We have been progressing toward the ultimate goal of this journey--and that is Soul Control.
Control over ourselves, our entire being, at the deepest, core level of our being.
It's who we are meant to be, who we are designed to be, it's our destiny that God created us to live into.
That's where this journey is headed.
We have been looking at how gaining control over our body is the first part of this journey.
Yet, like so many things in life, everything is connected.
When you train the body, you begin to train the mind.
The Mind is the next section we want to focus on.
Persist
Now, remember, on this journey there are good things we must continue to do--things we will persist in doing.
There are also negative, bad things we must stop doing--things we will resist doing.
Let's take a look at some ways we can persist in gaining control over our minds as we move toward Soul Control.
Get Better Everyday
We have a plaque hanging on our living room wall that says,
"It's all about the journey."
It's one of those sentimental sayings, and it's obnoxiously bright yellow.
Yet there's a truth there that I want to highlight.
Life is a journey, if we choose to let it be.
I am not yet the whole person I want to be one day.
I'm not just talking about things I want to accomplish.
I mean, sure, I have goals of things I want to do.
But I am not yet the person with the character I want to have in each area yet.
There is more growth that I must make if I want to realize that.
It stems from a desire deep within me to take strides toward becoming that person.
Growing up, our family vacations often involved at least one hiking trail wherever we went.
There was something about going for a walk as a family in a new area, enjoying the majesty of the trees together.
But let's be real. I didn't always like walking that far or climbing that far.
It was difficult at times to keep moving because I couldn't get past the ache in my legs as we walked.
Yet how did we finish each of those hikes?
By taking just one step at a time.
Just one step, over and over, led to pausing to look back to a mile we had walked.
That's how it is for this journey as well.
I take one step at a time.
I intentionally embrace the man I want to be later, now.
I try to get better every day.
Marginal Gains
The British cycling team hired a new coach in 2002.
Until this point, the British cycling team had only won one gold medal in the Olympics.
He applied a specific mentality to their training approach.
It was called the Theory of Marginal Gains.
The theory is about looking at the small ways they could make a 1% improvement in as many areas as possible.
For instance, they wanted their riders to be well rested, so they helped maximize rest by having each cyclist get the best mattress and pillow.
And they would bring the same mattress and pillow with them when they would travel for an event, because they wanted them to get the same rest before each race.
Another thing he helped them notice was that dust was accumulating in the mechanics area of the bike trailer, which was undermining each bike's performance capabilities.
So they painted the floor white to be able to spot the dust and dirt beginning to accumulate.
That helped them keep it cleaner, which improved the performance of the bikes.
Marginal gains.
Small improvements.
Guess what?
It worked!
At the 2008 Olympics, they won 7 out of 10 gold medals.
And they did it again in 2012.
Forget about perfection; focus on progression and compound the improvements. -Sir Dave
It wasn't about just going out and getting a gold medal.
It was about embracing the journey of making a small improvement and then making another small improvement.
When we focus on becoming perfect right now in every area, that feels a little daunting--or A LOT daunting.
It's overwhelming, right?
The goal is so big that it stops me from making progress.
Yet when I shift my focus from the huge goal to the small step I need to make, I take the action step.
I get moving toward my big goal because I am focused on making progress, not being perfect.
To say it another way, it's about Evolution, not Revolution.
It's about the continual process of making changes and morphing more and more into the person I want to become.
Not trying to make one massive lifestyle overhaul that makes me that person in a weekend.
Do you see the difference?
Can you feel the difference?
There's a shift inside you that allows you to take action to make that big goal a reality.
Contentment Balance
I have noticed that when I am solely focused on becoming, I can become discontent with who I am now and where I am now and what I have now.
And that's no good.
That doesn't leave me motivated or driven or focused on taking the small action steps I need to in order to finish my journey of gaining control over my soul.
So here's what I do when I hit that point--and I've hit that point multiple times throughout my life.
I stop and look back.
We had another sign in our living room that said,
"I still remember praying for what I have now."
I remember praying and striving and taking action to get to the point of where I am now.
I remember NOT being where I am now.
I remember NOT having what I have now.
I remember NOT being who I am now.
When I pause like this, I'm reminded of the blessings I have.
Life is a gift.
I get to live this life.
I get to create this life.
That excites me.
That grounds me.
That reminds me of the gift that life is.
So, yes, I still have goals I want to accomplish.
I still have work and growth to become the man I am destined to be.
Yet I am also on the journey there.
I have accomplished some goals already.
I have stepped more into who I want to be already.
I have made progress.
I am balancing contentment as I look to the future of who I am becoming, look back to who I used to be, and look in the mirror at who I have already become.
Have you paused lately?
Have you remembered the gift that life is?
You get to live this life.
You get to create your life.
It's your story.
Your journey.
Your life.
Live it on purpose.
Persist in gaining control over your mind by persisting in this: aim to get better everyday.
And pause to reflect on how far you've already come.
Steady on, my friend!
Want more of this?
If you missed the beginning of this journey, start here with Soul Control - Part 1.
If you want even more, grab my book The Clarity Question.
I walk you through seven areas of life, asking the question, "What does this season require?"
Answering that question gives us clarity to know how to live out this season of life, in each of those seven different areas of life.
Grab it here.
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