Discipline Boot Camp | 3 Keys to Creating Self-Discipline

Welcome back to the Discipline Boot Camp series of post, this is part six of a seven-part series.  If this is your first time here then please check out the earlier post in this series; you can check them out here:   Discipline Boot Camp Part 1, Discipline Boot Camp Part 2, Discipline Boot Camp Part 3, Discipline Boot Camp Part 4, and Discipline Boot Camp Part 5.

In today’s post, I am going to share how to organize your personal Discipline Boot Camp that will help you to develop your Internal Operating System.  As we develop a healthy Internal Operating System we will gain the ability to successfully apply the “app” of discipline to our life.  Now, before we get into this fifth point, I want to make it clear that this information is based on my study of Dr. Townsend’s book The Entitlement Cure.  Are you ready for Step 5?  Let’s do it!

Step 5:  Create a Discipline Boot Camp

John 15:2 (NLT) – He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

This final step is where we bring the previous four points together and really put together a plan to gain some discipline in our life.  Personally, I’m doing this myself – I started on August 1st to put myself through a 90 day Boot Camp for the purpose of creating more discipline in my life in 2 specific areas.  Here are three keys to creating a successful boot camp for yourself.

1. Prune everything that isn’t necessary – in your boot camp, you will want to cut away all the clutter from your life in the specific area you want to grow.  For me, I want to become better at handling finances so I am cutting away ALL spending and I am cutting away looking at “stuff” to buy on the internet.  Also, I am trying to reduce the amount of social media that I use while I am home or alone.  So, what area of your life do you want to add some discipline too?  Your first step will be to start pruning (cutting away) everything that will stand in your way (you might need to Gather Information or Recruit a mentor in the area you want to improve to gain insights on what you might need to prune).
2. Put It On The Calendar – Once you know what you want to do (what area of growth you want to focus on) the next step is to put it on the calendar.  Begin with your start date, set the start date for about a week out, and then “calendar” your Short Term Goals for 90 days.  I started my Boot Camp on August 1st (I planned it on July 21st) and my boot camp will conclude on October 31st.  Along the way, I have several Short Term Goals to help me reach my desired goal.
3. Communicate with your Team – be sure your support team is on board with you and your goals.  During your week before your launch date set up meetings with your support team to share with them your goals and how they can help.  For me, I talked to my wife and a few of my friends about my “boot camp”.  The way that they will support me is that if I need to make a purchase in the next 90 days I will need to call them first and share with them why I am making the purchase (I will not be doing this for items like fuel or home necessities but for all other purchases I will have to call them first).  I have already violated this and my wife was very quick and gracious to confront me… and it worked.  Remember, you will have setbacks during your boot camp, no one is perfect.  Here’s a thought to keep you focused on the big picture: “Long term goals keep me from being discouraged from short-term setbacks”

Now it’s time for you to start working on your Discipline Boot Camp.  You can do this and it will be a good growth goal for you.  Pick an area of your life that you are weak in (as it relates to personal discipline; relationships, health, spiritual growth, finances, etc…) and begin to use the steps mentioned to improve your Internal Operation System.  Need Help, send me an email, I’d love to offer you some additional guidance.

Skills To Learn

Tomorrow we will conclude this series of posts by offering a few skills you can learn to continue your discipline growth.

The Series Links

To view any of the posts in this series, use the links below:

1. Discipline Boot Camp Part 1: https://wp.me/pajKXW-m7
2. Discipline Boot Camp Part 2: https://wp.me/pajKXW-m9
3. Discipline Boot Camp Part 3: https://wp.me/pajKXW-ma
4. Discipline Boot Camp Part 4: https://wp.me/pajKXW-mb
5. Discipline Boot Camp Part 5: https://wp.me/pajKXW-mc
6. Discipline Boot Camp Part 6: https://wp.me/pajKXW-mi
7. Discipline Boot Camp Part 7: https://wp.me/pajKXW-mj