16 Tips for Getting 90 Percent of Your Work Done Before Lunch

Imagine this.

By the time lunch rolls around, you push back from your desk with a satisfied sigh, saunter off to your car, and drive off to have a leisurely, stress-free lunch, daydreaming about the 18 holes that you’re going to play for the rest of the day.

This can be for real.

You can get 90 percent or more of your work done in the morning. Around the time people are groping for the next shot of caffeine, you’re shutting down your Macbook and chilling out.

How do you do this? I’m going to give you 16 amazing productivity tips, but first let me set the stage:

  • First, I’m defining work as stuff that you do–important stuff. Ideally, meetings can be shoved out of the picture.
  • Second, this approach is built on the Pareto principle. The Pareto principle states that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percen of your efforts. Getting your work done in the morning means that you can take a leaner approach to the important tasks–a smart approach.

1. Schedule your day the night before.

Every day, you should list all your tasks and when you’re going to do them the following day. You will not be productive unless you plan out everything you’re going to do the next morning.

Quick tip: Don’t schedule too much. Keep your to-do schedule light to actually accomplish real work.

2. Clean your office the night before.

Clutter in your office creates distractions. A sticky note on your desk that says “Call Bob ASAP!” can throw off your whole day.

Showing up to work in a spic-and-span environment helps you to think clearer and work harder.

3. Wake up at an ungodly hour.

To really get stuff done, you’ve got to get up in time to make it happen.

I recommend anytime from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. If your morning routine takes a little longer, bump your wake-up time back a little more.

Obviously, you’ll need to adjust your bedtime accordingly.

4. Exercise.

Scientific evidence shows that morning exercise can make us think better, work better, and become more productive.

Harvard’s John Ratey is the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. He writes that exercise is essential for reaching “high-performance levels in intellectually demanding jobs.”

A quick jog or 30-minute yoga session can prepare you for a powerful session of getting stuff done.

5. Stick to your schedule.

Don’t let yourself veer off the course that you’ve mapped out. You have a limited amount of time. Don’t ruin the schedule.

Take your schedule, allow it guide you, and you’ll be able to accomplish more.

6. Give yourself 20 minutes to reach flow.

Flow is when you’re in the zone. This happens when you are completely absorbed in your activity, singlemindedly accomplishing things at a high level and rapid pace.

It takes some time to reach flow, so if you don’t feel productive or engaged in your work, just give it some time.

7. Make 60-second decisions.

Decision making is a time-draining vortex. When you’re faced with a decision in the course of your work, give yourself a one-minute limit. Your decision will be just as good, but it will take less time.

8. Wear headphones.

Headphones can shut out distractions and keep you focused. Harvard Business Review advises workers to put on their headphones to be more productive.

9. Do the toughest tasks first.

Mark Twain wrote, “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.” Brian Tracy turned this statement into an entire principal (and even wrote a book on it)–“Eat that frog!”

If you get your biggest and ugliest task done first, the rest of the day will be massively productive.

10. Do your writing early on.

Writing is one of the most mentally demanding tasks. However, writing also has the power of focusing your brain and improving your productivity. Do you writing early in the day, and you’ll improve both the quality of your writing and the rest of your day.

11. Don’t commute.

If you typically have a lengthy work commute, do everything you can to avoid it

It’s not just wasted time that you want to guard against. It’s the mental havoc. A commute is one of the most stressful parts of the day. Starting your workday with that level of stress can completely ruin your productivity.

Don’t even commute to Starbucks. (Have Starbucks bring it to you instead.)

12. Don’t hold meetings (even over the phone).

If you’ve been in business for very long, you know that most meetings are a waste of time. Avoid meetings if at all possible.

13. Don’t check your email first thing.

The electronic communication pipeline can be as destructive as meetings. Sure, you need to deal with email. It’s important, but don’t let it swallow your day by starting out with it.

14. Stick to a routine.

If you do something repeatedly, you’ll be able to do it better and faster each time. Once you find a routine, stick with it. Your routine is the ramp to your productivity.

15. Make yourself comfortable.

Do whatever you need to do to position yourself for success. If that means showering, shaving, eating breakfast, journaling, meditating, feeding the dog, opening the blinds–do it. When you accomplish these preparatory tasks, you are creating an environment that will make you more productive.

16. Reward yourself at a certain time.

Set the clock–a countdown timer if you have to. At a certain point, you’re going to stop. So, stop.

Break out the kazoos, throw some confetti, and do your happy dance. It’s time to reward yourself.

Apply and get more done!

For those of us who possess unstoppable energy and an internal drive to get even more done, we don’t have to quit in the mornings. If work makes you happy and fulfilled, keep going.

Getting 90 percent of your work done in the morning just means that you might get more than 100 percent of your work done every day.

 

Originally posted here

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16 Tips for Getting 90 Percent of Your Work Done Before Lunch

Don’t have enough time in a day? Follow these tips to get majority of your work done in the morning.
By Neil Patel

Imagine this.

By the time lunch rolls around, you push back from your desk with a satisfied sigh, saunter off to your car, and drive off to have a leisurely, stress-free lunch, daydreaming about the 18 holes that you’re going to play for the rest of the day.

This can be for real.

You can get 90 percent or more of your work done in the morning. Around the time people are groping for the next shot of caffeine, you’re shutting down your Macbook and chilling out.

How do you do this? I’m going to give you 16 amazing productivity tips, but first let me set the stage:

  • First, I’m defining work as stuff that you do–important stuff. Ideally, meetings can be shoved out of the picture.
  • Second, this approach is built on the Pareto principle. The Pareto principle states that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percen of your efforts. Getting your work done in the morning means that you can take a leaner approach to the important tasks–a smart approach.

1. Schedule your day the night before.

Every day, you should list all your tasks and when you’re going to do them the following day. You will not be productive unless you plan out everything you’re going to do the next morning.

