Be One
Make the Changes Stick
One of the compelling questions that is always asked when we talk about [the children of Israel's] time at the bottom of Mount Sinai is:
“How were they so quick to make an idol, after everything they’d been through?” Maintaining significant change is hard, especially when it’s centered around one person. The children of Israel relied heavily on Moses.
What I do know is that the changes that the Lord wants to see within this world for us to be prepared for the revelation and changes ahead are necessary. He wants them to stick. He wants to build on them and they can’t be driven solely by individual change champions; it will take each of us.
God gave us scriptures because, although none of us are in the same position as Moses, we can learn lessons in these stories that apply to all of us in our various circumstances. And so I invite you, if you haven’t recently, to take a minute and revisit your priorities this year, to consider what part you may take up within your sphere, and how we can – together – achieve all that the Lord has planned for us.
What will help you make the changes stick?
When I think about sustainable changes I think about:
- Knowing my True Identity & living into that
- Taking time for exercise, stretching, and walks with the kids
- Build the 'right' Habits
- Growing and being Happy, for the people most important to me
- Building others closest to me (one by one)
- Journaling, reviewing the lessons I've learned from life
I find this is a great way to cement into my mind the lessons that are often hard to be pointed out by others as my ego gets in the way. When I journal about it... it just stares back at me in the face.
To make changes stick they must become part of our Identity and our Social patterns
What can I do to make life simpler and more meaningful?
I find that as unite with Family and Friends they buoy my spirit up, and I their.
- Where can I show them a little more compassion?
- Where can I learn from them?
- How can I serve them in a small way?
- Am I sharing my light with them?
Lately, I was thinking about our cultural obsession with Technology and our complete reliance on it. In our home, we limit our technology usage and try to spend more time outdoors, and have more activities for the kids to do besides streaming, watching, and surfing. We are giving our kids activities like walking the neighbors' dogs, helping out with their gardening, going over to neighbors for dinner, and sidewalk chalk art time. All our neighbors know us for the kids' fabulously imaginative side-walk art. Technology isn't our default idol. People and God are what is important. What's important to you?
Merely Taking away the Technology Calf
Give your kids something to replace technology with.
Just saying "no" technology today, or doing less tech isn't sufficient for kids. They need some guidance on what to replace that with. Just like Moses and the children of Israel they need something instead of that "Golden Calf" to worship.
Below I included two references for sparking your creativity and prayers.
- Top 10 Mistakes to Behavioral Change
- Atomic Habits
Challenge
Q: How could you replace your golden calves with something better and make those changes stick?
Q: How can the Lord help you do this?
Hint: we can't do it alone. We must be one.
Reference
Top 10 Mistakes to Behavioral Change
1. Relying on willpower for long-term change. Imagine willpower doesn’t exist. That’s step #1 to a better future.
2. Attempting big leaps instead of baby steps. Seek tiny successes, one after another. No need to check all the boxes.
3. Ignoring how environment shapes behavior. When context changes, lives can change.
4. Trying to stop old behaviors instead of creating new ones. Focus on the addition of new behaviors, not avoidance.
5. Blaming failures on lack of motivation. Solution: Make the behavior easier to do.
6. Underestimating the power of triggers. No behavior happens without a trigger.
7. Believing that information leads to action. We humans aren’t so rational. We are emotional beings with a history of surviving and coping. Trust the wisdom in the room.
8. Focusing on abstract goals more than concrete behaviors. Abstract goal: move more. Concrete behavior: walk for 15 minutes today.
9. Seeking to change a behavior forever, not for a short time. A fixed period works better than forever.
10. Assuming that behavior change is difficult. Behavior change is not so hard when you have the right process. Lead with kindness and compassion.
If you need a great book to read on this subject check out: Atomic Habits
