IFL - Week 2 Resolve to

 We spend January 1^st walking through our lives, room-by-room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.

 Instructions for life: Week 2

January theme: Resolve to (the power of habits)

The reason for setting small goals is to create the habit first, something that we do automatically takes less time because we don't waste the energy checking to see what is next, we just do it. Often you only need to focus on one new habit in order to change several. Once you perform a habit without thinking you systematically improve others.

Recently I listened to a podcast where a guy showed up to the gym for 30 days only working out for 5 minutes then leaving. Before he made himself uncomfortable about going, body aches, etc, he just worked on the habit of going.  Slowly he built up his time spent at the gym until a routine was formed and it was harder to NOT go to the gym than it was to go. Over a years time he lost over 100 pounds, but his goal was not to lose that weight, his goal was to show up at the gym.

Years ago I never imagined working out daily, now I can't imagine not working out daily!

Often people go all in with many goals at the New Year, working out for hours until they are so sore that they don't want to do it again, creating a negative feeling towards working out instead of a positive habit. When you build the habit first, you can't imagine not doing it, instead of forcing yourself to do something.

It is within these small changes that we can find big growth. Last year, when I began the whole 30 meal plan it took me weeks to find a non-dairy creamer that I liked. I had decided I just needed to make it through the thirty days and then I would go back to my old creamer. But a funny thing happened in that time. I found a coconut and almond milk creamer that I love and one year later still enjoy and prefer over any other creamer.

I did not intend to never have dairy again, but because I stuck with the 30 days of trying something new, I created a new habit I look forward to each morning with my coffee.

My showing up habit is to write for at least 5 minutes a morning, even if on days all I write is I don't feel like writing.  Just to instill the habit.  I will check back in a few weeks and let you know how I am progressing. 

January Book of Bible: Mark

Bible Verse: Mark 11:24-25

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”