Monday, June 23, 2008

21 Day Habit Challenge Starts Up Again On Wednesday!!

It's time for me to form a new habit. Who'd like to join me? They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. In the first Habit Challenge, I chose to form the habit of sitting down to eat without doing anything else. It worked! It is now a habit. A habit that I have to be diligent to maintain, but a habit nonetheless.

This time, my habit is going to be a greater challenge, but it is a necessary one. I need to get to bed at a decent time. I'm really good about getting up, but I tend to always have "one more thing" to do before bed and it all adds up. I routinely get less than 7 hours of sleep each night and that's just not enough for me.

So, this is my goal. To be in bed by 10:00 each night except Friday and Saturday. Please pray for me, because this is a huge change for me.

The challenge starts Wednesday, so let me know in the comments if you are going to join me.

A few suggestions about forming new habits:

1. Start where you are and gradually build up. Shoot for lasting change rather than radical change. For example, if you currently don't read the Bible daily, start with a goal to read one or two chapters per day rather than five or ten.

2. Make your goal measurable. Rather than having a goal to exercise more, set a goal to exercise 30 minutes 3 times per week.

3. Most important: Pray first. Don't lean on your own understanding. Be sure the Lord is leading you to form this new habit so that you don't waste your time! Also, when the going gets tough, you will have assurance that He will give grace to accomplish this goal since you will be assured that it's His will for you.

Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things. Having promise of the life which now is and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

10 comments:

Debbie said...

I'll join ya this time around!

My devotional time has been in the gutter for MONTHS. I don't expect to start having hour long quiet times from the get go, but I'd like to start with at least 15 min of bible reading and prayer. Then move up to 30 min, 45 min, etc.

I tend to just talk to God throughout the whole day while I'm on the go. And I've grown so used to that I don't make it a priority to sit and be still before Him. And it's especially easy since I don't have much accountability.

So, to reiterate, my goal is to have at the very LEAST 15 min of devotional time a day.

Thanks for doing this, Brandi!

Eric Guel said...

Go, Beaver! Go, Beaver! It's your birthday.

Debbie said...

It literally WILL be my birthday in 8 days!

Missy said...

How amazing is this?!? I actually prayed this morning for help getting to bed at a decent hour so I can wake up refreshed in the mornings!

And, lo - help arrives. So I am in it, borrowing your same goal and all. :)

Brandi said...

Boo--You picked a great habit! And very doable. Glad you are joining in! :-)

Missy--Glad you are joining us again...just out of curiosity, are you still trying to keep up sitting down to dinner with the fam?

Missy said...

Yes, Brandi, thanks for asking. I've only missed one dinner since our 21 day challenge ended, and I wrestled with that one. It has definitely become a habit.

Brandi said...

Great! I am also endeavoring to hold on to my habit and form new ones one at a time.

Cristina said...

I just had to wait until the last minute BUT I've decided to join you. :)
My 21 day habit will be no eating after 8:30pm (except for Tuesday's because I don't get home until 8 and I don't have dinner until I get my daughter in bed but my dinner on this day is usually a protein shake, so something on the lighter side).

Eric Guel said...

Mine is going to be to commit to practise a memory verse in the mornings during my devotional time every day. :-)

Brandi said...

Cristina--glad you are joining us!