that my help comes only from the Lord! (Psalm 121:1-2)
2. Determination has not helped me to sustain success because my intention fades when things do not go according to my plan and timeframe.  I start off with the fixed goal of losing weight, paying off debt, etc. but am easily discouraged when the weight doesn't fall off quickly or an unexpected expense arises.  Determination is then thrown out the window.
3. Motivation does not last because I do not want to consistently do the things in the natural that will help me reach my goals.  For instance, I hate exercising so it's easy for me to make excuses when the alarm goes off for me to get up early so that I can exercise before work.  I'll never be motivated to do something that I do not find enjoyable.

I wanted to address discipline separately because of the revelation I received as it relates to my journey.  Again, remember my disclaimer. 

Discipline is equivalent to a train on a specific track to a specific destination.  Its passengers are willpower, determination, motivation, or whatever word fits here for you.  If willpower gets off the train, the train will continue to move along the track toward its destination.  If determination decides to abort the trip, the train will continue to move down the track until it reaches the end.  And if motivation never boards the train, the train will still move along the track until it reaches the intended location.  The course of the train is not altered by the actions or inactions of any of the passengers.  It has been "programmed" to follow the direction of the tracks no matter what happens inside the cars. In short, discipline is the ability to "stick to the script" despite how you feel.  In the spirit realm, discipline is the fruit of the spirit known as temperance!  What a revelation!!

As I thought about this revelation, I also found it to be ironic that Jesus called his followers "disciples" instead of "determinators" or "motivators?" Isn't it amazing that "willpower" is not a requirement for being a disciple of Christ?  Instead, what is required for discipleship is obedience to God's word.  Obedience has nothing to do with our willpower, determination, or motivation, because there will be times when we are required to do things that are uncomfortable or frightening to do. Instead, obedience has everything to do with our love for God which will cause us to keep His commandments despite what we want or how we feel.  And keeping His commandments, despite our feelings, is discipline or temperance!

So, going forward, my prayer is that I will increase in temperance as I strive to be obedient to God's word in every area of my life.  As I increase in temperance, I will no longer get off the train when my feelings are encouraging me to do so.  I will be strong enough to "stick to the script" and obey the plan that God has set before me.

There exists willpower, determination, motivation, and discipline.  And the greatest of these is DISCIPLINE!

Written by Lynda K. Wright