Setting a sustainable pace is a critical part of building a successful life. Being out of balance only works for so long. If you lose your health or your family along the way, it defeats the purpose. Your body, mind, spirit, and family must be able to tolerate what you are doing long-term. You are a vessel, and you want to have a clean, healthy flow. You do not want to be a clogged pipe filled with sludge. You have an enormous say in how long you live, and what the quality of that life is. Decluttering your life doesn’t give you less, it actually gives you more. As you let go of obligations, attachments, habits, and possessions that serve no real purpose in getting you to your goal, your life becomes filled with only what is the most meaningful to you. You get to decide what your life is about.
The effort and energy required to reach your goals will vary over time. But keep in mind that no endeavor in life requires nonstop maximum effort. The human body, mind, and spirit simply cannot sustain an endless level of high speed performance. We need to spend time planning when we need to work our hardest, balanced with the other things that matter the most to us in our life. Otherwise, people get exhausted. Operating from an exhausted state creates dangers we otherwise wouldn’t face. Our thinking isn’t as clear, and our decision making abilities are compromised.
Give yourself the gift of a carefully balanced strategy, and then trust your plan enough to follow it. Time, logistics, and finances may all need to shift. But if you’ve done an intentional, mindful job of thinking things all the way through, you’ll have come up with a plan to minimize any negative impact. This is when self-discipline becomes a defining characteristic of your life. Some folks never come up with a plan to achieve their goals. Even fewer have a plan and do what it takes to get started. Even less get underway and stick with it when it gets hard. That means the self-disciplined person’s chances of success are outstanding. It’s going to take discipline to follow your plan. Remember though, that breaks are absolutely necessary when you need them. The beauty of a sustainable pace is that it has enduring flexibility that allows you to work hard then rest, while maintaining focus and building progress over the long-haul. Once you have sustainable practices in place, you will gain momentum that will carry you along.
Until next time, I wish you peace and remember that me and Jesus love you! 🙂
Respectfully,
Deb