Twenty-One Days Part I

“You’re not a loser,” I said looking into the mirror with my chin resting on my knuckles. “You just have poor time management.” I walked into the lonely hallway. My silhouette casted a large shadow, but inside I felt very small. Sunshine burst through the kitchen window as if to say, “Good morning and good luck!” From the depths of my body, I took a deep breath and slowly let it out like air seeping from a tiny hole in a balloon. “I got this…I hope.”

Have you ever felt like the day slapped you awake? Discombobulated, you stagger out of bed and hope for the best. You hope that today will be the day you finally break out of the bad habits you find yourself trapped in. If so, you’re not alone. Bad habits create a cage. Even when you’re ready for change, you can only go so far. Here’s what I’ve been thinking lately. What if the difference between the life you live and the life you’re supposed to live, is a few decisions away?

What if the gap between who you are and who you were created to be could be filled by choosing to simply do something different? To pull away from the unproductive habits you’re drawn to. I’m beginning to realize that big changes are made up of small, intentional changes. For example, let’s say you’ve never been a morning person, but you want to get up earlier to have a more organized day. You could immediately start setting your alarm for 5 a.m., but you’d probably be more successful if first, you focused on getting to bed earlier so you have the energy to wake up earlier. 

Let’s say you want to read more or build a consistent prayer life or learn how to cook. Instead of tackling each of these things as a whole pie, break them into bite sized pieces. Start with a short novel. Create a quiet space and schedule a specific time to pray each day. Don’t think of it as becoming an intercessor overnight. Go into prayer with the simple desire to spend quality time with the Father. Don’t try to cook from scratch if that’s too daunting. Start by gathering a few simple recipes and make them when you have time to experiment. 

Experts say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So, instead of trying and failing to change your life all at once, intentionally build your new habits each day. Do something different. Resist the gravitational pull toward what’s familiar. I need to manage my time better, so each day I am aiming to cut down screen time and repurpose that time to work on creative projects, exercise, or pray and read my Bible. My goal is to be mindful of how I spend my days. When I catch myself wasting time, I try to quickly pivot to something productive or meaningful. Overtime, my mind will be trained to think in the right direction and my actions will follow.

To be continued.