Quick tip: Don’t schedule too much. Keep your to-do schedule light to actually accomplish real work.

2. Clean your office the night before.

Clutter in your office creates distractions. A sticky note on your desk that says “Call Bob ASAP!” can throw off your whole day.

Showing up to work in a spic-and-span environment helps you to think clearer and work harder.

3. Wake up at an ungodly hour.

To really get stuff done, you’ve got to get up in time to make it happen.

I recommend anytime from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. If your morning routine takes a little longer, bump your wake-up time back a little more.

Obviously, you’ll need to adjust your bedtime accordingly.

4. Exercise.

Scientific evidence shows that morning exercise can make us think better, work better, and become more productive.

Harvard’s John Ratey is the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. He writes that exercise is essential for reaching “high-performance levels in intellectually demanding jobs.”

A quick jog or 30-minute yoga session can prepare you for a powerful session of getting stuff done.

5. Stick to your schedule.

Don’t let yourself veer off the course that you’ve mapped out. You have a limited amount of time. Don’t ruin the schedule.

Take your schedule, allow it guide you, and you’ll be able to accomplish more.

6. Give yourself 20 minutes to reach flow.

Flow is when you’re in the zone. This happens when you are completely absorbed in your activity, singlemindedly accomplishing things at a high level and rapid pace.

It takes some time to reach flow, so if you don’t feel productive or engaged in your work, just give it some time.

7. Make 60-second decisions.

Decision making is a time-draining vortex. When you’re faced with a decision in the course of your work, give yourself a one-minute limit. Your decision will be just as good, but it will take less time.

8. Wear headphones.

Headphones can shut out distractions and keep you focused. Harvard Business Review advises workers to put on their headphones to be more productive.

9. Do the toughest tasks first.

Mark Twain wrote, “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.” Brian Tracy turned this statement into an entire principal (and even wrote a book on it)–“Eat that frog!”

If you get your biggest and ugliest task done first, the rest of the day will be massively productive.

10. Do your writing early on.

Writing is one of the most mentally demanding tasks. However, writing also has the power of focusing your brain and improving your productivity. Do you writing early in the day, and you’ll improve both the quality of your writing and the rest of your day.

11. Don’t commute.

If you typically have a lengthy work commute, do everything you can to avoid it

It’s not just wasted time that you want to guard against. It’s the mental havoc. A commute is one of the most stressful parts of the day. Starting your workday with that level of stress can completely ruin your productivity.

Don’t even commute to Starbucks. (Have Starbucks bring it to you instead.)

12. Don’t hold meetings (even over the phone).

If you’ve been in business for very long, you know that most meetings are a waste of time. Avoid meetings if at all possible.

13. Don’t check your email first thing.

The electronic communication pipeline can be as destructive as meetings. Sure, you need to deal with email. It’s important, but don’t let it swallow your day by starting out with it.

14. Stick to a routine.

If you do something repeatedly, you’ll be able to do it better and faster each time. Once you find a routine, stick with it. Your routine is the ramp to your productivity.

15. Make yourself comfortable.

Do whatever you need to do to position yourself for success. If that means showering, shaving, eating breakfast, journaling, meditating, feeding the dog, opening the blinds–do it. When you accomplish these preparatory tasks, you are creating an environment that will make you more productive.

16. Reward yourself at a certain time.

Set the clock–a countdown timer if you have to. At a certain point, you’re going to stop. So, stop.

Break out the kazoos, throw some confetti, and do your happy dance. It’s time to reward yourself.

Apply and get more done!

For those of us who possess unstoppable energy and an internal drive to get even more done, we don’t have to quit in the mornings. If work makes you happy and fulfilled, keep going.

Getting 90 percent of your work done in the morning just means that you might get more than 100 percent of your work done every day.

Sounds good to me.

 

Originally posted here

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Good leaders practice making good decisions

Decisions.

How we make them is a hallmark between pastors who are naturally hardwired by God to lead declining churches to renewal (roughly 15 percent of those in ministry) and their ministry colleagues who aren’t similarly wired.

Contrary to what we expected, our research revealed that rapid fire decision makers are generally poorer at leading church turnarounds. In contrast, the most effective renewal leaders are those who are slow, thoughtful and collaborative decision makers.

Fortunately, pastors can learn to be more effective decision makers. We’ve developed a variety of techniques that we impart in our mentoring relationships. Here are two; one helps the “ready, fire, aim!” crowd work more deliberately, the other insures that impulsive decision makers bring others along with them.

Rule of 3

This simple exercise not only requires greater deliberation, it also boosts creativity by requiring you to think of multiple options before settling on a decision. It’s a simple exercise.

  • At the top of a blank sheet of paper, write down the decision that needs to be made. Include a few details highlighting the nature of the problem. Underneath that write out how you’ve solve this problem (or seen others solve it) in the past.
  • Draw a vertical line down the center of the page
  • In the left-hand column write out what you’re leaning toward for this decision.
  • In the right-hand column list at least three new options, all of which are outside your “tried and true” zone.
  • Pray over this for several days.
  • Consult with your mentor or coach to discuss the options.

Decision alignment

Impulsive pastors tend to make decisions without giving careful thought to who will be affected. It’s easy for a pastor, particularly the solo pastor of a small church, to turn someone else’s work upside down by making rapid decisions. (Could this be one reason why the snap decision makers tend to pastor stagnant churches?)

Fortunately, this is also easily fixed.

  • Look at what’s on your calendar for the next quarter.
  • List what decisions you need to make over that quarter.
  • Reverse engineer those decisions to see who will be affected by them. (Don’t stop with just one name; more often than not multiple people are touched by a given decision).
  • Set appointments in your calendar for when, where, and how you’ll discuss these decisions with each person who will be affected. Jot a few notes about what you plan to say about those decisions.
  • Confirm those appointments by phone or email. Drop a “reminder” so that you’ll be reminded a few days ahead of time so you can review your notes and be ready for a thoughtful discussion that brings each person into the process.

