Spend time in God’s word, daily. Check. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Okay, that sounds easy. Go to the gym 3 times a week. Got it. Write a minimum of 1,000 words a day. Piece of cake. Make sure to market your book so it’s ready for its September release. Of course! How could I forget! Keep the house clean, make dinner for the hubby, and carve out time for friends and family. Oh, and don’t forget your side hustle, your reading goals, and the fact that you wanted to start working through some free college courses. I totally got this, right?
You would think being a stay-at-home wife would be the easiest job in the world. I have all the time I need to accomplish all my goals. Not to mention a loving husband and more than enough opportunities to take care of my physical health as well. When I lost my job last year, I thought for sure that this was God’s way of leading me into my dream life. It was a breath of fresh air.
But now .... Have I had any water today? When was the last time I hit the gym? How long have I been staring at this blank document? How do I market this book again? The house smells okay, but McDonalds is fine for dinner, right? Why am I so out of breath? How did I get here? I thought this would be easier.
Life has a way of taking my breath away and not in the awe-inspiring away I’d like it to. I find myself feeling as if I’ve run a marathon, when, in reality, I just spent the day curled up with my cats, watching old Disney movies. So, how do I break this cycle? How do I get back on top?
My answer is something I am admittedly terrible at. Self-discipline and CONSISTENCY. I am really good at doing something well for a day or two. I am excellent at things that only need done once. And I am the master of thinking of all the things I can accomplish. But acting those goals out and being consistent in my day to day is where I struggle. My brain likes to work in overdrive, and I find that slow-forming habits are a little harder to come by than I realized.
So, for now, I am choosing to try ... again ... to be consistent. Maybe not in all the things at once, but one at a time. God is putting his breath in me and that breath can’t be stolen from me. It is life-sustaining and fulfilling. How could I be out of steam when I have God’s air in my lungs and his powerful blood coursing through my veins? My self-discipline will be fueled by the Holy Spirit, and I will choose today, and hopefully for at least a week after, to be consistent.