- Did you know that your greatest possession is the 24 hours you have directly ahead of you? When you grasp this truth, you will view each day as a gift and another opportunity to grow and prepare for greater success. I remember back to 2002 when I began developing my own plan for growth. I simply began by changing my daily routine.
I didn’t have a spectacular growth track laid out by a professional life coach. My life was falling apart, and I just made up a plan to simply make it through the day. Now that may sound pretty pathetic, but it proved to be one of the most pivotal moments of my life. I heard that if you can do something consistently for 21 days, you can break an old habit and begin to establish a new one. So I set a 21-day goal to do these five things:
- Spendtime with God in prayer, journal, and read the Bible.
- Listen to a motivational message.
- Read a success book.
- Review, declare, and pray over my list of dreams and goals.
- Exercise.
- Now, this very simple and somewhat ridiculous looking growth plan was in 2002. And get this: I haven’t stopped. Believe it or not, this simple plan of practicing those five things on a daily basis has resulted in overseeing the international operations of Jerry Savelle Ministries as CEO, teaching on our television broadcast that airs in 200 nations around the world, speaking engagements all over the world, books published and in bookstores nationwide, hosting my own success conferences, books translated in French and available in bookstores in Paris, France, along with helping teen girls and other outreaches.
What am I saying? I think Jim Rohn said it best: “Success is something you attract by the person you become.”
In other words, if you want more, you must become more. So often, we want our circumstances to change. We want a better marriage, a better career, a better salary, a better body, better opportunities, but the way to have better is to become better.
God will change your circumstances, but He’ll change you first.
I thought I was simply developing a routine to get my mind off of how messed up my life had become, but God was leading me to becoming a better me.
As I began to spend time with God daily, I began to fall in love with Him more. I began to desire intimacy with Him. And I began to hear His voice more clearly.
As I began to listen to faith-building messages daily, my mind was being transformed by the renewing of it. My faith was growing (faith comes by hearing: Rom. 10:17) and God was birthing dreams inside of me.
As I began to read daily, I began to get filled up with the Word of God. As I read success books, an intense desire to do more with my life began to emerge.
As I began writing and reviewing my dreams and goals daily, I started to imagine myself making a difference. I began to wonder if God could use me. I began to think about my future instead of reliving the past or just wondering what the day would bring.
As I began to exercise daily, I began to feel better inside and out. I began to develop a lifestyle of discipline and consistency that others noticed.
As a result of these five commitments, I developed my “dream routine.” In fact, my ministry magazine is titled The Routine as a result. I am thoroughly convinced that the secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
I want you to know that growth is not automatic—it must be intentional and planned. Never just coast through life on what you’ve learned in the past; keep learning.
You might think, “How do you have time to do all these things every single day?” I’ve discovered that we all make time for what’s most important to us. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 Rule. It suggests that 20% of your activities will produce 80% of your results. In fact, I get up early and am finished with my five daily disciplines by 8 a.m.
New York Times best-selling author Debbie Macomber, has written more than 100 books, many best-sellers and made-for-television movies, over 170 million copies of her books are in print and she has millions of loyal fans. She also has a “dream routine.”
Every day, she wakes up at 4:30 a.m., reads her Bible and writes in her journal. By 6:00 a.m., she swims laps in her swimming pool. By 7:30 a.m., she answers her mail in her office. Between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., she writes. The result: she produces an average of three new books a year.
What dreams could you accomplish with the right disciplines and daily routine? In order to make the most of your life and achieve the goals the Lord has put in your heart, it will take more than just motivation, it will take discipline.
I am often introduced as a motivational speaker, and I embrace that title. However, if you’re only motivated to change, you may not see results. You must develop daily disciplines and move into action.
I hope you realize the extreme importance of every day that you are given. Each 24-hour period should be treated with great attention. Successful people focus on today. Never waste another day or just ‘kill time’ when God is expecting you to do something to prepare and grow. Growth is not a period of life; it is a way of life.
ou owe it to yourself to develop what God has put in you. Stop saying, “I’m waiting on God.” No, God is waiting on you to be proactive and prepared. When He sees that you are ready and have studied to show yourself approved, that’s when opportunities come.
Regardless of what your past has been, as you develop success habits in your life, you will attract success and get in position for God to bless you! Plain and simple. The bottom line is this: if you want more, you must become more. All of the small efforts you make day in and day out add up.
Ask yourself, “What dreams and goals do I want to accomplish? What can I do every day that will prepare me for success in the areas of life that I want to grow or see change in? What can I accomplish with the right disciplines and daily routine?”
Your daily routine will be specific to your unique dreams and goals. The point is to tailor make your list of daily habits, and consistently do them. By being diligent and persistent, you will soon begin to see results leading to your growth.
So get up. Take action. Develop a daily “dream routine” that is going to lead to the success God has in store for you.
Copyright © Terri Savelle Foy Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Terri has become the CEO of an international Christian ministry. She is an author, a conference speaker, and a success coach to hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Her best-selling books Make Your Dreams Bigger than Your Memories and Imagine Big have helped people discover how to overcome the hurts of the past and see the possibilities of a limitless future. Her weekly podcast is a lifeline of hope and inspiration to people around the world.
