4 Ways To Grow Your Faith Using Atomic Habits
The Joy of Puppies
Soft as silk. Soulful brown eyes. Big clumsy paws. And the sweetest, most loving dispositions. Golden Retriever pups are delightful. My heart melts just thinking about them.
I’d been negotiating with my husband, Randy, to add another Golden to our family. We’re passionate about the breed, like people about their favorite sports teams. Our current Golden Retriever, Sunny, is eight years old, and she needed a friend. And we recently moved to a rural acreage that begged for two dogs.
This spring, after dozens of conversations, Randy finally agreed. I was elated that Gracie could join our family. But there was one condition: I had to promise to be vigilant about keeping our yard free of dog deposits.
I agreed and assured him I was on it. What could possibly go wrong?
The first few weeks with two dogs went great. I was on task, and the lawn was immaculate. Then my efforts petered out. The garbage can blew away in a windstorm. I ran out of compostable doggie bags. We had a late spring storm that covered the grass with snow. Some days, I forgot. Or I didn’t feel like doing it.
I’m working on getting back on track, and as I’ve pondered this, it’s provided insight on the importance of habits and routine, honoring my commitments, and how some things, no matter how tedious, just need to get done.
And I’ve also realized this struggle applies to many areas of my life: exercise, walking the dogs, folding the laundry — why do we always bog down with the laundry? — and praying, just to name a few. And I suspect you have similar struggles, too.
One area where many people struggle is with spending time with God every day. Somehow this precious time gets thrown out the window when life gets too busy, you forget, or you simply don’t feel like doing it. And the crazy thing is that it’s the one thing you can do that impacts you not just today, but for eternity.
This eternal benefit is one of the reasons we created the Good Ground devotional app. Our goal is to help you spend time with God, and make that time simpler and more enjoyable. It’s much easier to form a habit and stick to it when you look forward to what you’re trying to create.
The Importance of Atomic Habits
If you want to get some new habits going in your life, check out James Clear’s stellar book, “Atomic Habits.” He writes, “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.”
What habits do you want to form in your life? What tiny things could you do that might have a huge impact? One of our Good Ground writers, Terri Conlin, has a practice of offering “tiny thanks.” She regularly posts a list of three things she’s thankful for in her Instagram stories. Her list includes everything from seeing the stars to praying through hard things to making cornbread in a cast-iron skillet.
In “Atomic Habits,” Clear writes, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Terri’s decision to look for God amid the simple, everyday moments of life speaks volumes about her deep, joy-filled faith.
What kind of person do you want to become?
What would you be like?
What would set you apart from everyone else?
And how do you get there?
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.”
Just Do It
There’s a lot of truth in that pithy Nike slogan, “Just do it.” It’s easy to stall out when things don’t go as planned. Pushing through barriers and creating new ways forward takes effort. I could have found another solution to the missing garbage can and compostable bags, but I didn’t. As sad as this sounds, “Just do it” seemed too complicated.
Experts call this phenomenon “languishing,” a sense of stagnation and emptiness. When we’re languishing, we drift through our days without intention. Psychologists rank mental health on a spectrum from depression (feeling drained and worthless) to flourishing (when you’re at the peak of your well-being). Languishing falls somewhere in the middle. You’re not operating at high levels. You don’t have a strong sense of focus. You’re just getting by. You don’t have the capacity to break through barriers or initiate new habits.
The Way Forward
So where does all this talk about puppies, habits, tiny thanks, and Nike slogans take us?
First, puppies are fantastic. You know it, and I know it. Enough said.
Second, our world is going through an unprecedented time of stress. Stop pretending it’s not affecting you. Name it and own it. And use it as an opportunity for self-reflection. Figure out what matters, who you want to be, and what you want your life to look like.
As difficult as this season is, there is opportunity in it. After giving up so much, you can choose what you take back. Choose wisely. James Clear writes, “You don’t have to be a victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.”
Third, the little things do matter. Find your version of “tiny thanks” and just do it. Then, develop a system to help you stay on track.
For example, I’m passionate about spending time with God every day. If this appeals to you, here are some tips to make this easier.
Welcome the day with a delicious beverage. My favorite is white tea.
Keep your Bible, journal, study books, pens, and highlighters — whatever you need — all together, ready to go. That way, you don’t have to scramble for your stuff before you even begin.
Mute your phone. You don’t have to check your email, the weather, or the news before you talk with God. (This is more for me than you. I struggle with this every morning.)
Try to be the first one up in the morning when your home is quiet, or find a place where you can spend a few minutes alone.
Change some details from time to time so your practice stays fresh. For example, besides doing Good Ground every morning, I’m reading Proverbs this summer and listening to a hymn daily.
I look forward to my time with God every morning. I smile when I sit down on my comfy chair and pick up my Bible. It has become so meaningful that I rarely miss it.
And fourth, just do it. Recognize that some days you won’t want to. You’ll accidentally sleep in on a rainy Saturday morning or be overly tired because your kids woke you up too often at night. When you miss a day, show yourself some grace. Pick yourself up, regroup, and start fresh.
James Clear writes, “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
He’s right. You’ll eventually reach your destination when you keep traveling in the right direction.
Peace be with you.
Karla
Chief Content Curator
Good Ground Devotional App