“Ready, fire, aim” isn’t just a bad idea. It’s ineffective leadership. By practicing the rule of 3 and decision alignment, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a thoughtful, innovative and collaborative decision maker. And those are the ones who lead churches in renewal.

 

Originally Posted Here

 

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Preparing a Three minute Testimony

Easy Steps to Give Your Testimony

The Reason  In 1 Peter 3:15, we are called to “…sanctify (set apart) the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”

One of the most effective ways to be ready to give that defense is to be prepared ahead of time in case someone asks you why your life is different than theirs or what makes you different than others they know or in case God just brings someone who needs to hear.

You may have heard it said that you are a living letter for Jesus, a letter written not with ink and paper buy crafted by the Holy Spirit on the pages of your heart and life, (2 Cor 3:3) and your letter may be all of the Gospel that someone may ever read.  Sometimes you share by your everyday life and sometimes with words!  The three minute testimony has much benefit.

The three minute idea causes thoughts to be concise and keeps in mind the listener and how long they might be attentive and it helps in leaving out things that are not critical to your story.

The Purpose In preparing a brief and precise account of your own personal story of conversion and why you have hope, you have the help you need to simply and clearly share the interesting details of how, when and why you gave your life to Christ.  This serves as a “door opener,” not to be used to “convince” someone they need Jesus, but a means of getting people interested in thinking about Jesus and creating an openness to talking about Him after hearing what He’s done for us.

A Biblical Example In Acts 25 and 26 we find the Apostle Paul being brought before King Agrippa and the king said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”  As Paul spoke, his words were simple, logical and clear indicating his life before he met Christ, how he met Christ and what his life was like after Christ.  He stood there to give a defense of the hope that was in him.  His account of his conversion takes about three minutes to read aloud. You might read this account and use it as a guide for writing your own account of things.

The Contents – there are four main parts to your three minute testimony

1st Minute – Before meeting Jesus – a brief general statement of what your life was like before you met Jesus.  These are general facts; no gross details necessary. I was addicted, I was an alcoholic, etc; these actions stemming from deep inner unmet needs.  Things like – no purpose, no friends, feeling unloved, loneliness, meaninglessness to life, fear.

2nd Minute – How you met Jesus – this is where you would state the events and circumstances that brought about your conversion; the steps you took, a verse of Scripture that hit home, if something miraculous happened or perhaps the answered prayer. Paul’s witnessing of the brilliant light while traveling is an example of that.

You would want to include the gospel here – all have sinned, sin’s penalty, Jesus paid that penalty, must receive Jesus.

3rd Minute – After meeting Jesus – again a brief description of how your life has changed, what a difference He has made in your life, how He has filled the deep needs you had prior to becoming a Christian. Perhaps how you’ve found purpose in life in living for Jesus, and how you’d never change or go back to the old way of life.  You might share how life isn’t perfect and never will be, and there are difficulties – like Paul experienced, but instead of bitterness there is joy, instead of emptiness there is life, instead of fear there is peace, but that there are no regrets for having made this decision.  Most importantly that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you know that you have eternal life.

Call to Action – Ask them to take some form of action with you, perhaps it’s to attend church with you.  You might even agree to pick them up and take them with you or meet them there.  You might ask them how you might pray with them and even better ask them if they would pray with you to accept Jesus.

The Prayer God, I confess that I am a sinner, I am in need of a Savior, forgive me for my sins, come into my heart and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

Helpful Hints to Writing

Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you as you compile your testimony.

It’s not necessary to memorize the whole thing word for word, but perhaps memorizing key words and their order so your account is fluid and transitional.

Keep within the three minute time limit

Boldly speak about Jesus because He is the most important element of your testimony.

You might consider beginning your testimony with an attention getting sentence or story.

Be positive all the way through your account from beginning to the end and perhaps include the humorous too.

Be accurate – edit and rewrite if necessary.

 

The C.S. Lewis Institute offers the following tips for writing your three minute testimony.

 

  1. Make it sound conversational. Avoid literary sounding statements. Use informal language.
  1. Share about what happened to you, don’t preach about what should happen to them. Say “I” and “me,” not “you.” This helps keep the testimony warm and personal.
  1. Avoid religious words, phrases, and jargon.

Don’t assume the listener knows what you mean by terms such as sin, accepted Christ, or even Christian.

  1. Generalize so more people can identify with your story. Don’t name specific churches, denominations, or groups. Avoid using dates and ages.
  1. Include some humor and human interest.

When a person smiles or laughs, it reduces tension. Humor is disarming and increases attention.

  1. One or two word pictures increase interest.

Don’t just say, “Bill shared the gospel with me.” You might briefly describe the setting so a person listening can visualize it.

  1. Explain how Christ met or is meeting your deep inner needs, but do not communicate that all your struggles and problems ended at conversion.
  1. Sound adult, not juvenile. Reflect an adult point of view even if you were converted at an early age.
  1. Avoid dogmatic and mystical statements that skeptics can question, such as, “I prayed and God gave me a job,” or “God said to me.”
  1. Simplify—reduce “clutter.”

 

Remember that it is a privilege and an honor to share the things that Jesus has done for you with someone, to make the defense and give an account for your hope and faith.  This is the work that God’s words goes forth to accomplish and doesn’t come back void in its mission.

Remember too that the accuser of the brethren – Satan – has been cast down and, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” Revelation 12:10-11

 

 

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10 Ways to Create More Margin in Your Time

8.1.CC.HOME_.WaysCreateMarginTime

“How do you fit more into an already busy schedule?”

How do you fit more into an already busy schedule?

Isn’t this a great question?

