Mind and Body

A friend of mine pointed out to me last night that I, unlike most, have the ability to struggle with discipline in targeted areas of my life at certain times as opposed to lacking discipline in all at the same time. In other words, at those times in life (i.e. when your schedule is more demanding, and your time is spread more thin...or you find yourself being over committed), when most people slack on their regular routine (or discipline) in all areas (which is somewhat justifiable depending upon the situation and circumstances and how long it lasts), I, on the other hand, still stay very disciplined in some areas and yet let others fall even completely away from my regular routine.

Here is my life as an example...

I thought my life would slow down some this summer, but it feels like it has actually picked up the pace some (until this week...this weekend I am relaxing, and it seems like life is slowing down a little...hopefully it will hold steady for a while once it does). I have been out of town every weekend since my semester was over (that has left m-th here in Louisville). I always have work (m-f days). I still have Bible studies on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Mondays and Tuesdays I have been trying to spend time with friends when I can, but some weeks, like this week, I am teaching Thursday, so I have had to prepare for that.

Within all of this busy-ness, I have still stayed somewhat very disciplined with my exercise schedule, my eating habits, my water intake and being at my Wednesday and Thursday night responsibilities. However, discipline in a lot of other areas has been lacking. My apartment has remained a mess most of the summer, my morning quiet times have become sporadic at best, my laundry piles up until I have about 5 or 6 loads compared to the 3 I used to do weekly.

I have pondered her statement since last night (actually I fell asleep right after the conversation, but I have pondered it all morning), and it has led me, as always, to a few questions for everyone.

Why do we even choose to be disciplined in certain things and not others? (this is really more of a question for myself, but you can ponder it about your own life too).
I have been both the couch potato playing playstation, and the active exercise junky. The feeling I get after a good workout continues to bring me back to it. I want everyone to experience that, but not everyone wants to. Why not? It means a longer, more healthy life. Why have I chosen to be disciplined in that area over something else?

Do we prioritize disciplines in our lives (consciously or subconsciously), and on what basis do we prioritize those disciplines?
The end of my thoughts on that last question actually lead to this thought. Once I have certain disciplines in my life, what is the criteria on which I decide what disciplines are more important to me than others? What makes my health more of a priority to me now than say my laundry? Or more importantly, why has physical health become a higher priority than my quiet times?

Is my friend's statement true?
When most people's lives get busy and/or overwhelming, do they usually slack in all areas of discipline, or are there those out there who prioritize as I seem to, and ultimately stay very disciplined in some areas while others seemingly fall to the wayside?