1 Habit That Might Just Save Your Life

What if I told you to pick 1 habit that might just save your life? 1 habit that would stimulate other healthy habits…

Could you identify 1?

In a recent blog, called Life in Rhythm I described how God established the rhythm of life at creation, and orders our days, weeks, months, seasons and years.

Drilling down a little deeper, I want you to consider for a moment that there are habits that are so foundational to your life, that those habits will naturally spill over into the rest of your life.

I’ve been discovering recently that there are a few habits that are so foundational to my health and wellness that I cannot afford to miss them.

The ah ha came for me in a recent article from Inc., entitled The 1 Habit That Can Make the Most Positive Impact on Your Life:

“…keystone habits are good habits that lead to the development of other good habits (made popular by Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit).

 Here is an excerpt from the book on exercise:

‘When people start habitually exercising, even as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly. Typically people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. It’s not completely clear why … ‘Exercise spills over,’ said James Prochaska, a University of Rhode Island researcher. ‘There’s something about it that makes other good habits easier. (p. 109)’”

Read the entire article here.

What habits spill over into other good , healthy habits?

Hmmm… This may take some thought, some consideration. I found that I had really never thought of my habits this way. And another thing that alarmingly caught my attention:

As a Jesus-follower, I am learning to resist the temptation to compartmentalize my faith. My life, the entirety of it is lived in Jesus. There is no part of my life that is not impacted by Jesus. So, any healthy habits that spill over into other habits are what I call Life in Jesus Keystone Habits!

What are your Life in Jesus Keystone Habits: habits that lead to the development of other good habits?

In addition to exercise, which the article references as the #1 Keystone Habit, here are a few other “Life in Jesus Keystone Habits” I’ve identified for myself:

  • Getting up at 5 am

  • Morning Pages

    Julia Cameron, in her book “The Artist’s Way” introduced me to this exercise of writing long hand three pages every morning.

  • Praising God for something each day and sharing it with someone

  • Learn something

    …from a blog post that teaches me something new, read a book, listen to someone ‘s passion

When I do these 4 things faithfully, regularly, consistently, I benefit greatly. I eat better, sleep better, am more positive, productive, and peaceful. When I don’t do these Life in Jesus Keystone Habits, I am vulnerable to the unhealthy patterns that keep me stuck in my flesh! Yuck!

Once you have identified your Life in Jesus Keystone Habits, share them with a friend who can check-in with you and encourage you to keep going.

Recapping:

  • Identify your Life In Jesus Keystone Habits
  • Share them a trustworthy friend and give them permission to check in with you.

In my next blog post I will share with you how to make the things you’ve identified as Life in Jesus Keystone Habits actual habits!

Share your Keystone Habits with me!

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