Challenge 44. Blog 40.

A Christian Strategy for Starting and Sticking a New Habit

As a Christian life coach, I have read many excellent books and blogs about how to start new habits and make them stick. The best resources strongly advise connecting your new habit with your “why.” Your “why” motivates you to stick with the new habit.

For example, starting a new exercise habit because it will increase the quality and quantity of our time with family, friends, and career, would motivate you more than someone simply telling you that you need to lose weight.

But even nailing down your “why” is not clear enough or compelling enough for Christians.

For us Christians, it’s crucially important to talk with God about any new habits, and not only about our “why”—but also our “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how.”.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Therefore, in this blog, I give 18 steps to start a new habit and make it stick—with Bible verses, for a comprehensive Christian strategy that invites God into the process of new habit.

Get God’s Clarity and Motivation

1. Ask God how He wants you to grow.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and all the people. (Luke 2:52)

Below are 8 common categories of habits that God commonly uses to grow us:

• Habits for growing your relationship with God
• Habits for improving your physical health
• Habits for strengthening your relationships with people
• Habits for growing your character
• Habits for living your priorities
• Habits for growing excellence and influence in your career
• Habits for growing in your Christian calling
• Habits for discovering and living your uniquely created identity

My example: In the area of my Christian calling, God prompted me to start a new habit that will develop my writing skills.

Bonus: Ask God what His priorities are in your life, and what habits He wants you to establish, so that you do indeed prioritize the right things. Click here for a blog about a practical tool for prioritizing.

2. Ask God for the motivation to start and stick with your new habit.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Colossians 3:23)

Below are conversation topics for God about your “why”:

• God, what’s important about this habit in my life and calling?
• God’s here’s how I feel when I think about starting/stopping this habit—my hopes, my fears, etc.
• God, how do you want to encourage me as I think about starting/stopping this habit?

My example: God showed me that I need to grow my writing skills so that I can reach and help thousands of people to grow in their relationship with Him, and to find and fulfill their Christian calling. I told God that I knew I could not do that on my own, but that I would love to, and I would trust Him to help me do it! God encouraged me by giving me the right ideas for how to do that at the right time.

3. Ask God to give you a clearly practical picture of the new habit for growing you in the way that He wants.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)

Ask God how He wants to clarify your new habit by making it:

S-pecific

• M-easurable
• A-ctionable
• R-isky
• T-ime Keyed
• E-xciting
• R-elevant

My example: I will write for 2 hours every business day for 90 business days. During the 1^st 30 days, I will write, publish, and distribute one blog each day, identify one lesson I learned, and implement that lesson to write the next blog. During the 2^nd 30 days, I will write one blog every 3 days, using the extra time to make each blog better. During the 3^rd 30 days, I will write one blog every 7 days, using the extra time to make each blog better.

Prepare Well

4. Ask God when He wants you to start your new habit.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Below are some God-focused tips about your “when”:

• Think through practical considerations: when you will have time available, when you can be motivated and focused, etc.
• However, remember that God’s timing is not always our timing! Ask Him!

My example: In mid-July of this year, God showed me an online course that gave me the strategy for growing my writing skills. The strategy, including training and implementation, would take me through early November, ending before the holidays, giving me time to reflect before the holiday rush. Furthermore, the pandemic had cleared my calendar, so I had time to focus!

5. Plan in advance how to handle difficulties.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 143:8)

Pray: God, how do you want me plan to overcome obstacles in the future?

Below are some common obstacles for establishing new habits:

• Time
• Pain
• Temptation
• Weather
• Space
• Cost
• Self-doubt
• Criticism
• Feeling alone

My examples: On days that I won’t have 2 hours to blog, I will schedule extra time on the day before or after. I will tell my hubby how important this new habit is, and I will ask for his encouragement. (I am indeed blown away by his encouragement and support!)

Start Your New Habit

6. Set up when/then triggers.

…as was [Jesus’] custom… (Luke 4:16)

Triggers help new habits succeed. The trigger becomes a reminder to do something. 

The classic example is Pavlov’s dog. Researchers always rang a bell before feeding the dog. After many repetitions, just the sound of the bell made the dog salivate, because the dog knew that dinner was on the way!

A new habit needs a trigger—something unique that, when we experience it, reminds you to do the habit.

