By Mark Maher
Micro-habits have become my obsession lately. Five minute consistent habits. I guess I have a short attention span. I value consistency over it being too hard and not doing it. The little habits provide vision and purpose. They keep me from drifting into the abyss of the non essential.😊
I’ve always been a morning person, but as of late, I’m learning how to spread out the micro-habits. Daily audio Bible, read a chapter a day, devotional reading, sermons, prayer, writing, and gratitude journal are daily. “You are what you repeatedly do.” Will Durant
“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8) “Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.” James Clear
We also recognize the importance of the simple physical activities for short and long term health such as push-ups, sit-ups, walking, mile run, water, etc. Also like devoting five minutes a day to organizing a room, and you’ll be surprised how long five minutes really is if you put a timer on it. In other words, you can get a lot done in five minutes. Then strive to come back to it the next day for another five. Soon the room is organized. The key is consistency. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
Now, if I could just improve the eating habits. Make sure the habits that you choose are worthy. “I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” Bob Goff
If you do something for three weeks then they say it will usually become a habit. You’ll find that some habits are very easy and you love doing them and others are a little more challenging. My radar is always looking to add new habits to the daily routine. “We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action. As Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good.”
“And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.” (James 1:4 MSG) Stay consistent and keep building a solid foundation. Stack good days. Build from solid habits. If you know you need to drink more water, add that to the routine.
God calls us to be the best we can be. I love what Paul says, “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
Create good habits so that you can become the best version of yourself (physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally) for Christ and to be used for Christ. Romans 12:2 encourages believers to not conform to the patterns of the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) Consistently choose to keep the faith. Whatever you do for Christ is never in vain. You’re doing good work. It’s good fruit. It’s valuable seed in the soil.
Put Christ on your schedule, keep the faith and keep fighting and don’t give up. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9) Live out the motto of “stay consistent and don’t quit.”
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” Lao Tzu
