Habits Build Success!
Good habits are the building blocks of success and Friend, you have an assignment from God to use your gifts well! Whether we are talking physical & mental health, relationships or career. You probably already identified a goal to work on this year and I challenge you to consider how the habits below can help you get there!
* Read the Bible every day! There are a million reasons why this is beneficial. I dare you to google it! Even a single verse prompted by a Bible app or a devotional is a healthy habit for your mind and soul! Or try the audio Bible while you shower or drive if you have trouble sitting still and reading. Focus first on the daily habit, however brief, and your hunger for depth will grow.
* Journal at least once a week. From a short answer to a prompt to longer prayer journaling, writing grounds your thoughts, solidifies the emotion and value of things in your memory and provides room for processing challenging experiences. Even just noting progress toward a goal is a good way to build some personal accountability and help you adjust your course as needed. I consider journaling my surest way to focus my thinking and/or prayer!
* Encouraging others regularly. Build this habit for the good of others and you'll see your own heart encouraged too. Set a schedule reminder if you need to and send a text, call a friend or write a short letter to lift someone up every week, or day! Who knows what the ripple effect of this little kindness could be!
5 Tips to Make Habits Stick!
1) Firmly establish your "why" -the reason this habit is valuable. Then write it down and reconnect to that why often. Sometimes I must remind myself to be my own parent and think long-term instead of for immediate gratification. That's when I reach back and look at why the habit or goal is worth it.
2) Make the change achievable daily. Consider your busy days and the days that won't go as planned. Know how to make the habit achievable and envision yourself completing it and you will be setting yourself up for success. A habit that is small in time and effort creates a lot of momentum in the long run!
3) Make a Plan. Once you know the habit is achievable, make the habit part of a routine that encourages you to remember and not work so hard to do it. Again, be your own parent. Look at your daily routines and existing habits honestly and know when and how you will most likely succeed!
4) Reward and celebrate your progress! Set a reward to follow completion of the habit. Even just delaying a meal or break until it's complete is a positive reinforcement. It's ok to pat yourself on the back for consistency as well as small and big progress. Invite a friend to be in on your habit tracking and celebrating and ask them how you can do the same for them.
5) Work as if for the Lord. And finally, remember the most important someone knows and loves you! God has given you gifts to use for His kingdom and glory and He sees every bit of progress and success. It is not the Lord that criticizes us, it is Satan so remember God is always pulling you forward not knocking you down and refuse to listen to the enemy's voice that says "you can't". Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."