{This post is part of my 31 Day blog series Work Hard + Rest Well: Learning Obedience in the Rhythms of Work and Rest.}
Hard work can look easy.
It can be sitting on the couch with your laptop going through that messy email inbox.
It can be getting up and making a cup of coffee, just to cuddle into the couch with your Bible.
It can be hustling around the house and putting away every stray object in sight.
All of these tasks seem easy, but for me they take a lot of mental willpower.
And again…
“Discipline is saying yes to something you really don’t want to do to get a result you really want to get.”
Andy Andrews
I want the result of a heart and mind focused on Jesus right from the start of the morning. So I do the work of getting up in enough time to spend time with Him in His word and prayer. And drinking something delicious really helps me stay awake and settle into the moment, so I create unnecessary dishes for myself by making that pot of decaf coffee.
I want the result of a house that is clean and decluttered. So I regularly run around putting things away and I frequently get rid of unused things or refuse to buy items (even very helpful items like a microwave) that we don’t have space for.
I want the result of a mind that is free to dream and plan and wonder and enjoy life. So I am learning the hard work of writing things down, in the same place, every time. I’m learning the discipline of decluttering my email and turning off notifications so that I can have the mental space to enjoy life.
And if you’ve been reading along or following me on Instagram the past few days you know that these habits are still in the formation process. You know that these things are hard, hard, hard for me. But I’m learning to remind myself that I have a result I really want, so I need to do the hard work to get to those results.
What areas of your life do you need to do some hard work in?
If you don’t know, ask yourself…
What areas of life cause you to feel stressed just to think about?
What time of day are you most usually stressed?
What daily activities cause you the most frustration?
The answers to these questions are probably the areas of life that you need to develop habits of hard work in.
What is the real root of your stress in those times and areas?
Is it unrealistic expectations?
Is it your own lack of motivation?
Is it lack of clarity?
Take the time to think through your stresses and identify their roots. If you know the root then you know how to change it…or you at least have a place to start in learning how to combat it.
Because the results we want in life grow from the roots up.
Be blessed
<3
