--- title: A Disciplined Disciple description: Laura Nelson writes about her need to become more disciplined, not just in matters of health and work, but as a disciple. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-0107-LNelson-Disciplined-DiscipleF.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2020/01/07/a-disciplined-disciple/#) # A Disciplined Disciple Jan 7, 2020 3:00:51 PM  |  by [Laura Nelson](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/laura-nelson) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-0107-LNelson-Disciplined-DiscipleF.png) !["A disciplined disciple" by Laura Nelson (CatholicMom.com)](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-0107-LNelson_Disciplined-Disciple-c.png) Image created by the author in [Canva.com](http://canva.com) using free elements.[/caption] It’s only seven days into the new year and you’re probably already saturated with articles and news stories about New Year’s resolutions. To make matters more extreme, it’s not only a new *year* but it’s also a new *decade*. That means we aren’t just reflecting on one year. We’re reflecting on ten. The good news is, sometimes more reflection can inspire greater motivation and bigger goals. But, other times, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed or dissatisfied. For most people, it’s a mix of all these feelings. The past few years have been a lot about feelings for me. In 2018, I lost both my mom and my father-in-law and shortly after, sent my second child off to college. In 2019, I spent a lot of time recovering from 2018. I focused on self-care and learning how to process those events and my feelings about them. It was a much-needed year of rest and reflection for me. However, I’m starting to see the need to shift my focus away from my feelings and focus more on my actions. Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to stop being aware of my emotions and feelings about my life and the people and events within it. Not at all! One thing I’ve learned this past year is that it’s important to my mental and physical health to be more in touch with how I’m feeling and why. I need to stay connected to my feelings and I plan to continue down that road. However, I’ve also noticed that in my effort to give myself much-needed rest, I’ve lost some of the discipline that I once had. So, it’s time to start doing the things I know are best even when I’m not “feeling it.” It’s time to become more disciplined. Of course, I plan on focusing *some* of that new discipline on my health choices like a lot of us this time of year; eating better, being more active, getting quality sleep. But I also plan on focusing my efforts to become more disciplined in my spiritual life as well. I want to become a *disciplined disciple*. I don’t just want to love God with my heart. I want to love Him with my soul and my strength as well. Sometimes that will mean using all of my strength to get myself out of bed early to pray or go to morning Mass. It also means that sometimes I will need to pay a little less attention to how I’m *feeling* about praying and just *pray*. I’ll need to stop *thinking* about going to Adoration, and just go! I’ll need to find the balance between feeling my emotions and putting them aside sometimes to do what I need to do. What about you? Are you like me and struggle to be disciplined in your spiritual life? Or could you give me lessons on how to be more disciplined? (Lessons are welcome, by the way.) --- *Copyright 2019 Laura Nelson* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F01%2F07%2Fa-disciplined-disciple%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F01%2F07%2Fa-disciplined-disciple%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F01%2F07%2Fa-disciplined-disciple%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=A%20Disciplined%20Disciple) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F01%2F07%2Fa-disciplined-disciple%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F01%2F07%2Fa-disciplined-disciple%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Laura Nelson](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/245A8381-2.jpg) ### [Laura Nelson](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/laura-nelson) Laura B. Nelson is a Catholic wife and mother of three children. She is also a Catholic author, speaker, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechist, and full-time Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation. Laura likes to be busy but she most enjoys spending time with her husband and three children at their home in Grapevine, Texas. Find out more about Laura at [LauraBNelson.com](https://suburbansainthood.com/). ## Related Blog Articles [ Discipleship Hacks Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/02/15/discipleship-hacks/) [ Be My Disciples: New Website Fosters Discipleship Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2011/08/25/be-my-disciples-new-website-fosters-discipleship) [ Dr. Ray on Discipline Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2010/06/05/dr-ray-on-discipline) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to receive our free daily digest email. Copyright © 2026 CatholicMom.com. All Rights Reserved.