COVER SUBJECT
How to Harness Your Habits
WHEN Austin’s alarm clock goes off, he is sleepy. But he immediately gets out of bed, puts on the exercise clothes he laid out the night before, and goes for a brief jog—just as he has three times a week for the past year.
Laurie just had a fight with her husband. Angry and frustrated, she storms into the kitchen, pulls out a bag of chocolate candies, and eats them all—just as she seems to do every time she is upset.
What do Austin and Laurie have in common? Whether they realize it or not, both have been affected by a powerful force—the force of habit.
What about you? Are there good habits that you would like to build in your life? Perhaps your goal is to exercise regularly, to get more sleep, or to keep in closer touch with loved ones.
On the other hand, maybe you would like to break a bad habit, such as smoking cigarettes, eating too much junk food, or spending excessive time on the Internet.
Admittedly, it can be difficult to overcome a bad habit. In fact, it has been said that a bad habit is like a warm bed on a cold day: it’s easy to get into and hard to get out of!
So how can you harness your habits and make them work for you instead of against you? Consider the following three suggestions based on principles found in the Bible.