Formation is the goal. Discipline gets us there

I have some rhythms built into my life. My morning routine, my evening routine, and my daily SIDCHAs are all a part of what I do everyday.

I enjoy seeing the end result of these practices. I like being fit and being able to fit into nice clothing. I love seeing my journals filled with written dreams and notes. I love hearing about my childrens' days when we pray the Examen together.

But while I was reading Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer, this line jumped out at me and made me think:

"A discipline is any activity I can do by direct effort that will eventually enable me to do what I currently cannot do by direct effort. It's a way to access power."

Take writing daily for example.

The thing that I want to do but am currently not able to by direct effort is to be a great writer. I want to write well. I want to write really well. I want to be able to articulate myself in a clear and interesting way. (I still have a long way to go!)

Although I'm not an excellent writer at the moment, the activity that I can do is write consistently. In my case, I choose to do this daily. I can be disciplined in my practice of writing every single day, no matter how awful or how bad the writing turns out to be.

A result of this disciplined practice - which I am extremely chuffed with! - is a four page (and growing daily) blog. Never in a thousand years did I imagine having to scroll through multiple pages of blog posts .... especially since I had so much difficulty filling a single page! (a single page has 12 post entries)

However, as proud as I am of my growing blog, I've come to the realization that it's merely a byproduct. It's a GREAT byproduct, I LOVE the byproduct, but it's a byproduct nonetheless.

It's not about the number of blog posts I end up putting out. It's not about the articles I write or the books that I publish.

Rather, it's about who I become. It's about me growing my ability to think clearly and to organize ideas into words that captivate the reader's attention. It's about me becoming someone who has the courage to wrestle with complex concepts and the wisdom to find suitable words that accurately portray the message.

THAT'S the goal.

Writing daily is the process that results in me being (and becoming) that person. That's why shortcuts are so deceptive. If I hired someone else to do my writing, or got AI to do it, or copied someone else's posts, I'll still end up with pages of posts. The supposed outcome/result that is the byproduct would still be there.

But I wouldn't be a writer. And I would never become a great writer. Because the process of writing forms the writer.

Likewise, discipline is the process that forms the person.

Disciplines are not the point. The byproducts are not the point. WHO we are and who we become is the main goal.

And discipline is how we get there.