"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle
Last post, I presented the initial principles discussed in Joyce Meyer's newest book "Making Good Habits". Beyond doing what is necessary to adopt the right attitude about work and how it can truly function as a friend rather than as an enemy, we also reviewed the attitude (and bad habit!) of procrastination. Procrastination, by its very nature, is all about waiting. So many of us spend our lives waiting for something to either happen or not happen. Waiting as a habit only leads to time passing by and nothing "new" happening or changing for the better. I can't tell you how many clients I have seen over the past decade who have been surprised by their own current status when asked about basic truths of their present reality. "I guess I thought I could wait to have kids." "I guess I thought I could wait to get married." "I guess I thought I could wait before getting help about my drinking." "I guess I thought I could wait to pay back the money I stole."
etc. etc. etc.
This is why procrastination is referred to as suicide on the installment plan. Waiting for something "good" to happen by doing nothing at all---makes no sense at all. Stop waiting and start doing. Today is just as good a day to start working on "you" as any other. Don't put it off.
Next on our list of attitudinal changes, we need to concentrate on what it is we want and plan to do that is "good" as opposed to what it is that is being taken away from us and that we must "stop" doing. For example, when I have clients who have had no previous or personal experience with drug or alcohol abuse, I am often asked, "What's the point of becoming an addict when all it does is ruin a person's life?" My answer is always the same: "Nobody starts on drugs or alcohol because it feels bad to them!"
Anything we do that feels good is what we usually find ourselves wanting AND doing more of. But as is true with alcohol and drug use and abuse, what starts out as a "good" thing can quickly end up becoming and being a very bad thing when the user is drinking and/or doing drugs in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms (feeling sick like a bad case of the flu). Withdrawal symptoms can pop up anytime; I remember a situation where an alcoholic female hadn't been able to drink her typical fifth of vodka within a 24 hour period because she was truly sick with a virus...and never woke up the next morning due to the seizure which killed her.
Just like Amy Winehouse...just like Phillip Seymour Hoffman...just like so many others who forget that suddenly stopping or starting back up on their alcohol and/or drugs of choice can literally kill them fasterthanyoucanreadthis. In these types of cases, focusing on what had to stop and/or be taken away ultimately led to lethal consequences. Recovery, for these folks, truly represented a death sentence because it (recovery) was not ever perceived as a life sentence instead....
As much as we are creatures of habit, we are also creatures of reward. Good habits actually generate rewards which go deeper than the surface. This is yet another attitudinal change we need to adopt. When we do the right thing for ourselves, we feel better about ourselves on a deeper level of existence. Our self image improves in an appropriate way, our sense of value and worth as a person increases, and we feel more safe and secure. Bad habits, as stated in my previous blog post, robs us of all of this and more. To help us concentrate on what is good for us and doing it...as opposed to what is easy to do that may feel good for a time...we need the right help at the right time that is provided to us by the right people.
Meyer says that God and developing the God habit represents the beginning of receiving the right help at the right time as provided to us by Him---and who(m)ever He chooses to use and have minister to us. Maybe these right people include those you already know and are close to...or maybe not. When we embrace each day as an adventure in improvement rather than another day wasted, we are putting ourselves on the right path. We are all works in progress, so long as we allow God to work within our hearts, minds, and spirits.
Today, in this very moment, you are as close to God as you want to be. Whatever you plant in this regard you will eventually harvest.
It takes a minimum of three weeks (21 days) to make or break any habit. Pick one habit that you know you want to change and focus on that for the next month. Don't expect instant results. Be prepared to be committed to this time frame of 21-30 days...and even longer if necessary. Plan the work...then work the plan. In the end, you'll be glad you did.
Joyce Meyer's latest book, "Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits" is available through your local library and/or book seller.
Last post, I presented the initial principles discussed in Joyce Meyer's newest book "Making Good Habits". Beyond doing what is necessary to adopt the right attitude about work and how it can truly function as a friend rather than as an enemy, we also reviewed the attitude (and bad habit!) of procrastination. Procrastination, by its very nature, is all about waiting. So many of us spend our lives waiting for something to either happen or not happen. Waiting as a habit only leads to time passing by and nothing "new" happening or changing for the better. I can't tell you how many clients I have seen over the past decade who have been surprised by their own current status when asked about basic truths of their present reality. "I guess I thought I could wait to have kids." "I guess I thought I could wait to get married." "I guess I thought I could wait before getting help about my drinking." "I guess I thought I could wait to pay back the money I stole."
etc. etc. etc.
This is why procrastination is referred to as suicide on the installment plan. Waiting for something "good" to happen by doing nothing at all---makes no sense at all. Stop waiting and start doing. Today is just as good a day to start working on "you" as any other. Don't put it off.
Next on our list of attitudinal changes, we need to concentrate on what it is we want and plan to do that is "good" as opposed to what it is that is being taken away from us and that we must "stop" doing. For example, when I have clients who have had no previous or personal experience with drug or alcohol abuse, I am often asked, "What's the point of becoming an addict when all it does is ruin a person's life?" My answer is always the same: "Nobody starts on drugs or alcohol because it feels bad to them!"
Anything we do that feels good is what we usually find ourselves wanting AND doing more of. But as is true with alcohol and drug use and abuse, what starts out as a "good" thing can quickly end up becoming and being a very bad thing when the user is drinking and/or doing drugs in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms (feeling sick like a bad case of the flu). Withdrawal symptoms can pop up anytime; I remember a situation where an alcoholic female hadn't been able to drink her typical fifth of vodka within a 24 hour period because she was truly sick with a virus...and never woke up the next morning due to the seizure which killed her.
Just like Amy Winehouse...just like Phillip Seymour Hoffman...just like so many others who forget that suddenly stopping or starting back up on their alcohol and/or drugs of choice can literally kill them fasterthanyoucanreadthis. In these types of cases, focusing on what had to stop and/or be taken away ultimately led to lethal consequences. Recovery, for these folks, truly represented a death sentence because it (recovery) was not ever perceived as a life sentence instead....
As much as we are creatures of habit, we are also creatures of reward. Good habits actually generate rewards which go deeper than the surface. This is yet another attitudinal change we need to adopt. When we do the right thing for ourselves, we feel better about ourselves on a deeper level of existence. Our self image improves in an appropriate way, our sense of value and worth as a person increases, and we feel more safe and secure. Bad habits, as stated in my previous blog post, robs us of all of this and more. To help us concentrate on what is good for us and doing it...as opposed to what is easy to do that may feel good for a time...we need the right help at the right time that is provided to us by the right people.
Meyer says that God and developing the God habit represents the beginning of receiving the right help at the right time as provided to us by Him---and who(m)ever He chooses to use and have minister to us. Maybe these right people include those you already know and are close to...or maybe not. When we embrace each day as an adventure in improvement rather than another day wasted, we are putting ourselves on the right path. We are all works in progress, so long as we allow God to work within our hearts, minds, and spirits.
Today, in this very moment, you are as close to God as you want to be. Whatever you plant in this regard you will eventually harvest.
It takes a minimum of three weeks (21 days) to make or break any habit. Pick one habit that you know you want to change and focus on that for the next month. Don't expect instant results. Be prepared to be committed to this time frame of 21-30 days...and even longer if necessary. Plan the work...then work the plan. In the end, you'll be glad you did.
Joyce Meyer's latest book, "Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits" is available through your local library and/or book seller.