Because, aren’t you being asked to do so all the time? Isn’t your standard reply to the question “how are you?”—BUSY? Aren’t we all?

How do you create more margin in your schedule—to do the things you want to do and the things you need to do?

 

Here are a 10 tips to help create more time margin:

Start your day with God.

Of course a pastor would say this, but it is amazing if I start the day talking to God about my day how much better my day flows. If I ask God for margin in my time and to help me complete my “to do” list, He actually seems to listen and help me. (Try it!)

Prioritize your life.

It is important to have a life purpose. What do you value most? Without knowing this we find ourselves chasing after many things that have little value. Have you discovered why you are here and what God has most for you in life and in this season of life? If not, start here.

Make sure your priorities line up with your desires.

This sounds like a contradiction in terms, but it is not. Many times, we say our purpose is one thing, but what we actually do is something entirely different. This is often because people are going to do what people want to do. We may need to ask God to change our heart and plant in us His desires.

Stop unnecessary time-wasters.

If you “veg” out every night on three-plus hours of television or browsing Facebook, don’t be surprised you didn’t get to spend a lot of quality time with your children or friends. Most of us form bad habits or have unorganized methods of doing something that waste bulks of our time. Make a list of what you spend the most time doing and see if there are places you can cut. (I suspect there will be.)

Work smarter.

I can’t imagine being successful and leading a team without some system of calendaring your week or keeping a planner, yet I know so many pastors and other ministers who simply handle things as they come up rather than work with a plan. The benefit of organization is that you can do what you need to do more efficiently and faster and be more productive. Give a shoutout to the checklist people!

Schedule times to organize.

This is so important, but most people don’t do it. Spending an hour or two actually planning the week will make the whole week more productive. Usually for me this is the first part of my week. If I know where I’m headed and my work space is organized for efficiency, it’s much easier to get everything done and still handle distractions, which are sure to come.

Do the most necessary things first.

You may have tried the A/B/C list of scheduling priorities. It doesn’t matter what system you use, but the important thing is you have one and use it to help your rate of completion. (And, this may be rest, it might be family or it could be the project you have to complete today.)

Don’t say yes to everything.

Be picky with your time allotment based again on your end priorities and goals.

Schedule down time.

Especially when my boys were younger, I would write on my calendar time for them. This may sound mechanical, but it allows you to be there and keeps things and others from filling up your schedule. (I still schedule this time for Cheryl—and, it sounds counterproductive, but we get away even more frequently during busier seasons.)

Evaluate your schedule often.

Plans should not be implemented and then ignored. Develop your plan to create margin in your life, then periodically review the plan to see how you are doing and what needs to be changed.

For some people just reading this is laborsome. I especially encourage those of you geared this way to push through the difficult part of this and give it a try. You will be surprised what a positive difference it will have on your life.

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8 Things highly effective people do

Be more productive

  1. They focus on hours even down to the minutes, not days. Most people default to hour and half-hour blocks on their calendar; highly successful people know that there are 1,440 minutes in every day and that there is nothing more valuable than time. Money can be lost and made again, but time spent can never be reclaimed.

They are Driven – always working, moving thinking.  They seldom waste time.

 

  1. They intently focus on only one thing in bursts of uninterrupted time.

They work in one to two hours periods, without interruptions.

What task will have the biggest impact on life, ministry and work?

What accomplishment will get the vision successfully operational?

That’s what you should dedicate your mornings to every day.

 

They minimize interruptions – process e-mails only a few times a day. Ultra-productive people don’t “check” their e-mail throughout the day. They don’t respond to each vibration or ding to see who has intruded into their inbox. Instead, like everything else, they schedule time to process their e-mails quickly and efficiently. For some, that’s only once a day; for others, it’s morning, noon, and night.

  1. They turn to-do lists into plans.

Automate – repetitive tasks (autoresponders, Social media schedulers, Online banking etc.)

 

Delegate – Ultra-productive people don’t ask, “How can I do this task?” Instead, they ask, “How can this task get done?” They take the I out of it as much as possible. Super-productive people don’t have control issues, and they are not micro-managers. In many cases, good enough is, well, good enough.

 

They follow the 80/20 rule. Known as the Pareto Principle, in most cases, 80% of results come from only 20% of activities. Ultra-productive people know which activities drive the greatest results. Focus on those and give minimal attention to the rest.

Train the people who show up and get involved – they will minister to the 80%

 

Procrastinate – It turns out that only 41% of items on to-do lists ever get done.

 

Reduce duplicated decisions; they process things and tasks only once. How many times have you opened a piece of regular mail—a bill perhaps—and then put it down, only to deal with it again later? How often do you read an e-mail and then close it and leave it in your inbox to deal with later? Highly successful people try to “touch it once.” If it takes less than five or ten minutes—whatever it is—they deal with it right then and there. It reduces stress, since it won’t be in the back of their minds, and it is more efficient, since they won’t have to re-read or re-evaluate the item again in the future.

To-Do-Lists usually rob us of priority.  We put things in our schedule by what can be accomplished in the time allotted. That is not the most effective method.  It should be done by what will add the most significance to life, work and play.

Now schedule priorities on your calendar. Highly productive people put everything on their calendar and then work and live by that calendar.

 

  1. They make it home for dinner. Yes they value work, but also value personal significance at home. They value family time, exercise, and giving back. They consciously allocate their 1,440 minutes a day to each area they value (i.e., they put them on their calendar), and then they stick to that schedule.

    5. They use a note pad or journal.     We often lose great ideas because mind clutter. Ultra-productive people free their minds by writing everything down as the thoughts come to them. A great way to avoid distraction during prayer is to have a notepad available to write down important things that come to mind to attend to after prayer time is complete.

    6. They limit meetings and stick to a tight agenda.     Meetings are notorious time killers. They start late, have the wrong people in them, meander around their topics, and run long. You should get out of meetings whenever you can and hold fewer of them yourself. If you do run a meeting, keep it short and to the point.

