Form Better Habits

A habit is an acquired, learned behavior that we do without even thinking about it. It's almost involuntary. We've done it so much it become practically second nature. If we have good habits, that may be fine. But sometimes our habits are keeping us from God's best, and we may not even realize it.

Many of the habits that we've developed stem from the culture in which we were raised.

Your habits--whether good or bad--will greatly determine your future. One study says that 90 percent of our everyday behavior is based on our habits. Let that sink in for a moment: From the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed at night, 90 percent of what we do is habitual behavior. We do what we've always done. It is no wonder that if you want to change your life, you must start by consciously changing your everyday habits. You can't keep doing the same things you have been doing and expect to get different results.

To become a better you, take inventory of your habits. Do you have a tendency to be negative in your thoughts and conversations? Do you worry all the time? Do you overeat?

Understand, your habit may not be legally, ethically, or morally wrong. It can be a seemingly innocuous action or attitude, a little thing, but if you don't do something about it, you can go for years wasting time and energy, being unproductive and unprofitable. That is not God's best.

The good news is you can change. You can develop better habits. Most studies of habitual behavior indicate that a habit can be broken in six weeks; some studies tell us that you can break a habit in as little as twenty-one days. Think about that. If you will discipline yourself for a month or so, and be willing to suffer through the pain of change, you can rid yourself of a negative behavior, form a new healthy habit, and rise to a new level of personal freedom.

Successful people develop better habits.

If you have a habit of eating a bunch of junk food and drinking several sodas every day, commit yourself to forming better eating habits. Don't go on a crash diet, just change one small thing at a time. Before long, you will notice a marked difference in your energy level as well as your personal appearance.

Our habits become part of our character. The first step toward changing is to identify what's holding you back. Identify any bad habits and then make a decision to do something about them.

The subtle danger asociated with many bad habits is that we may not suffer their consequences until later on in life. If you mistreat your body by eating poorly and working long hours all the time, getting insufficient nutrition and rest, you may get away with it for awhile, but one day those bad habits will catch up with you.

I heard somebody say, "Habits are like gravity; they will always pull you toward them." If you develop good habits, they'll make your life easier, more successful, and more productive. You won't be struggling constantly to do the right thing. When you practice good habits, your life will produce good fruit. You'll be happy, naturally, and you will experience God's abundant life. But if you establish bad habits, they will inevitably drag you down. You'll gravitate toward them.

Certainly, if you've been set in your ways for twenty or thirty years, you may not overcome that habit you want to change in a mere twenty-one days. But if you will make up your mind, and ask God for His help in breaking that habit, it won't take you years to do it either. Make a decision to change, stick with it, and you will be amazed how soon you begin to form that new habit. It will get easier every day, to the point when, eventually, you'll do the right thing automatically. You won't even have to think about it.

Changing a habit is not easy at first, but eventually, once you retrain yourself, the new habit comes naturally.

You will always have plenty of excuses and rationalizations why you should not change. You can usually find a reason to give up, turn around, go back, and keep living the same way you've always lived. Don't be surprised when you are tested. Simply remember that the Scripture says, "There is no temptation that will come to you that you can't overcome. God will always make a way of escape." No matter how intense the pressure, or how difficult it seems, you need to know that you can withstand it. God will help you. He will make a way of escape, but you must take it.

The first step to overcoming any habit or addiction is to identify what's holding you back. But don't stop there. Make a decision to do something about it. Take action. Don't be too embarrassed to seek help. Understand that you can change. Freedom is available. Don't believe the lie that you're stuck and you'll never get any better. God already has a path of success laid out for you.

But you must do your part and be willing to walk it out. The next time that temptation comes, the first thing you should do is pray. Get God involved in your situation. We cannot defeat bad habits in our own strength. Ask God to help you.

We're all going to face temptation. In any area that you're trying to change--even small things--seek His help.

You may have some areas in your life that you need to get under control. God is saying, "Don't put it off any longer. Today is the day to start. Today can be a new beginning." If you'll take this to heart and be willing to press past the pain of change, a year from now, you won't be the same person. You'll be free from addictions, free from bad attitudes, free from the bondage that's been holding you back.

Make sure you are practicing the right things. Starve any bad habits and feed your good habits. If you do this, you will rise higher and God will pour out His blessings and favor in your life. Friend, don't let anything master you. Develop better habits. Get rid of anything that is not producing good fruit in your life.

Remember, your habits today will determine your future. Examine your life, take inventory of your habits, and when you find something that's not right, be quick to change. In the process, you will establish the habit of becoming a better you.

