FOCUS AREA #3 – WHAT AM I WILLING TO GIVE UP?
We must be willing to give up things of value, in order to gain things of greater value. But with technology changes, family needs, career demands and our health, what could we possibly give up? Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving up His life so that we may have ours. For Christians, faith is at their “core”. Like working out, if we increase the strength of our core it has a positive affect on all the other areas. Without a strong core, we may be able to bench press 315 pounds but still have back problems right? Here are four easy steps to help evaluate which habits are helping you versus holding you back.
STEP #1: What can I start doing today?
STEP #2: What can I stop doing today?
STEP #3: What can I do less of?
STEP #4: What can I do more of?
Timing is everything – God’s timing: Persistence in the gym pays off. Persistence in our faith pays off greater. Start with where you are at, that is where God will meet you. What if you woke up 30 minutes earlier each morning to work on YOU? Would you miss the 30 minutes of sleep to gain 15 extra hours during the month? Giving up something of value (30 minutes of sleep) to gain something of greater value (exercising, reading, prayer, time alone). Here is a short motivational clip I use titled Rise and Shine:
How about placing an imaginary #10 above the head of “that person” you can hardly tolerate at work each time you talk to them? (I’ve done this one. It works). On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, think of everyone as a 10. By looking for the good quality in a person, we begin to see the good qualities in that person and forget about the negative ones.
Improvement is all about small consistent actions. When you take small steps consistently over time it acts like compound interest. You can’t see the result at first; however, momentum is building. Whether it’s our attitude, studying the Bible, being more enthusiastic at work, impacting someone else positively or helping someone else at the gym, before we know it our thoughts and actions have changed thus leading to more positive results.
Click/tap below to continue to the next page for focus area #4 – assessing resources that you have.