    7. They say “no” to more things than not.     When you are saying Yes to something you are saying no to an infinite amount of things you could or should be doing. Make sure it is significant to what God has called you to. 

  2. They practice a consistent routine for mind, body and spirit – The most productive people nurtured their bodies in the morning with water, a healthy breakfast, light exercise, and they nurtured their minds with meditation or prayer, inspirational reading, or journaling.

Energy is everything. You can’t make more minutes in the day, but you can increase your energy to increase your attention, focus, and productivity. Highly successful people don’t skip meals, sleep, or breaks in the pursuit of more, more, more. Instead, they view food as fuel, sleep as recovery, and breaks as opportunities to recharge in order to get even more done.

 

Adapted from original post found here

 

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Life change by who you hang out with

How to Change the Habits of 107,000 People

It was 1995 and Pieter Ernst was battling a serious problem.

Ernst was a physician with an interest in community-wide behavior change and he was currently in Mozambique. For nearly twenty years, a brutal civil war had ravaged the population and landscape of the country.

The war had ended three years earlier, but the entire healthcare system of the country had been crippled. Thousands of mothers and children were dying from preventable diseases.

The biggest problem was the scale of the issue. Dr. Ernst needed to reach a population of 107,000 citizens with a staff of just 19 people.

Ernst realized that it was impossible for his team to do it alone. Furthermore, he knew that if they were going to reduce the incidence of preventable disease for good, then significant behavior change would need to occur within the community. His team couldn’t stay in Mozambique forever. These changes had to happen in the homes and minds of the community.

Ernst came up with a plan.

Changing the Habits of 107,000 People

First, they found over 2,000 volunteers from the community. Then, each member of his 19-person staff was responsible for teaching groups of 10 to 15 volunteers from the surrounding community about the steps they could take to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases.

Then, each volunteer would visit 10 to 15 households and share what they had learned. The volunteers repeated households every two weeks and continued to spread the ideas.

But this was the part that made the plan brilliant: the support group for the volunteers was not the 19-person healthcare staff. It was the other 10 to 15 volunteers in their small group. Each group of volunteers talked among one another about what was working, what wasn’t working, and how to get people on board with the changes in their community.

What happened?

Not only did they reach the massive population, they also got the changes to take hold. The number of underweight children was cut by half. The mortality rate of children under five dropped. Pneumonia treatment was six times better than before the project began.

In a followup survey taken 20 months after the project had officially ended, the volunteer groups were still operating with 94% of the original volunteers and the health metrics continued to improve. [1]

The changes had stuck. For good.

The public health victory of Ernst’s team is impressive, but this isn’t just a feel-good story. There is a deeper lesson here that we can all apply to our own lives.

Here’s the deal.

The Identity of the Group

Most of our behaviors are driven by two things: our environment and our beliefs.

And environment is perhaps the most powerful of those two because in many cases your environment can shape your beliefs. This is especially true when you consider your environment to include the people who surround you.

I’ve written previously about identity-based habits — the power that your beliefs have to create better habits that actually stick over the long-term.

But it’s not just your identity that impacts your beliefs. It’s also the identity of the groups that you surround yourself with.

Consider the community in Mozambique. In the beginning, the community had a certain identity. After the war, many basic public health approaches simply weren’t part of daily life.

But as the volunteers began expanding their reach, working with each other, and sharing news of what techniques were working, the community began to develop a new identity. New behaviors began to be seen as normal behaviors. And when a new behavior becomes the norm for any particular group, the change sticks for good.

The lesson is simple: doing something is much easier when it’s the normal thing to do in your community.

What is the Identity of Your Group?

Every group has an identity.

  • Google employees have a set of actions and beliefs that are part of their cultural identity.
  • CrossFitters have a set of actions and beliefs that are part of their identity.
  • Investment bankers have a set of actions and beliefs that are part of their identity.

The question is, do the groups you belong to have the identity you want?

There were only 2,300 volunteers in the Mozambique project, but 107,000 people began to take on new habits and behaviors when the identity of the group changed.

This happens to all of us. We take on the behaviors of the groups in which we live and the communities to which we belong.

  • Want to workout more? Become part of a group where working out is normal. Not a goal. Not an event. Just part of the lifestyle.
  • Want to do better work? Surround yourself with people who make each day a work of art rather than seeing work as a reason to clock in and clock out.
  • Want to live a life of service? Step into a group where service is part of the day-to-day routine.

Lasting behavior change happens when it’s part of the cultural norm. As Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

 

Originally posted here

We don’t endorse everything written by this author

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Save $3,500 by Dropping These 4 Everyday Luxuries

Things you can change today

You’re not splurging on luxury cars or flashy diamonds. But if you’re like most Americans, you may be losing a small fortune each year (nearly $3,500!) on relatively minor indulgences.

Instead of letting your money run wild, reevaluate your spending and revise your budget in these four everyday areas:

1. Daily Lunches Out

You had great intentions this year. You were finally going to start bringing your own lunch to work. But then someone invited you to that awesome hot chicken place down the street. And after that, you got a serious craving for some Tex-Mex. Fast-forward a few weeks, and you’re picking up lunch more than packing it. So what’s the big deal?

On average, Americans spend $20 per week eating out at lunchtime, a Visa survey reports. That’s $1,040 per year! Even if you just swing by a drive-thru, at $7-8 a pop, that’s a lot of lunch money. To curb your spending, budget a few special noontime meals per month. And when you do finally get that break from leftover casseroles and reheated quiches, you’ll appreciate this little luxury even more.

