Top Tips for Creating Good Habits

Traditionally we think of fasting or giving up something for Lent.  What if you made a list of your aspirations for this Easter Season?  How would you use the next 40 days to create good habits that help you achieve these goals?

Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Philippians 4:8, TLB. 

Here are our tips for creating good habits.

• Pray, reflect and write down your goal. Writing it down signals commitment and you can refer to this note when a moment of temptation or frustration hits.
• Break your goal down into tangible, measurable actions for desired habits.
• Plan the time and place for Write it down.
• Use tech support! Add reminders in your phone. Go old school and use post-it notes in visible locations!
• Reflect daily on how you did. Celebrate success!
• If you’re struggling, write down your feelings. What is making the habit difficult? What’s the emotional or physical hurdle? Find your strategy around it!
• Be accountable to God first, then to yourself. The buddy system is also a great way to get support, advice, and share your progress.

 Let’s run through an example. Lent begins this week so its timely to reflect and prepare to enrich our relationship with God! I’ve chosen FAITHFULNESS as my focus fruit this month, but any of the fruits have relevance for this spiritual season.

My goal:  Strengthen my relationship with GOD.

Grabbing my Spiritual Seeds Planner, I meditate on my goal as it applies to all aspects of my life -Family/Friends, Self, Community, and Work, filling in the plots on my Monthly cultivation page.

Then I create a list of actions (hopefully new habits) that will help achieve my goal. I add them to the Plant+Cultivate+Grow page in my planner.

Here are some examples of habits I want to plant!

-Kneeling prayer three times a day

-Scripture before phone

-Share the Word with others

-Honor the Sabbath

The real workhorse is the weekly plan.  On the Sunday before the week begins, I set aside a time to fill in the upcoming week, plotting actions by day and time. Reflect and repeat.  I add notes and stickers to reinforce my actions.

It takes 21 days to create a new habit, so during Lent these actions will become new behaviors that stick! When the goal is focused on a Spirit Filled Life, the fruit will be abundant. But, beware of going through the motions instead of filling a desire for change.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you through this process!

I’ll let you all know how I do at the end of Lent! I would love to hear how it’s working for you too. Post your journey creating new habits on our Facebook page.

Gardening Tip: End your day reflecting with your planner! Add notes or stickers on actions you achieved, or words of encouragement if you missed a couple. How will you improve tomorrow?