I'm talking about your habits.
And specifically, where are your habits taking you?
In his classic book, As A Man Thinketh, James Allen once wrote, "The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit, and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny."
If that is true, then your habits are telling the story of your future. They are playing a vital part in shaping your destiny. Let the weight of the above statement sink in for a second. I'll repeat it…
Each habit we form will play a vital part in shaping your destiny.
Author James Clear put it this way: "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
Reflect on some of the dominant habits that make up your daily routine...how much sleep you get each night, what you do for exercise, what you consistently eat and drink, what you do on your drive to work or with your free hours in the evening, or how you spend your discretionary income. These are just a few examples.
Repeated behaviors fill our lives. Psychologists at the University of Southern California believe that our habits account for about 45% of our daily lives. 45%!
Now, play the movie. If you continue with your current routines, what will your life look like in 1 year? Five years from now? How will your health be different? What about your outlook on life? How will these routines impact your relationships positively or negatively?
As you reflect on this, are you excited about future you? What words best describe the emotions that you're feeling right now? And if you need to course-correct, how can you do that successfully? What is the secret to stopping old habits that aren't serving you well and replacing them with the kind of consistent behaviors that lead to a powerful, positive, and fulfilling future?
We'll talk more about that next week.