2. Premium Cable Packages

Be honest: How many of the hundreds of cable channels do you regularly watch? Ten? Maybe fifteen? Why shell out for a ton of unused channels when, for a fraction of the cost, you can fulfill all your binge-watching needs with online streaming? Even with today’s cheaper alternatives, millions of us are still paying around $66 per month for expanded basic cable, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

That’s a lot of money to blow on your favorite sports and movie channels. If the big game is really that important to you, just downgrade to basic cable and a sports-only package. Or go to a friend’s house with a big bag of chips and a Crock-Pot full of melty cheese-and-chili dip. Because no self-respecting basketball fan can turn down queso.

Related: 9 Cost-Effective Alternatives to Cable

3. Unused Gym Memberships

After a stressful day of 4-year-old tantrums or never-ending meetings, hitting the gym can give your body and mind a much-needed break. But that means you have to change clothes, get in your car, drive to the gym, and then try to outrun some stick-thin teenager on the treadmill next to you. Or you could just eat a pint of ice cream. Decisions, decisions.

Statistic Brain estimates we waste about $39 each month underutilizing our health clubs. So if cooking dinner, giving the kids a bath, and reading five bedtime stories is your reality, it could make more sense to run around the block rather than hit the gym. Do whatever works best for you. Just don’t blow $468 a year on best-laid plans.

4. Regular Coffee Trips

Coffee is a necessity for many of us. It’s like air—deliciously caffeinated air. But that’s no reason to blow an average of $3.28 per day on a cup of coffee, according to a Zagat survey. That amounts to about $23 per week. We know the talented barista down at Jittery Java handcrafts your beverage with love each morning, but let’s get real. If you buy some decent beans and add your own syrups and creams, your home brew will taste just as sweet. Plus, with savings of nearly $1,200 per year, you can now afford some darn good beans.

Hear us, America. Everything is good in moderation—even coffee and TV. But moderation often trips us up. That’s where the budget comes in. It’s okay to plan for occasional splurges, but make sure you’re not allowing small luxuries to run away with your future goals. Control your spending now, so you can live and give like a rock star later on.

Need help learning how to budget? Find a local Financial Peace University class near you!

Originally published Here

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To Drink or Not to Drink

 To Drink or Not to Drink: By Norman Geisler

A Sober Look at the Question

The Main Points

  1. The Bible condemns using strong alcoholic beverages and drunkenness.
  2. In Bible times, they used light alcoholic beverages in moderation.
  3. Today, given the many harmful results of alcohol and the many non-alcoholic alternatives, total abstinence is the best policy.

Many Reasons Not to Drink (or use other addictive drugs)

  1. It is Condemned
  2. The Bible Condemns Strong Drink as a beverage.
  3. Today’s Beer and Wine are Strong Drink.
  4. Hence, Today’s Beer and Wine are Condemned by the Bible as a beverage.
  5. We Should not do What God Condemns.
  6. Therefore, we should not drink today’s beer and wine as a beverage.

Bible Condemns Intoxicating Drinks

 “Wine is a mocker [yayin], intoxicating drink [shekar] arouses brawling, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Prov. 20:1).

 “Do not look on wine [yayin] when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when is swirls around smoothly. At last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper” (Prov. 23:31-32).

 “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints?…Those who linger over wine (Prov. 23:29-30).

 “Give strong drink [shekar] to him who is dying…” (Prov. 31:6).

 “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow strong drink; Who continue until night till wine inflames them” (Isa. 5:11).

 “Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it” (Isa. 24:9).

 “Woe to men valiant for mixing strong drink” (Isa. 5:22).

 “But they [the priests and prophets] have also erred through wine, And through strong drink are out of the way” (Isa. 28:7 cf. 56:12).

 Only false prophets say: “I will prophesy to you of wine and strong drink” (Micah 2:11).

 “Do not drink wine (yayin) or intoxicating drink (shekar), you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting lest, you die” (Lev. 10:9 NKJV).

 “When a man or a women makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the Lord, he shall abstain from wine yayin) and strong drink” (shekar) (Num. 6:2-3 NASB).

 To Samson: “Now drink no wine or strong drink…” (Jud. 13:7).

 To Kings: “It is not for kings, O Lemeul, It is not kingd to drink wine, Nor for princes strong drink” (Prov. 31:4)

 To all Israel (in the wilderness): “You have not drunk wine [yayin] or strong drink [shekar]; that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Deut. 29:6).

 

Note:

1) Total abstinence from strong drink was God’s norm for all believers;

2) Total abstinence from all wine was the ideal for all believers, and

3) was exemplified by spiritual leaders

Drunkenness is Not the Only Reason to Abstain from Alcohol

  1. It slows the thinking process (Prov. 31:4-5).
  2. It makes one dizzy (Job. 12:25).
  3. It is associated with self-centeredness (Hab. 2:5).
  4. It causes sickness (Jer. 25:27).
  5. It causes forgetfulness (Prov. 31:6-7).
  6. It produces delirious dreams (Prov. 23:33).
  7. It results in sleepiness (Gen. 9:20-25).
  8. It produces complacence and laziness (Zeph. 1:12).
  9. It numbs one’s feelings (Prov. 23:31-35).
  10. It leads to poverty (Prov. 21:17).
  11. It leads to brokenness (Jer. 23:9).
  12. It results in sadness and depression (Isa. 16:9-10).
  13. It causes sorrow (Prov. 23:29-30).
  14. It produces blackouts (Gen. 19:33-35).
  15. It leads to immorality (Joel 3:3).
  16. It encourages sexual perversion (Hab. 2:15).
  17. It results in guilt (Isa. 24:20).
  18. It causes injuries (Prov. 23:35).
  19. It can result in insanity (Jer. 51:7).
  20. It makes one vulnerable to his enemies (1 Sam. 13:28).

Beer and Wine are Strong Drink

 Biblical wine was fermented but diluted 3 to 1.

