Last week marked the 3 year anniversary of me consistently going to the gym.  

While that may not seem like a big deal to you, it is a HUGE deal to me.  You see for years I had a gym membership where I paid a small monthly fee, but I rarely went.  But even so, I had a hard time cancelling it because it was much cheaper than any other gym around me.

But after years of paying and not really using it, I finally made the decision to cancel it.  

Fast forward a few years ago when I made a decision to start being serious about my health.  

Previously my motivation to go to the gym was solely to lose weight, but this time I told myself that I was going to take care of my heart and my body.  

I then joined a gym that had accountability built into their business model. I paid more per month to join this gym, and I had to sign up ahead of time to be able to go to the hour long class.

But if I decided to not go at the last minute (barring an emergency), I would get charged for the class I signed up for, even if I did not attend.  Wow, that was going to be tough for me, but I decided to give it a try.

I reluctantly joined and said I would give it a one month trial. But something funny happened.  Once I signed up for a class and I was now “forced” to go or pay to cancel, I somehow found a way to put my excuses aside and get to the gym.

And for the past 3 years, I have been going to class consistently a couple of times a week.  I still don’t love it.  But I love how I feel when I’m done.  And my body is getting the much needed exercise it needs, while my heart and mind are in much better shape than they were 3 years ago.

The lesson I learned from this was that for me success in a difficult area meant real accountability.  

What about you?  Are there areas in your life that you have tried for years to master, but have been unsuccessful?  Maybe it’s time to add some real accountability in that area.

Hebrews 12:11 says “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

I’ll be the first to say that personal discipline is so hard for me.  I have the best intentions and have told myself every new year, or every birthday this year is going to be different.  But I fail constantly and throw my hands up in frustration time after time.

As we have hit the halfway mark in 2021, I want to challenge you to re-evaluate the goals you have set for yourself for this year.  Pick just one that you feel needs some help and ask yourself how you can add some real accountability to that goal?  If you really want to accomplish it, don’t make it easy.  It’s going to take some discomfort to get you to the finish line, but it will definitely be worth it.

~Vijoy