Thursday, January 11, 2007

The Power of Routine

Lately I know I have been talking a lot about running with my daily blog. I guess you can you tell I am consumed with it, can’t you? This usually happens whenever I train for a marathon. When you log the kind of miles I am logging each morning you cannot help but to think, eat and sleep running.

While running this morning, I considered how important routine is to me. Let me explain.

When God called me to the ministry in 1985, I was not a very organized man. I often “shot-from-the-hip” and considered myself to be an “in-the-moment” kind of guy. Soon after enrolling in seminary I realized how much I would have to change that behavior in order to be used more effectively by God.

As a result of my seminary training I developed a daily routine. Since then, I have augmented my daily regiment because I know the value of being organized.For those of you who say you could never be organized? I am Exhibit A on debunking that myth. And for those who say being organized will quench your impulsive approach to life. I am glad to report I am still a spontaneous person. Discipline, I believe, does not limit one’s spontaneity as much as it enhances it. Do not be afraid to live a life of routine. It will help you more than you think.

Now, back to my thought I had during my early morning run.

There are four things I do each morning that I think produce great results. I have learned to make these disciplines a part of my daily routine. I do not do these things seven days of every week. But I do hit them about five or six days of every week.

My morning routine includes the following:
  • I run every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday morning
  • I read and study my Bible
  • I spend time conversing with the Lord
  • I keep a daily journal of life events
  • I plan my day
That may not seem like much, but those five disciplines keep me in line with what the Lord is doing in my life. The more I work on this routine, the more the Lord seems to work in me and through me.

How do you organize your day? Do you live a structured life? What disciplines do you have in place to produce results?

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