Examples of when/then triggers:

• When my phone alarm goes off, then I’ll start writing my daily blog.
• When I finish lunch, then I’ll go for a 20-minute walk.
• When I start to bite my nails, then I’ll chew on a toothpick.
• When I want to smoke, then I’ll drink some water.
• When I get hungry, then I’ll eat a tablespoon of almonds.
• When I finish brushing my teeth at night, then I’ll write down what I ate that day.
• When I finish work for the day, then I’ll change into my gym clothes and go to the gym.
• When my anger starts to flash, then I’ll count to ten and pray a specific prayer.
• When I see my monthly reminder on my electronic calendar, then I’ll plan my priorities for the next week.
• When I see my quarterly reminder on my electronic calendar, then I’ll schedule my quarterly retreat with God, for personal growth and for His guidance about long-term planning for my calling.
  
  

Stick with Your New Habit

7. Talk with God about difficulties.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. (James 1:5)

• What wisdom from God do you need for sticking with your new habit?
• Through whom else might God speak his wisdom to you?

Example: God, right now, in the middle of this difficulty, please remove this obstacle, show me how you want me to break through it myself, or show me what you want me to learn from it.

8. Simplify.

For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

• The fewer decisions you have to make, in order to do your habit each day, the easier it will be to stick with it.
• How does God want you to simplify your habit?

Examples: Work on the same new skill every day at the same time. Do the same rotation of new healthy meals every week.

9. Get a buddy.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

• Tell at least one person about your new habit. Ask for encouragement, support, and accountability.
• You might get different buddies for different purposes.

Example: If your new habit is to improve a skill, ask a Christian friend to pray for you, and ask another friend who has the same skill for accountability.

10. Plan some fun during the “middle slog.”

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

• In the beginning, you’re motivated. Near the end, you’re getting ready to celebrate. But the middle part of forming a new habit is often the hardest.
• If you’ve committed to do a new habit every day for 30 days, the middle 15 days will be the hardest. Plan to have some fun during the middle part—something you haven’t done for a while that you especially enjoy.

Examples: Go for a weekend trip. Do a favorite-movie marathon. Schedule extended time with friends. Whatever would lift your spirits!

11. Focus on what you’re doing right, not how you’ve faltered.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• When you're struggling, ask God what you're doing right!
• Give yourself grace—God does! When you falter, start fresh the next day. We often think we have to do hours or days or weeks of penance before God will help us start over, but that’s not true!

Example: If you missed three days of your daily habit of meeting with God, ask for His forgiveness—which He will immediately give—and start fresh the next day.

12. Reflect, evaluate, and adjust.

But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

• Every two weeks, talk with God about how the new habit is going. Allow Him to encourage and guide you.
• Make any adjustments you need to make, and keep going!

13. Celebrate wins and important milestones.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)

• Celebrate with God! Celebrate with your accountability buddy! Stop and appreciate your progress!
• Celebrate when you get one-quarter, on-half, and three-quarters of the way through your scheduled days of intensive habit formation.
  
  

Finish Well

14. Keep going!

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

• Research shows it takes 30 days to start a new habit. It can take 90-240 days to make a habit completely stick.
• Ask God for His plan over the long haul.

15. Rest.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

• After your scheduled days of intensive habit formation, do something restful.
• Be sure to keep recreation and fun in your life!

Example: Free up an entire weekend by doing weekend tasks in advance. Then do some R & R on Saturday and Sunday.

Bonus: Click here for a blog about the importance of rest and Sabbath.

16. Get a plan to make the new habit stick.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

• Talk with God. Return to the ideas above under “Stick with Your New Habit.”
• How does God want you to apply these principles and others for the long haul? Ask Him!

17. Get a next step to take your habit to the next level.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

• After successfully completing your intensive time of habit formation, what might God want you to do to take your habit to the next level—not just longer but better?
• Ask God about that!

Examples: After changing your eating habits, change your exercise habits. Or after developing a new skill, do something to improve your skill even more.

18. Give thanks!

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? (Psalm 106:1-2)

• Thank God for helping and encouraging you!
• Thank your buddies who have encouraged and helped you to be accountable and successful! 
• Cultivate a long-term attitude of gratitude for God’s blessings—your health, your finances, your time, the people in your life, etc.—that help you start and stick with new habits.

Bonus: Click here for a blog about the importance of a life-long attitude of gratitude.

What About You?

What new habit do you believe God wants you to start? How will the strategies in this blog help you do that?

Additional Resources

Click the links below for additional resources about starting and sticking with habits.

• Christian Habits for Life
• 5 Scientific Ways to Build Habits That Stick
• When and how to Use Habits to Achieve Your Goals
• How to Make a New Habit Stick
• How to Break a Habit That's Holding You Back
• Don't Just Make a Resolution—Make a Habit
• 18 Tricks to Make New Habits Stick