Many people don't realize that much of the manner in which we approach life--our attitudes, and our demeanor--is learned behavior. These habits have formed by repetition throughout the years. If we've spent years focusing on what's wrong rather than what's right, then these negative patterns are going to keep us from enjoying our lives.

You can get rid of a negative mentality and develop a habit of happiness.

No matter what comes our way, we can have smiles on our faces. We should get up each morning excited about that day. Even if we are facing difficult or negative circumstances, we need to learn to keep a positive outlook.

The bottom line is if you're going to be happy, you need to make a decision to be happy right now.

Happiness does not depend on your circumstances; it depends on your will. It's a choice that you make.

If you are going to develop a habit of happiness, you must learn to relax and go with the flow, instead of getting frustrated. You have to believe that God is in control, and that means you have no need to be stressed out and worried. Moreover, you have to be grateful for what you have, rather than complaining about what you don't have. A habit of happiness boils down to staying on the positive side of life.

Each day is full of surprises and inconveniences, so you must accept the fact that not everything is going to always go your way. Your plans are not always going to work out just as you scheduled them. When that happens, make a willful decision that you are not going to let the circumstances upset you. Don't allow stress to steal your joy. Instead, be adaptable and adjustable and seek to make the best of a bad situation.

You can't control people, nor can you change them. Only God can do that.

Life is too short to live it stressed out. Prolonged stress can damage your health and significantly shorten your life.

Think about this. Ten years from now, many of the things that you are allowing to create stress in your life won't even matter.

When your plans don't work out, don't get negative and sour. Don't start complaining. God may be protecting you from an accident. How do you know God has not allowed that delay so you can meet somebody He really wants you to know? Learn to go with the flow. Don't get upset and let minor interruptions steal your joy.

Sometimes our plans may be interrupted because God has somebody He wants us to touch or something special He wants us to do. Many times we don't even realize such "behind the scenes" events are happening, but God is using us.

Understand, God did not create you to be a negative-thinking person. He didn't make any of us to live depressed, stressed out, worried, or frustrated. God intends for you to be happy, peaceful, contented, and to enjoy your life. God wants us to be examples of what it means to live a life of faith. When people see us, they should see so much joy, peace, and happiness that they will want what we have.

Take an honest look at your life. Are you as happy as you know you should be deep down inside? Do you get up each day excited about your future? Are you enjoying your family? Enjoying your friends? If not, what is stealing your joy and causing you to get upset? Why are you worried? Identify what it is. Take inventory and then take it one step further. Begin retraining your mind in those particular areas.

Many times, you can make a small change--a minor adjustment in your attitude, or a minor adjustment in how you treat people; a minor adjustment in how you respond to problems--and it will make a huge difference in your life and in your level of joy.

To develop a habit of happiness, you must retrain those negative responses. When you get up in the morning, you may feel discouraged or depressed. You may not feel like going to work. But instead of dragging through the day, thinking, Nothing good ever happens to me; this is going to be a lousy day, break out of that rut. No matter what those circumstances look like, say, "This is the day the Lord has made. I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to be happy today." Speak that out by faith. Every time you do, you are retraining your mind. You're forming a new habit of happiness.

Train your mind to see the good. Be grateful for what you have and get rid of any negative conditioned responses.

I don't mean that you feel on top of the world all the time. That's not realistic. I'm talking bout being content. Sure, you may have some problems. We all have obstacles to overcome. But we know God is in control. We know He has us in the palm of His hand.

Happiness is not going to fall on us. It's a choice we have to make. Being positive doesn't necessarily come naturally. We have to make that decision daily.

When you get out of bed in the morning, put a smile on your face. Set the tone right at the start of the day. If you don't set the tone, somebody else will set it for you.

You need to realize that when you smile, it's an act of faith. When you smile, you're sending a message to your whole body, announcing that everything is going to be all right. If you will develop this positive attitude of faith, you will sow a seed for God to work in your life.

Unquestionably, what you put into your heart and mind is what you're going to get out. Sure, you may have negative circumstances. Maybe you didn't get good breaks. Maybe you didn't get the position you were longing for. Now instead of automatically stamping it "negative" and storing it away, turn your attitude around. Remind yourself, "I know God has something better in store for me. I know when one door closes, God can open another door." When you do that, you will take that negative situation, turn it around, and stamp it "positive."

Train your mind to see the good. Get rid of any negative, conditioned responses. Everybody around you may be complaining, but you can find the good in every situation. If you'll do what the Scripture says, you can indeed be happy all the time.