The Best Minute: 5 important habits, taking action, and becoming courageous
đź’ˇ 1 IDEA FROM ME
James Clear, author of the excellent book Atomic Habits, writes, “You are the average of the 5 habits you repeat the most.” Here are 5 categories of habits I recommend for a fulfilling life:
1) Spiritual habits: how will you intentionally cultivate a relationship with God? How many days a week will you spend time with Him? What local church community will you belong to? How will you ensure you prioritize your local church gathering so that your faith can grow, and not just go when you feel like it?
2) Family habits: how will you intentionally cultivate a relationship with your spouse (if married), kids (if you have them), or any other significant relative? How many dates with your significant other will you have per month? How often will you spend intentional time with your kids? Strong relationships happen when there is a plan of action on how they will grow.
3) Hobby habits: how will you intentionally make time to do things you find enjoyable? You don’t have to spend a lot of money on this, but you do need to spend time. Some of my hobbies include reading, grilling, and woodworking. I make time to do those things virtually every week. Remember, busyness is a choice. If you never spend time on things you enjoy, you’ll have a hard time not being miserable.
4) Health habits: how will you intentionally ensure bodily health? How often and when will you exercise (even a small amount of consistent exercise goes a long way)? What foods or drinks will you avoid or only eat on special occasions? Health doesn’t happen by accident.
5) Work habits: how will you intentionally ensure you work hard when working, and be off when you are off? What boundaries do you have for after-hours email checking? How do you ensure important relationships in your life aren’t suffering because you can’t put work away? One of the easiest ways to do this is to prioritize and put on your calendar time for the previous four habits. This will force you to focus at work so you can get things done and spend time on the things that matter most outside of work.
đź’¬ 2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS
I. Ai Weiwei on the importance of action:
“A small act is worth a million thoughts.”
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II. Malcom Gladwell on how to become courageous:
“Courage is not something that you already have that makes you brave when the tough times start. Courage is what you earn when you’ve been through the tough times and you discover they aren’t so tough after all.”
🎙 THIS WEEK ON THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP PODCAST
Mark South on how to reach better sermons, why your physical presence matters when communicating, how to build tension in a sermon, and more.
Click here to listen to the podcast on your favorite app and get the show notes for this episode.
đź’Ż 1 RESOURCE I RECOMMEND
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🤯 1 INTERESTING FACT
Eggs are sold in several grades. AA, A and B grade. There is no difference in the nutritional value or taste from one grade to another. The grading has to do with shape, uniformity, weight, and aesthetics. B grade eggs are typically sold to institutions and bakeries though they used to be available in grocery stores. Most eggs sold now are either AA or A grade.
Source: Backyard Poultry
🤔 1 QUESTION TO LEAVE YOU WITH
What is one important lesson for life that isn't taught in school, but that you want to teach to your kids?
