Page 12 - Faith-Based Workbook 8-27-18

TOPUCU Adult Faith-Based Workbook
for a run or a swim or some other physical
fitness activity and as a result decided to
skip that bag of greasy potato chips when it
was offered to you? You didn’t want to take
all that hard work you just put in and ruin
it with one bad snack, right? That positive
behavior of working out, led to the positive
behavior of skipping an unhealthy snack.
And just like that you’ve begun to develop
yet another good habit. Now you’re feeling
better and eating better; you’re experiencing
less guilt and have more energy; and so forth
and so on. The habits build on one another
and before you know it, you have a collection
of good habits that are leading to a better
overall lifestyle. And it all began with a single
building block habit.
Now that you’ve done some evaluating of
the trigger and the satisfaction components,
you should be able to identify some better
routine behaviors as replacements for bad
ones. Now it’s time to take action! This is
what you need to do:
WRITE IT DOWN!
In the Old Testament, the prophet Habakkuk
is having a discussion with God about
staying faithful and diligent in the moment,
even though we can’t always see the end
result. In Chapter 2, verses 2-3, the Lord
replied to one of Habakkuk’s inquires with
the following message:
“Write down the revelation and make it plain
on tablets so that the herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly
come and will not delay.” (NIV)
The Bible supports the principal of writing
down the promises we have from our Father
and furthermore writing down our goals and
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desires. When it comes to your own personal
transformation this is a powerful tool. Write
a note to yourself. Put it in a strategic and
visible place. In this note write down a
reminder of the positive routine behavior
you’ll commit to when you’re faced with your
trigger, along with an affirmative statement
that will remind you of the satisfaction you’ll
receive from that positive behavior.
Here’s an example:
“When I want a snack I will have almonds
instead of ice cream. Almonds are healthier
for me and will give me the satisfaction that
I really desire.”
Put that note on the refrigerator. Put it on
your bathroom mirror. Put it somewhere you
will see if often. Will it feel a little weird at
first writing notes to yourself? Possibly. Will
you have to explain to other people in your
house why there are random pieces of paper
stuck to the fridge? Sure! But, do it anyway.
TOPUCU is not just about information – it’s
about transformation. It’s not good enough
to just know what to do. You need to do
what you know! Take Action! Take a few
moments to examine your bad habit, the
triggers, and the satisfaction associated
with it. You must consider new routines that
can take the place of old, negative, routines.
You need to write that note to yourself as
a reminder of what you have set out to
do. This is small stuff that can lead to huge
changes in your life.
Before our lesson ends, you should hear the
story about a man named Dr. Ben Carson. He
wasn’t always Doctor Carson.
Ben Carson was raised in Detroit by an
uneducated single mother who sometimes
worked as many as three jobs at a time
so she could feed him and his brother.
With their mother away at work much of
the time, the boys developed a habit of
watching television for hours and hours on
end. Despite her lack of education, Ben’s
mother began to see that her boys would
be nothing in life without a drastic change
in this routine behavior. So she began to
limit the amount of TV they watched. She
didn’t allow them to go out with their friends
until their homework and studies were
done. She also picked up books from the
library and required the boys to read and
give her written reports on a weekly basis
despite her inability to read past a third-
grade level. Looking back, Doctor Carson
admits that these changes in routine were
extremely difficult to deal with and for a long
time he and his brother were ridiculed by
other kids in the neighborhood because of
their mother’s strict rules. But he would one
day realize these rules were more than just
rules; they were building block habits. Ben
found that reading and studying was a great
substitute routine that actually bridged the
gap between his trigger and his satisfaction.
He developed a love for reading and in turn
a love for education. So when he decided to
pursue a career as a surgeon he already had
the good habits he would need to make it
"Do not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewal of your
mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect." — Romans 12:2 (ESV)
NOTES:
Lesson 1: Part 2
through the grueling programs at Yale and
University of Michigan’s School of Medicine.
He would later go on to become the very
first doctor to perform the groundbreaking
surgery of separating twins who were
conjoined at the head. And to think, it all
started with the simple act of substituting
a television with a book.
True transformation happens when you
decide to make changes. And that’s what
this program is all about: Transformation.
In the following lessons you will learn the
secrets and tools that finishers use to create
good habits. But you have to get on board
and make it happen.
At the end of each of the seven lessons we
are going to give you a visual tool you will
need to memorize. This visual tool will be
a constant reminder of that lesson. For this
lesson on habit change the visual tool is the
word – Routine. Yes, just one word. Memorize
it and think about it every time you start
engaging in a bad routine. Look at your
wristband and remember – The Only Person
U Cheat is U. TOPUCU.
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