 Jewish Talmud: Passover wine was 3 parts water to 1 part of wine (Pesahim 108a cf. Shabbath 77a)

 Inter-testamental Period: “It is harmful to drink wine alone, or, again, to drink water alone, while wine mixed with water is sweet and delicious…” (2 Mac. 15:39).

 

Some Pagan Mixtures:

 Homer: 20 to 1

 Pliny 8 to 1 (See Stein, “Wine Drinking in NT Times” Chirstianity Today, 6/20/75).

 At 3 to 1 ratio it took 22 glasses of NT wine to get drunk

 

It was basically a means to purify and sweeten water.

 Ancient Wine Mixing With Water “In ancient times wine was usually stored in large pointed jugs called amphorae. When wine was to be used it was poured from the amphorae into large bowls called kraters, where it was mixed with water…. From these kraters, cups or kylix were then filled” (Stein, “Wine-Drinking in NT….”

 

Taking Unmixed (Today’s) Wine Was Considered Barbarian by Pagans!

 Mnesitheus of Athens said: “Mix it half and half, and you get madness; unmixed, bodily collapse”!

 Early Church Father Cyprian: “Thus, therefore, in considering the cup of the Lord, water alone cannot be offered, even as wine alone cannot be offered” (Epist. 62.2.11)

 Clement of Alexandria added: “It is best for the wine to be mixed with as much water as possible…” (Instructor 2.2).

 

  1. It is Condemned
  2. The Bible Condemns Strong Drink as a beverage.
  3. Today’s Beer and Wine are Strong Drink.
  4. Hence, Today’s Beer and Wine are Condemned by the Bible as a beverage.
  5. We Should not do What God Condemns.
  6. Therefore, we should not drink today’s beer and wine as a beverage.
  7. It is Deadly
  8. We Should not take what is Deadly.
  9. Taking Alcohol is Deadly.
  10. Hence, we should not take Alcohol.

Evidence that taking Alcohol is Deadly

  1. It causes more deaths than any other drug (about 200,000 per year).
  2. It is responsible for 70% of drownings & chokings.
  3. It is involved in 50% of all “freak accidents.”
  4. It causes some 27,000 deaths a year by liver disease.
  5. 30% of all suicides are alcohol related.
  6. 20% of all airplane crashes are alcohol related.
  7. 50% of all murders are drunk when they kill.
  8. 50% of all fire deaths are alcohol related.
  9. It causes about a third of all traffic deaths (It would be higher, if blood test were given to the dead too). (Statistics are based on US government reports)

III. It is Dangerous

  1. We Should Not do What is Dangerous to Society.
  2. Drinking alcohol is Dangerous to Society.
  3. Hence, We Should not Drink Alcohol.

Evidence that drinking Alcohol is Dangerous

  1. It contributes to more deaths than any other drug.
  2. It leads to drug addiction (18 mill in US=8.5% of population).
  3. It is involved in both spouse and child abuse.
  4. It contributes to mental and physical diseases.
  5. 45% of the homeless are alcoholics.
  6. It causes 500,000 injuries per year.

During Prohibition (1920-1933): social ills decreased!

 Cirrhosis dropped 66%

 Insanity decreased 60%

 Arrest for drunk and disorderly conduct decreased 50%.

 Spouse and child abuse dropped to an all-time low.

 Addiction & consumption decreased for 55 years (up to 1975).

 

  1. It is Addictive
  2. We Should Avoid Addictive Drugs.
  3. Alcohol is an Addictive Drug.
  4. There are 16 million addicts in the US.
  5. Alcoholics outnumber all other addicts.
  6. 77% of high schoolers use alcohol.
  7. 29% of high schoolers drink heavily.
  8. 44% of 8th graders drink.
  9. 1 in 10 social drinkers will become addicts

 Question: Would you get on an airplane if there was a 10% chance it would crash?

 

  1. We should avoid alcohol.
  2. It is Unhealthy
  3. We Should Avoid Drinking What is Bad for our Health.
  4. Drinking Alcohol is Bad for our Health.
  5. So, We Should Avoid Drinking Alcohol.

Proof that drinking Alcohol is Bad for One’s Health

  1. It is the number three health problem.
  2. It results in 1/2 million hospital admissions.
  3. It impairs the function of vital organs.
  4. It causes liver diseases.
  5. It contributes to heart attacks.
  6. It increases the chances of cancer 3-6 times.
  7. It is the number three cause of birth defects.
  8. It can cause insanity.
  9. It can injure the nervous system.
  10. It can cause impotence and sterility.

It is Unhealthy

  1. We Should Avoid Addictive Drugs.
  2. Alcohol is an Addictive Drug.
  3. So, We Should Avoid Alcohol.
  4. It is Costly
  5. We Should Not Do What is Unnecessarily Costly to Society.
  6. Drinking Alcohol is Unnecessarily Costly to Society.
  7. Hence, We Should Not Drink Alcohol.

Evidence that alcohol is Unnecessarily Costly

  1. Special services $7 billion a year.
  2. Medical services $19 billion a year.
  3. Loss of future earnings by death is $37billion.
  4. Alcohol related illness is $86 billion.
  5. Fetal alcohol syndrome is $1 billion.
  6. Loss of earnings of crime victims $10 billion.
  7. Crashes, fires, and crime is $24 billion.
  8. Total cost of alcohol abuse is over $184 billion.

VII. It is a Bad Example

  1. We Should not be a Bad Example.
  2. Drinking Alcohol is a Bad Example.
  3. Hence, We Should Not Drink Alcohol.

Note:

1) Children are imitators, and if we take addictive drugs, then they will imitate us.

2) They won’t do what we say but what we do.

3) We won’t convince them to stop their drugs until we stop using our drug (which is worse).

VIII. It is not Edifying

  1. What is not Edifying Should be Avoided.
  2. Drinking Alcohol is not Edifying.
  3. Drinking Alcohol Should be Avoided.

