James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, asserts that habits are the small decisions we make and the actions we perform every day. They’re the choices we repeatedly make until, at some point, we don’t have to think about it anymore. The habits become us, so to speak.
There’s no way we could talk about Staying on Course in the month of September without highlighting habits. To understand how crucial habits really are, we look to the field of air navigation. The 1 in 60 rule states that for every 1 degree a plane veers off its course, it misses its target destination by 1 mile for every 60 miles the plane flies. 1 degree makes a world of difference!
Similarly, our habits–these small decisions and everyday actions–have the potential to help us stay on track or to totally divert us from reaching our target. We don’t succeed or fail in one big sudden bang but in a series of small choices. It’s the little foxes in our vineyards.
Please be advised that I am writing from a subjective point of view. I’d encourage you to consider your own path and identify some habits that you need to develop to help you stay the path. With that said, I already know there are 8 healthy habits I want–nay, need–to build on.
Start Early
Straight off the bat, I’m not a morning person but I find that the quiet hours of the morning are the best times for prayer, stillness, sounding out my thoughts and, you probably aren’t expecting this but, laundry! Yip, laundry. When by 7am my laundry is out of the way, I’m set up for the rest of my day. It does wonders for my head and heart.
Pray
Prayer is crucial but if I’m being honest, I don’t make time to pray sometimes. To intentionally sit and just talk with the Lord. How would this help me stay on course, right? For me, when I talk to the Lord, I know I’m talking to the One whose desire and plan is to prosper me and give me a future full of hope. If I lean in and listen to this Person, I don’t believe He would lead me off of the course that I’m meant to be on.
Exercise for 20-30 minutes
At the beginning of the year, I knew I wanted to do better by my body and for the first few months, I was on top of it. Until I wasn’t.
In August, I was told that I needed to cut down on my cholesterol intake. Seriously, to this day I didn’t even know there were two e’s in the word cholesterol but now I can tell you how to maintain healthy levels. Exercise is a huge part of it.
Eat whole foods
By this, I mean not getting takeout 3 days a week (Guilty). I also mean being conscious about what’s in my kitchen. I also also mean having enough self-control to go without my favourite junk food. If life is a gift, health is a blessing that we must protect. We only get one body. We have to run on the right fuel.
Create a schedule and stick to it
As an INTP-T (Turbulent) personality type, I tend to change my goals often. My husband will tell you that I have a great deal of ideas that come alive when I’ve been triggered by a sudden spark of inspiration. Sometimes it’s a spark of boredom. I can also set deadlines and totally procrastinate. Now these are my personality type tendencies but I don’t think they’re set in stone. A consistent set of choices become habit and habits can override tendencies. A habit of sticking to a schedule–instead of pushing deadlines back–would definitely help me stay on course.
Journal
In my pre- to mid-teen years, I would journal my heart out. It was my way of releasing my most secret thoughts while also trying to be poetic about it. I didn’t realise it at the time but it really did give me some headspace. No matter how positive or negative my thoughts were, I would always round my entries off with an encouraging note to self. We all need to speak to our own hearts sometimes. We all need to be encouraged. Sometimes we’re the only ones around to say to ourselves, “Stay strong. Stay the course. Stay in the fight. Courage, dear heart.”
Read the news everyday
How on earth would reading the news help me stay on course? Easily, the answer is in knowing the times. A person who understands the times they’re living in will know the best course to take. To understand the times, we have to first be aware of what’s happening around us. To be aware, we have to read news. Basically.
Budget
Where do I want to be financially in the next year; in the next five years; in the next ten? How do I stay on track in achieving that goal? I’ll tell you now, I loooove expensive things. That’s why budgeting is so key to my mission of financially staying afloat… I mean, on course.
Final word
Some days we might have to get takeout or sleep in or adjust our schedules and that’s ok. Healthy habits are vital but it’s a little on the unreasonable side when we expect ourselves to operate like robots, on repeat. Know the path you’re on, plan and prioritise accordingly and be ready to give yourself grace.
Malua Living 
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