We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
From early childhood I was encouraged to set goals and work towards them by my type-A high achieving Dad. As an adult I've drifted away from setting specific, measurable goals and moved more towards forming habits that (hopefully) shape my character in a positive way. Here are three character-molding things I do (almost) every day -- and one not-so-good-for-you habit just to keep it real.
1) Time with God. For some reason I balk at the term "quiet time" -- it just sounds so churchy. Nonetheless I do make a habit of spending the earliest part of my day with the Lord. I call it my "BPPR" time: Bible, Pray, Plan, and Reflect. There's nothing scripted, and I don't do all four things every day. It's simply a chance to spend some time alone with my thoughts and with God through His Word and in prayer, and hopefully hitting the "spiritual reset" button. Some days I pick a chapter or two and read. Or I work through my women's Bible study lesson (currently a powerful study on Forgiveness). I need to focus more on prayer, the most difficult of disciplines for me. After praying and reading I ask God what He wants me to accomplish, and plan out my day. On a good day I spend some time reflecting on the last 24 hours: what do I need to confess? How can I make things right with someone I've hurt? What happened yesterday that I am thankful for?
2) Exercise. This is a huge priority for me, and gives me a much-needed energy boost. I used to exercise to look good, but now that I'm in my mid-40s it's all about health: feeling good, flexibility, strength, posture and balance. I like to mix it up: jogging, walking up the steps to the Fourvière basilica, and even sometimes doing an insane cardio workout like P90X or the aptly named Insanity But my favorite exercises are bodyweight-only mat exercises like pilates or Power Yoga. I know what you're thinking: Christians don't do yoga! But the only praying I do during these exercises are cries of "help me, Jesus!" as I struggle to keep up with Sean Vigue's crazy YouTube workouts.
3) Learn Something New. Usually my learning comes from books. I'm old-school; I like to hold a book made of real paper in my hands, I like to underline key points and dog-ear the pages. Currently I'm reading a couple of great books for my assignments with LifeSprings women's ministry. I also read books together with Lori - we read a chapter each week and then discuss what we've learned. Here are some other ways besides book-learning that I use to stretch my brain: Ted talks, online magazine articles, documentaries, studying French...there are unlimited opportunities to learn something new every day.
After all the positive benefits of renewing my mind, body and spirit, it's time for a break. So here's the not-so-good thing I do every day: veg in front of the TV. I look forward to snuggling up on the couch with my honey and my sweet girls, laughing at silly comedies like Arrested Development or Scrubs, and turning off the brain for a bit. Like I said, just keeping it real!
And what about you? What life habits do you try to cultivate? Share yours in the comments section!
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