Better Habits, New Habitat

I recently posted a blog, Are You Dreaming or Are You Doing?, and it basically dealt with my most consistent character trait, which is my inconsistency. I ended the blog with a message that God was trying to get through to me, “A Dream without Discipline, Doing and Deadlines leads to unfulfilled Desires.” I thought I was finished with the topic until my friend Arthur asked me one Sunday afternoon if I had watched Charles Stanley that morning. Nope, I don’t follow Mr. Stanley. His topic that morning was entitled, “Discipline Determines Destiny”.  I guess that God knew I needed more help.  

I constantly fight an internal battle between wanting to lie around late at night knocking out 3 seasons of Damages, back to back to back or doing the things that can move me and my family forward spiritually and financially. Guess which one is my natural inclination? But deep down, sometimes buried deeper than Jimmy Hoffa, is a spirit of discontentment that rears its head and makes me want to strive for something more, something better. Ring the bell, the fight is on!

And for a while I will give an idea or practice my undivided attention, energy, enthusiasm and focus until well…I lose gas. Why does this happen? Did I not believe in this new thing I was pursuing? Did I not believe that it could change my life? I still believed, but after years of self-psychoanalysis, I have finally discovered the root cause of the breakdown. I don’t believe in me; my ability to keep it up, to continue for the long haul; to maintain until the breakthrough. So, I get discouraged, quit and Netflix becomes my best friend again.

Recently Arthur and I committed to ourselves and each other that for 7 consecutive days we would read the Bible for at least 5 minutes, pray for 5 minutes, and do 25 push-ups and 25 sit-ups. Baby steps, yes, but starting is always the hardest part. In our wisdom (I think) we knew not to go overboard with 30-30-50-50. We needed to start small and develop some consistency. After 7 days (currently on day 4 now) we can bump it up a bit. Then after 14 days, even bigger steps. We are laying foundation upon foundation, stepping higher and higher and one day we will look back and see how much ground we’ve covered through this new habit of consistency. If we stayed at 25 push-ups and sit-ups every day for a month, that’s 750 each. A year of this and we hit 9000. That’s a big number and it’s possible by doing a little bit each day.

The numbers aren’t too important; it’s the positive changes that happen in us through the process. It’s the different places that we will be.

 If you aren’t happy with where you are, doing the same things that got you there will only keep you there. Wow, that’s good. I think I will tweet it…