{"id":936,"date":"2011-01-06T01:31:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-06T01:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/eleven-daily-habits-for-11\/"},"modified":"2015-03-12T02:33:24","modified_gmt":"2015-03-12T02:33:24","slug":"eleven-daily-habits-for-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/eleven-daily-habits-for-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Eleven Daily Habits for ’11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNew habits make new horizons. Silently and imperceptibly you are forming habits which will ultimately determine the degree of you happiness and success.” Unknown<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
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                      \u201cEleven Daily Habits for \u201811\u201d***<\/span>
                                   Donna Reish<\/span>

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It\u2019s a new year and with it comes new opportunities to do the things we want to do\u2014and not do the things we don\u2019t want to do, as Paul puts it. How many of us make resolutions over and over again only to fizzle out by March (or earlier)? How many of us have awesome plans in January to do more for God, train our children\u2019s hearts more, and generally be more successful during the new year?<\/span>

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I used to make long, elaborate resolutions\u2014complete with subpoints and sub-subpoints on how to achieve them! Even with all of that detail and thought, I still found myself floundering. Now I don\u2019t make grandiose plans to be and to do every January. Instead, in January, and anytime I want to make a change, I take baby steps. Little, daily steps towards the goals I might have.<\/span>

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For example, instead of revamping the entire schedule, sure that next week I will start my day an hour earlier, exercise with the kids, put food in the crock pot every morning, read aloud for two hours before lunch, etc. etc., I do one of two things: (1) Start with the beginning of the day and change that according to what I think will make things run more smoothly\u2014just one small change; or (2) Start with the most important change I want to make, and just do that item. Not long lists of dozens of improvements. Just one change; baby steps towards success. One change that I can implement today. One change only\u2014until I have that one under control. Then, I\u2019ve been successful already, so I know I can do another. Success breeds more success. Positive changes breed more positive changes.<\/span>

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Of course, I didn’t come up with this idea on my own. (I am an “idea lifter”—lifting ideas from other people and using them for myself!) The idea of \u201cone change at a time\u201d actually originated with our mentors, Terry and Esa Everroad, over twenty-five years ago. (Boy, when I say things like “twenty years ago” and “twenty-five years ago,” I feel reaaallllly old!) Terry told Ray to meet with me once a week and just listen. Ask me what was wrong, what I wanted changed, what I needed from him. Then, together, choose one thing–just one–that we would work on improving. When that was better, choose another, then another, then another. He told Ray to do this until one week he would ask me, and I would have nothing to say. Then, he told Ray, he could consider his own needs. Good selflessness advice for husbands, huh? (Well, for wives, too.)<\/span>

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And the same idea can be duplicated in any area of our lives that we really want to change–eating more healthfully, reading and growing spiritually, building stronger relationships. One change at a time. Baby steps. Then another, then another. Not life remodeling all at once. Just one goal at a time.<\/span>

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This approach is actually how we have developed every habit in our family that is good! (It\u2019s also how bad habits are developed\u2014we don\u2019t realize it, but they come a little at a time too!) We didn\u2019t just wake up one day and have our kids read a book a week, \u201cspeak to our kids\u2019 hearts\u201d more days than not, read about heroes of the faith with them week in and week out, have daily chores that keep our household running, have husband-wife meetings, eat evening meals together complete with deep discussions, etc. We did each one, one at a time, until we were successful with the one thing, then we added another. <\/span>

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To start out this new year, I want to give you \u201cEleven Daily Habits for 2011\u201d–eleven things that I have found make my day run more smoothly, create the environment I want in my home, allow me to be involved in our publishing company and family ministry (two extremely fulfilling things for me), and cause me to have success in my homeschool. These are eleven things that I know help me and maybe they will help you, too. Now, there are one or two items that I have \u201cfallen off the wagon on\u201d\u2014that I need to work on re-implenting myself (one at a time, of course)\u2026but I won\u2019t tell you which ones those are. J <\/span>

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I have found that it is the little things that make the difference. Spring cleaning is incredible…for a few days afterwards. However, making sure that the floors are swept, bathrooms are wiped down, and laundry is done every day is what makes me really sing. The big things will always be there–waiting to be done and waiting to be implemented, but the small things are what make each day better. The daily ins and outs. The habits that make us truly successful.<\/span>

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So\u2026without further ado, I give you my Eleven Daily Habits* for success in \u201911, not necessarily in any certain order. You can choose one (or come up with a different one) that will make tomorrow a better day for you and your family\u2014and implement it, one baby step at a time, to reach your goals in your family. <\/span>

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\u201cSneak Preview\u201d of the Eleven Daily Habits for \u201811<\/span>

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1. Rise with the Lord<\/span>

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2. Make a place for the Lord in your heart before retiring<\/span>

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3. Teach your kids God\u2019s Word and the character of Christ<\/span>

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4. Tie heart strings<\/span>

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5. Get completely ready for day<\/span>

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6. Read aloud to your kids<\/span>

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7. Do most important chores first each day<\/span>

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8. Hug and kiss<\/span>

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9. Read for yourself each day<\/span>

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10. Exercise a little<\/span>

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11. Do a little bit of a big project<\/span>

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Stay tuned for the next eleven days as I elaborate on why these habits are important to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

***Parts of this article were written in 2008 under the title \u201cEight Daily Habits for \u201908\u201d and published in Training for Triumph\u2019s homeschooling newsletter.<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNew habits make new horizons. Silently and imperceptibly you are forming habits which will ultimately determine the degree of you happiness and success.” Unknown                       \u201cEleven Daily Habits for \u201811\u201d***                                   Donna ReishIt\u2019s a new year and with it comes new opportunities to do the things we want to do\u2014and not do the things we don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[267,277,283,316,99,96,310],"yoast_head":"\nEleven Daily Habits for '11 - Character Ink<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/eleven-daily-habits-for-11\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eleven Daily Habits for '11 - Character Ink\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cNew habits make new horizons. 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