Page 6 - Faith-Based Workbook Sample 8-27-18

TOPUCU Adult Faith-Based Workbook
How many of us have started out the
New Year with a resolution for a change
or self-improvement? Unfortunately, these
resolutions aren’t as simple to keep as they
were to make! If they were really that simple,
none of us would have to recommit to our
New Year’s Resolutions every 2 weeks.
Often, a critical failure in any resolution is a
lack of understanding of how one’s habits
are involved, and how to skillfully master the
transition from one habit to a better one.
The good news for everyone is that you
get to choose the habits you want to have
and those you wish to eliminate! This is
such a simple and powerful principle of
self-improvement, but one that is often
overlooked even by those who want to
change the most.
Dryden spoke poetically when he wrote,
“We first make our habits, then our habits
make us.” But for the man or woman
committed to a life of improvement, it is
far better to say: “We first re-make our
habits, then our habits re-make us!" This
is a statement of transformation!
Like Ben Franklin, we need to choose
our habits wisely. Your choice will make a
tremendous difference in the quality of your
life! And, don’t be fooled, not choosing is
choosing; it is choosing to keep all the habits
you’ve already developed, to embrace the
good ones and the bad ones.
If we are going to change our habits, what
knowledge do we need to succeed? A key
to the formation of good habits and the
elimination of poor habits is to understand
the 3 components of habitual behavior.
The first component is called the trigger
or craving. It answers the question,
“What makes me do that?” The second
component is the routine or the actual act
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of participating in the given behavior. The
third component is the reward or the
satisfaction of getting the desired effect you
set out to achieve in the first place.
Now let’s take a look at a simple example of
a habit: Eating ice cream. Who doesn’t enjoy
eating a nice bowl of ice cream at night?
It’s a nice satisfying way to end our day.
Well, if you eat a bowl of ice cream every
night, you will quickly find that you may
gain a significant amount of weight. What a
surprise? But what would you expect? Eating
ice cream every night became a habit you
didn’t think about. When your mind officially
began to decompress from the day’s
activities and responsibilities, it also wholly
accepted the fact that eating ice cream was
a part of that process. Once you realize this
and take into consideration how habits are
formed, you will be able to begin the process
of breaking the habit – or more accurately
creating a new, better habit.
Now, two components of habitual behavior –
the trigger and the reward – are very difficult
to change. The craving for ice cream – the
trigger – may take months to control or it
may never go away. The reward – or the
desire to feel satisfaction – is also nearly
impossible to quench. So the trigger and
reward remain static, however the second
component – the routine – can be changed
immediately through will power. In the case
of an ice cream habit, one must make up
their mind to eat a small reasonable bowl
of ice cream one or two nights a week or
maybe give it up all together. Then add some
additional snacks to the routine that are
equally satisfying yet sufficiently healthier
like sugar free pudding or almonds. Once
there’s a change in the routine component
of the habit, the other components will be
affected in a positive way with the trigger
and the reward both being satisfied.
Many of us are familiar with organizations
that assist people with losing weight. They
use this principle in their programs. They
know the trigger – the desire to eat – will
still be there. They also know that the
reward or wanting to feel satisfied will still
be there. So they make it their priority to
change the routine. Over time, the change
in routine begins to affect the trigger and
the reward components and the person
develops new healthy habits to take the
place of old destructive habits. This is not to
over-simplify how challenging it can be to
lose weight, however if you can visualize the
effect of changing your routine in a weight
loss program, then you can also see the
potential in achieving your own goals in
spite of the obstacles you may face.
Several studies have shown that it takes
an average of 66 days to form a new habit
with a range of 28-254 days. It’s impossible
for anyone to know where in the range any
given attempt to form a new habit will land.
However long it takes, new and better habits
will be formed if we are persistent and if we
choose not to fail.
Have you tried unsuccessfully to change
your habits before? Haven’t we all? But now
you can truly understand the reason most
people fail and what needs to be changed
in order to become a finisher. That’s why we
NOTES:
Lesson 1: Part 1
have you wear the TOPUCU wristband. It’s
a continuous reminder that when you give
up, the only person you’re hurting is yourself.
When the urge to set down the weights
before your final rep hits, look at that
wristband. When you’re exhausted and you’d
rather go to bed than study for one more
hour, look at that wristband. When the ice
cream is calling to you from the freezer, look
at that wristband. The Only Person U Cheat
is U. TOPUCU.
Now it’s time for you to think about what
habit you would like to change. Some of you
may decide to lose weight or get in shape.
Others may choose to work on improving
their education or their career. Perhaps you’d
like to develop a more consistent Bible study
and prayer schedule. Maybe it’s training for a
marathon, or simply learning to finish strong.
Once you’ve decided which habit change
you’re going to commit to for the next 90
days of this program, stay the course. Let’s
achieve it together through TOPUCU.
In our next lesson you’re going to be taught
one of the most important principles for
changing your routine and then you’ll be
introduced to an exercise that will help you
on your way to developing good habits.
Congratulations, you’re on your way!