 

 Paul wrote: “All things are lawful, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful, but all things do not edify (build up). All things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the mastery of any”(1Cor. 6:12).

 

  1. It Causes Others to Stumble
  2. What Causes Others to Stumble Should be Shunned.
  3. Drinking Alcohol Causes Others to Stumble.
  4. So, Drinking Alcohol Should be Shunned.

 Paul said: “It is good neither to eat meat nor to drink [diluted] wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles…”(Rom. 14:21).

 Of course, strong (undiluted) wine is forbidden.

 

  1. It is Unnecessary
  2. We Should Avoid Doing Harmful Things That Are Unnecessary.
  3. Drinking Alcohol is a Harmful Thing That is Unnecessary.
  4. We Should Avoid Drinking Alcohol.

 Note: We have plenty of good drinks that are not as harmful–water, milk, fruit juices, coffee, tea, and others.

 

Conclusion

  1. Even one good reason is a good reason not to drink alcohol.
  2. Two or more reasons are very good reasons not to drink it.
  3. Ten reasons are overwhelmingly good reasons not to drink it.

Hence,

1) We encourage all Christians not to drink it.

2) We require all church leaders not to drink it. (Not because it makes you more spiritual but because it manifests your commitment and maturity

If God Didn’t Want Us to Drink It, Why Did He Make it?

  1. It is a sedative (Prov. 31:6): “Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish.”
  2. It revives the faint (2 Sam. 6:2): “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert.”
  3. It is an antiseptic (Lk. 10:34): “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn….” took care of him.”
  4. It is a laxative (1 Tim. 5:23): “Stop drinking only water, and use a little [diluted] wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”

Answering Some Objections

Objection 1: The Bible only condemns drunkenness, not taking strong drinks.

Answer: Not so. One of the reasons it condemns strong drink is because it leads to drunkenness, but it is not the only reason. Strong drink itself is condemned.

 It is also addictive and harmful in many other ways (physically, emotionally, psychologically, and socially).

 

Objection 2: Doesn’t the Bible actually commend using strong drink as a beverage in Deut. 14:26: “And you shall spend that money for whatever you heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine [yayin] or strong drink

[shekar], for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice with your household.”

Answer:

1) OT condemns strong drink as a beverage (see X).

2) Unclear texts like these should not be used to contradict clear ones.

3) It was bought in strong (undiluted) form for ease in travel and storage, and for use as a medicine–not to drink as such.

4) Whatever drinking they did was in diluted form (see I).

5) In whatever form, the use here was specifically for a Jewish festival and is not a norm for general consumption.

Objection 3: It is legalistic to make extra-biblical laws like total abstinence which the Bible does not make.

Answer: It is not extra-biblical since the Bible condemns “strong drink,” and today’s alcohol drinks are “strong drink.”

Further, not every extra-biblical rule is legalistic–only those used as a condition for meriting God’s grace, whether for getting justification or sanctification.

Objection 4: The Bible says it is OK to take a “little” wine (1 Tim. 5:23) as long as it is not too “much” (1Tim. 3:8); It does not teach total abstinence.

Answer: It is speaking about a “little” and not “much” diluted wine [Hb.: yayin], not the undiluted intoxicants [Hb.: shekar] such as wine, beer, and whiskey which people drink today. We should totally abstain from these.

Objection 5: What about nicotine and gluttony? Aren’t they addictive and destructive too.

Answer: Yes, but we must eat food to live, but we do not need to drink alcohol to live.

Nonetheless, Christians should avoid all nicotine (since it causes cancer) and all gluttony (since obesity is harmful to one’s health).

Objection 6: What about studies which show that regular use of alcohol helps prevent heart disease (by increasing good cholesterol)?

Answer:

  1. They have shown a statistical connection, not a causal one. It is also known that “statistics lie, and liars use statistics.”
  2. It may be due to antioxidants present, not the alcohol.
  3. Other studies show grape juice has similar results.
  4. Even the statistically favorable studies admit there may be other genetic and environmental factors at play.
  5. The American Heart Association does not recommend it.
  6. There are other non-alcoholic methods, such as diet, exercise, and non-addictive drugs that can be used.
  7. The end doesn’t justify the means–if they are wrong (e.g., stem cells from abortion or alcohol for pregnant women’s hearts).
  8. It is a fact that non-drinkers live longer (52% vs. 40% live to 75+).

Objection 7: It makes me relax and feel better.

Answer: Don’t make your happiness depend on addictive drugs. It is both deceptive and dangerous.

If you want a high without a hangover: “Do not be drunk with wine in which is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).

Objection 8: I need it for my nerves.

Answer: There are non-addictive diets and drugs that can help your nerves.

Better yet–try God’s plan: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus”(Phil. 4:6-7).

Total Abstinence is the Best Policy

 No one ever had the following alcohol related consequences who refused the first drink:

 No one ever got drunk without the first drink,

 Nor got an addiction to it w/o the first drink,

 Nor got a disease from it including: heart attacks, cirhossis, insanity,

 Nor engaged in spouse or child abuse DUI of it,

 Nor killed anyone in an accident DUI of it,

 Nor caused any debt or injury DUI of it,

 Nor caused anyone to stumble in their faith!

 

The Main Points

  1. The Bible condemns using strong alcoholic beverages and drunkenness.
  2. In Bible times, they used light alcoholic beverages in moderation.
  3. Today, given the many harmful results of alcohol and the many non-alcoholic alternatives, total abstinence is the best policy.

No Temptation is Too Strong!

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1Cor. 10:13).

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Coal Basket and the Bible

coal Basket

Trust and obey

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?”

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.”  The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket,” and he went to get a bucket instead.   The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got very far.   The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?”

The old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different.  Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible.  You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.  That is the work of God in our lives; to change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son.”

 

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