NEXT STUDY SESSION: How to Build your Life on God’s Word.

How important is the Bible to you?  Many religions emphasize the importance of God’s Word, but often their habits and lives say something different.  Only 32% of those who attend a church read the Bible daily.  Many Christian believers have only a surface level understanding about God’s Word.  But if God’s Word is that important why don’t we develop the habits and disciplines that help us deepen our understanding, appreciation, and application of it?  

Most of what we do throughout the day is based on habits and routines. Our habits shape who we are and what we do. You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily, your habits. The secret of your successfully creating habits and disciplines that help us deepen our understanding, appreciation and application of God’s Word is found in your daily routine.

Everything - from the little things to the big things -  that you do each day make up who you are and the results that you get. When you change what you do every day, it will have a major impact. Those changes are powerful and, as they build upon each other, will have a compounding effect throughout your file.  Without routines, it’s easy to succumb to what is ‘urgent’ rather than important or valuable. 

How to successfully create habits – These tips can help you successfully create habits.

1. Add a habit. I recommend you find new, positive habits to form, rather than focusing on subtracting a bad habit. If you want to quit eating junk food … focus instead on creating the habit of eating more vegetables. Good positive habits to start with: meditation, reading, writing, exercise, eating vegetables, journaling, flossing. Don’t focus on subtraction, focus on addition.  Add a new positive habit upon which to focus rather than focusing on an old habit hoping to subtract it from your life.
    
2. One step at a time. We all have a list of a dozen habits we’d like to change — and all right now! But the more habits you do at once, the less likely your chances of success. Even one habit at a time takes focus and energy! Focusing  one improving one habit at a time is the best strategy, by far. A magnifying lens focuses light into a single ray that concentrates the energy of light into something greater (heat).  Focusing your attention upon a single habit concentrates your energy into something greater.
   
   
   
3. Small steps contribute to balance and are successful. Start really small. People underestimate the importance of this, but along with one habit at a time, it’s probably the most important thing you can do to ensure success. Just as you don’t take long strides on an ice surface (more than once) you should start with balance and easily managed “small steps” to get you moving. For example  Meditate for 2 minutes a day the first week (increase by 2-3 minutes a week only if you’re consistent the previous week). Or start running for 5-10 minutes a day, not 30 minutes. Or eat a small serving of vegetables for one meal, don’t try to change your entire diet at once. Start as small as you can, and increase only gradually as long as you stay consistent. Small steps allow your mind to adjust gradually.
    
4. Set up reminders. The thing that trips people up is remembering to do the habit. Don’t let yourself forget! Set up visual reminders around where you want to remember (ex: in the kitchen, for the veggies habit, or a note on your bathroom mirror for flossing), along with digital reminders on your phone and calendar. 
    
5. Set up accountability. How will you hold yourself accountable to this habit change? You can track your own progress, you can ask a friend or your support group to hold yourself accountable.
    
6. Find reward in the doing. You won’t stick to any change for long if you really hate doing it. Instead, find some pleasure in the doing of the habit. For example, if you go running, don’t think of it as torture, but as a way to enjoy the outdoors, to feel your body moving, to feel alive. Bring mindfulness to each moment of doing the habit, and find gratitude and joy as you do it. The habit will become the reward, and you’ll look forward to this nice oasis of mindfulness.
    
7. Try to be as consistent as possible. The more consistent you are, the better. Resist putting off the habit, and make it your policy to just get started when you have said you’ll do it, rather than indulging in the old pattern of, “I’ll do it later.” That’s an old habit that you want to retrain by doing it immediately.
    
8. Review & adjust regularly. I like to review how I did with my habits at the end of each day, before I sleep. It helps me get better and better at habits. But at the minimum, review once a week (and do a check-in with your accountability team) and adjust as needed. 

For example, if you forgot to do the habit, adjust by creating new reminders. If you aren’t consistent, maybe set up a challenge with your team so that you pay them $20 each day you miss, for example (Yikes!  can you imagine offering $20 to church for each day you miss your desired Christian habit?!  It would certainly make it worth your while to pursue it more diligently!). Adjusting each week means you’ll get better and better at doing this habit. If you fall down, keep coming back.

We will touch on these and similar building techniques in the coming weeks. But no fines...unless YOU want them.