Sean Covey once made the statement, “We become what we repeatedly do.”
He was communicating the idea that our habits, in many ways, shape who we become as people, and I believe he is correct. I want to use this short article to discuss the topic of healthy habits and how you can form them.
Stay tuned to the end, because I have an awesome giveaway sponsored by Daniel Irmler, Founder of ProChurch & ChurchHacks.Co!
I. Habits Are A Good Thing
When we hear the word habits, we tend to think of negative things. We think of biting nails, excessive smoking or alcoholism, etc. While these particular habits may be undesirable, not all habits are bad.
About a year ago, John Maxwell wrote an article in which he said, “I believe that the secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. If you make a few key decisions and then manage them well in your daily agenda, you will succeed. You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. You see, success doesn’t just suddenly occur one day in someone’s life. For that matter, neither does failure. Each is a process. Every day of your life is merely preparation for the next. What you become is the result of what you do today. In other words… You are preparing for something.”
Whether you are wanting to become a better leader, employee, or a better husband, it’s going to take developing a few habits.
II. Good Habits Are Hard to Develop On Your Own
Anyone who knows me knows I love reading. My shelves are packed to capacity, my Amazon wish-list has over 500 books, and my favorite place to wander around is used bookstores. I know that reading is essential to my growth as a husband, as a leader, and as a Christian.
Although I love reading, I’ve always struggled with one thing – consistency.
I’ve never structured my reading times well. This will occasionally lead to me to one of two unhealthy extremes:
- I’ll go for a week or two without finding margin to read.
- I’ll go through a period of “binge-reading” where I will start five or six different books and read for hours on end, to the neglect of other priorities.
I’ve realized for some time that this method – or lack thereof, I suppose – can become very unhealthy, and I’ve tried to develop habits over and over again, but it’s tough, and nothing has ever stuck.
III. There’s a New Tool That Will Help You to Develop Healthy Habits
I got a text from my good friend Daniel Irmler, recently, and he told me about a new tool he developed to encourage people who struggle to form consistent healthy habits.
The Habit Builder uses the ACE Formula (Accountability, Consistency, Encouragement) to jumpstart your journey to building new habits! I’ve been using a demo of the product that he sent me for the past few days, and I can say that it has already helped me to become more consistent and focused on my reading goals.
Each Habit Builder features:
- a whiteboard surface so you can easily choose and record your goal using the 30-day tracker.
- a magnetic back so it will stick to your fridge or any metal surface.
- a section for self-assigned rewards to motivate you as you complete your daily habit loop.
- a section for notes to encourage or thank your accountability partner
IV. Interested in Winning a FREE Habit Builder Magnet?
To enter, simply leave a comment under this article about a habit you want to develop in 2016. Dan will be choosing a winner to receive a FREE Habit Builder Magnet!
My wife, Mary, wants to be a better reader and less of a social media-er 😜
I want to memorize Scripture on a more regular basis and read more books this year!
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Thanks for sharing your goals! Both are awesome and I wish you luck in your endeavors!
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Reblogged this on Praying for the millennials.
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I would like to be consistent in working out.
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Thanks for sharing, Joel! Great habit.
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I’d like to be more consistent in reading, both in keeping up wth Bible reading and books, but also with science news.
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