The Dream of Consistency and Discipline
A few weeks ago I received a lovely comment from a reader. It stated….
“Hi Mrs. Shockley, I really do love your blog posts. Would you consider doing a post on staying consistent & having discipline? Your posts are a constant source of beauty, happiness & elegance, you appear to be a really positive lady so I just wondered if you could share any tips.
Loving your blog.
Maria (UK) xx”
First of all, I just want to say thank you to Maria for this lovely compliment. It is always a privilege to receive wonderful notes from readers. Well, Maria, I will try to fulfill your request. Having discipline and being consistent is very hard sometimes.
photo credit Annie Spratt
But I would say that the first thing you have to do is know who you are and how you want to live. You must know that first! Then and only then you can begin to make decisions on how to organize your life.
I remember back in high school I was dating a young man. He was about two grades higher than I was and even back then I wanted to wear polka dot scarves, dresses, pumps, and huge vintage earrings. Well, those things bothered him. So I stopped wearing them and I became very miserable. I was smothering who I was for someone else. I remember telling him that I was unhappy and that I no longer cared what he thought and I returned to my “old lady” ways of dressing. So sure enough he began to see that this was me and that I was not going to change. At that moment I know that I was coming into “my own”.
photo credit Larisa Birta
I also knew at a very young age that I wanted a beautiful home. So I began to buy items that I loved for my bedroom and that habit has stayed with me until now. I stayed consistent with this. Even if you buy one home item at a time, over time you will build your home into something beautiful. You can just buy one item at a time…
(An inspiring post from my blog in January 2017)
Once you have figured out how you want to live and began to slowly cultivate your home, just be consistent with it and you will have to be bold. It is unbelievable to me the number of people (women, honestly) who I have to fight off or explain my way of living to. It truly is incredible.
(Beauty in Waiting, my blog post from May of 2017 about beautiful things that I am waiting for)
Being discipline with routines is important also. I mentioned that in this blog post here about my daily routine. Being disciplined with your life will and can bring great happiness. Write a list of weekly dinners and rotate them, pick the same day to wash and fold laundry, I know for me I have kept the same weekly cleaning schedule for over 10 years. One weekend is the upstairs and the next weekend is the downstairs. I recently added classical music to my weekend cleaning schedule. I know that family secretly enjoys it.
One quote that I wanted to share is from one of my favorite Christian teachers, Joyce Meyer she stated… “Getting organized in the normal routines of life and finishing little projects you’ve started is an important first step toward realizing larger goals. If you can’t get a handle on the small things, how will you ever get it together to focus on the big things?”
There is so much truth in this one statement. If you can’t wash your dishes, vacuum your floors, get to work on time, then how in the world are you going to lose weight, cook meals, and look presentable. It’s all connected and I learned that from a few mentors. Another great article to read about discipline is 15 Inspirational Ideas on How to Stay Consistent and Realize Your Dreams. This article gives more ideas and tips on how to accomplish your goals.
Well I hope that you enjoyed this post and have found inspiration on moving forward and setting new goals in your life and home.
Enjoy your day!!!
(photos via Pinterest)
Hello Mrs Shockley, oh wow thank you so much for doing this post.
You really do talk a lot of sense which is why i asked your advice. I like the fact you say " know who you are & how you want to live . That is the first principal to start from i suppose.
Like your example of the ex boyfriend, i have had many experiences similar & just gave up & became someone I am not in order to fit in with others. Wow this is so sad too as all the years i have wasted on other people, trying to please them etc…nobodys fault except my own I know that now.
Now I am 41 yrs old with an almost 3yr old & only now am I starting to do/say/dress/behave how I have always wanted too & it feels great . Just a bit of confidence was all I needed, but by constantly reading your blogs you really stood out from the rest, as someone I admire as i know you are 100% genuine & you are living your life for you & nobody else.
So thank you Mrs Shockley for being my inspiration & for doing this blog post as im sure it will not only help me but other followers of yours.
Maria xxxx
Hello Maria,
Thank you for your comment! Do not worry about your past mistakes. You are not alone in this. I had a mentor tell me once that the past is called the past because why…. it has passed. So we have to learn to move on. Sometimes we can get stuck in things but we are all learning.
Just because you are 41 doesn't mean that you are late in learning how to be confident. It's where the Lord has you and that is just fine. It takes great confidence to live an elegant life. Just know that you are not alone in this journey. There are a lot of us with you. Keep striving always Maria and thank you for telling me that I am an inspiration! That can change someone's life as well. Thank you!!!