On The Right Path

Last week, I made mention that ‘millimeter’ was my word of the year. I talked about being on the right path and this week, I see James Clear (Author of the best-selling book, Atomic Habits) is apparently thinking about the same thing.

• "It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert as long as you’re on the path.
• If a beginner is on the path, all they need is time.
• If an expert is off the path, they won’t be an expert for long." (From James Clear, Thursday 3-2-1 Newsletter, January 6, 2022)

“People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions: doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call. He calls them atomic habits.”   (Book review of “Atomic Habits”, Amazon.com)

“In this ground-breaking book, Clear reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy. These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.” Review by the New York Times.

One might think that I’m psychic!

But I would refute that. The whole reason I’ve been writing is to talk about how I see God in so many places! In past articles, that premise has included things like faucets, bugs, binary code, Bitcoin, music, Conestoga Wagons, coffee beans, Madam Secretary, Post-it notes, color, cell phones, peanut butter, wet pants, and even small potatoes. It certainly includes my blog subscriptions!

Last year, I bought Atomic Habits and read it voraciously. Until I didn’t. I think it’s time to start again especially since I have just signed up for Mr. Clear’s 2022 free program called, 30 Days to Better Habits: A simple step-by-step guide for forming habits that stick. You can sign-up by clicking HERE if you’d like - and you should.

After signing up, you will receive a workbook to help see you through the course and a spreadsheet showing various examples. Given the fact that we are firmly in the middle of the Season-of-Resolutions, Mr. Clear supplies 144 examples. For a second, I panicked. He points to potential ready-to-change-for-the-better promises for One Hundred Forty-Four years!  In case you don’t know, I’m getting a very late start on this one.

James Clear - 30 Days to Better Habits 

I have read each example and will begin to work on some of his suggestions. I promise! 

As I was reading this probably-not-exhaustive list, I noted how universal these items are. I can't imagine that we are not all working towards self-improvement in many of the areas listed.

I found, however, one category to be more or less ignored. I see a desire for the virtue of gratitude, but little else that might be construed as spiritual in nature. This is quite understandable as the target audience is secular. 

I have decided to modify the James Clear spreadsheet to accommodate things of personal interest considering my desire to become closer to God. 

These might include things like,

• Read the entire Bible.
• Memorize bible verses.
• Be more generous.
• Be more open-minded to others as children of God.
• Bring peace into my life and the lives of others.
• Be welcoming; interruptible.
• SEE people as I actively listen.

As of today, I have not decided what these habits might look like, but I have begun the process. Since I believe that we all want to be better people, you will be pleased to know that I have finished the modifications and created a new spreadsheet template that allows for your personal additions without deleting any of the original suggestions.

I will share this with you and all you need to do is ask.  An email with a subject line that reads, “Yes, send me the spreadsheet” is the only requirement.  My reply will include the attachment. 

Note:  I have received the first email of the course. The one-line recap tells me that I should, 

"Start by focusing on who you want to become, not what you want to achieve."

"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." Ephesians 5:1-2 (MSG)