Habits - Good & Bad

Are bad habits keeping you from reaching your goals?  I suppose even some good habits or routines can keep you from working toward your goals because your time is being consumed by other tasks and activities.  But – a goal is a goal, and anything that keeps you from working toward your goal should be identified and tackled.

I recently went to a work-at-home status.  I love it!  I stick to a daily routine that helps me to control my work day and separate my work life from my home life.  I am so happy and relieved that I made the effort to establish a good routine right from the start.  I don’t even need to think about it; it simply is my routine.

But, with my new daily routine, I am experiencing an impact to my personal goals.  Here are my challenges…

1.  I previously used my daily commute time to memorize Bible verses.  For 2017, my goal is to memorize one verse per week.  Since I no longer drive to and from work, my daily memorization has dwindled to zero.

2.  I have increased my snacking.  My daily “healthy eating” goal has been completely disrupted by being home and facing a constant urge to snack.  Some of my friends who work from home warned me that snacking is a problem and must be dealt with immediately before the bad habit sets in.  I should have listened to them!

3.  I had planned to join a nearby gym and work out over my lunch hour every day.  Guess what?  I haven’t joined a gym yet.  I had great intentions, but I kept putting it off.  In fact, my daily exercising has disappeared because I did not fit it into my new routine.

Oh, how easy it is for habits to develop and find a comfortable place in our daily routine! 

Sometimes, we hardly even recognize bad habits or choices until we stop and make the effort to identify them and intentionally replace them with something positive and good.  In my experience, a good habit can be developed just as easily as a bad one.  It is a choice.  And we have the power to make that choice in our lives!

So, for each bad habit or neglected goal that I mentioned above, I am working on a good choice or habit to replace it.  I prayed for wisdom and guidance from God, and He gave me clarity on my snacking struggle.  I neglect to eat regular meals, I keep too many snacks in the house, and I sometimes work at the kitchen table - way too close to the fridge!  I have two choices... continue with the bad habit or make a change.

I think I'll make a change.

If you do an inventory of your habits and decide to make a change, you just may move your life in a different direction!  Pray about it and seek God's help and guidance and wisdom, one habit at a time.

Devotion

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Prayer:

Lord, I ask you to help me turn bad habits into good ones.  Help me to recognize where I need to change.  I ask for wisdom to know what the good choices are, and the strength to make those good choices for my life.  Renew my mind each day and help me to conform my will to your good and perfect will.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2017 Linda Lijewski

Dreams Come True

Tomorrow is my anniversary.  My wedding day was a dream come true and was the happiest day of my life.  I am so grateful for my husband and the life we have built together.  I was single for many years and got married in my 40’s (the story is described in my blogpost “The Reunion” dated 9/29/16).  Our journey together started in 2004….

Wait… what does this have to do with goal-setting?  Does setting goals really help make our dreams come true?  Yes, I believe it does.  Making the effort to set goals and write them down helps us identify our dreams!  When we identify our dreams in life, we can begin to take small steps toward making our dreams a reality.

In January 2004, I attended a Time Management seminar, and it changed my life.  The seminar was intended for lawyers to help them establish professional or personal goals.  The instructor gave each attendee a workbook and asked us to think about our goals in our life or career.  What do we want to do, or have, or accomplish before we die?

I knew that the attendees probably were focusing on their legal career goals, but I decided to use the exercise to identify my personal goals in life.  The instructor gave us time to write down three goals in the left column, the resources we needed to accomplish the goals in the middle column, and in the right column, at least one small step we could take right away to begin reaching the goals.  What a challenge!  I thought.  What if I can’t think of anything to write down?  What if I can’t think of any personal goals??

With my workbook open, I began to think about what I wanted to accomplish, what I wanted in my life.  To my surprise, I easily thought of dreams I had deep in my heart.  With just a minimal effort and focus, they came to the surface!  Now was the time to turn those dreams into goals and put them on paper.  The first thing I wrote was… “get married.”  My dream was to get married and have a family, and I now identified it as my number one goal.  The second thing I wrote was “start an art hobby.”  The third thing was “travel.”  I wrote down two other goals (yes, writing a book was one of them!).  Also, to my surprise, it was not difficult to think of resources I needed, and one small step that I could take that following weekend to get started to reach each of my goals!

The following weekend, I took my first small step toward starting an art hobby.  I went to a bead store and bought the supplies I needed to begin making jewelry.  Within four weeks, I had organized a limited liability company and I began selling custom-made jewelry.  Within a few short months, I was selling my jewelry in a few local boutiques.  Over the years, I have loved making custom-designed jewelry, especially for weddings.  If I hadn’t attended that seminar and focused on my dreams and turned them into goals, I would not have launched the jewelry business.  I probably would still be thinking about it and wishing I had an art hobby!

In August of 2004, I met my husband.  Friends set us up on a blind date.  I don’t remember any particular step that I took, other than talking to my friends and praying about it.  I believe God blessed me and answered my prayers, and I believe that it was more than just coincidence that I met my husband the same year that I wrote down the dream in my heart.

The day after the seminar in January, I opened a travel account at the bank, and I began a direct deposit into the account.  I’ve used that account over the years for travel (including our honeymoon), and the account is continually being replenished for more travel.  Opening a separate travel account was such an easy step to take, and the account is there for my husband and me when we decide to take our dream trip to Ireland!

It amazes me how our dreams can become reality with a little thought and planning.  When we sit down and identify our dreams in life, bring them to the surface, and write them down, they become reachable with that first small step.  Then, when you begin to take the small steps, you realize the goal can be achieved.  The dream is no longer just a thought, it becomes a reality!

Take that step.  Write down your dreams.  Get started!! 

Devotion

Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy.  Proverbs 13:12 (TLB)

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for my husband and family.  Thank you for making my dreams come true.  My heart is filled with gratitude, for you filled the longing in my heart and answered my prayers.  You are the Giver of Life, our Sustainer, and our Redeemer.  We are not alone; you are always with us and you know the cares, concerns, and dreams in our hearts.  Our hope is in you, you guide our steps, and we will trust you always.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2017 Linda Lijewski