“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” – John Maxwell

A few months ago, I decided I needed to see some change, so I added another thing to my to-do list.  A few weeks ago, I added another thing. Yesterday, I added another. My list is long and it keeps growing. If the idea of a constantly growing to-do list is making your toes curl, keep reading.

I researched, ‘how many days does it take to form a habit’. I got mixed numbers; 21, 18, 30, 1? One day?! One day seems kinda silly, until it’s not. See forming a habit is simply making a decision to repeat a specific behavior for a set number of days until the behavior becomes second nature.

The problem I often run into is forgetting the habits I want to cultivate. Throughout the activity of my day, I forget about the good goal I set. What about you?

The solution I want to share with you is setting simple reminders for things that matter most. I started this practice two years ago by setting a daily reminder on my phone for 6 AM that reads, “SPIRIT LEAD ME!!!” It’s the first thing I see on my phone when I turn off the alarm. If I’m up before 6 am, it is a beautiful mindset shift, regardless of what the day has already offered me.

This one reminder has evolved to 10-15 reminders a day! Why do I set reminders to remember what matters? 

Because I want to “do work that matters.” I remember reading this statement in Jon Acuff’s book, “START: Punch fear in the face, escape average and do work that matters.” In the book, he breaks down the complexity of starting new habits and argues that we can start new habits by overcoming the fears we face and by finding our own version of awesome.

A year after setting that first reminder and noticing how my attitude adjusted, I decided to set a few more reminders. I’m a starter, but finishing a goal was a huge challenge for me and the fear of failure often kept me from setting goals and creating habits. When I realized that I could set reminders to lean into the things that matter to me; setting these goals didn’t feel so overwhelming. They became a “get to” and they often shut down the lies that can derail my whole day.

My constantly growing to-do list is not an endless list of tasks, but reminders to recognize what matters NOW, no matter where I am. Now, I hope that the to-do list doesn’t sound as frightening.

To set my reminders, I use the Reminders App, an iPhone app on the home screen, but you can use your calendar or any app that allows you to set a reminder with alerts. I have scheduled a list of things I need to keep at the front of my mind in order for me to transform my habits. Romans 12:2 REMINDS us that transformation (ie: habits) happens in the mind.

What are the things you need to keep at the front of your mind to transform your habits? 

If you don’t know where to start, write a list with what matters most to you and how those things help you overcome fear. Then, write a list of habits you want to cultivate and the times throughout the day where you tend to forget about the good goals you set. Then, set a few reminders to correspond with what matters most and your goals.

Here are a few of mine:

7:15 am MOVE
8:00 am EXHALE you’re doing this right
8:00 am I am who you say I am
9:00 am Your kids love you
9:00 am STAY HYDRATED – the newest one I added
10:00 am STAY HYDRATED
11:00 am Your goodness chases after me
2:00 pm Search for the hidden treasures
2:00 pm Jesus loves me
4:00 pm He’s finishing what He started
5:00 pm STAY HYDRATED – see I told y’all I need these
7:00 pm Your husband loves you

This isn’t my full list. Just about every hour on the hour my phone sends me a notification and it’s synced to my iPad so if I’m in the middle of teaching a class, the notification makes the music volume decrease just a tad bit and it’s my own little reminder that God’s got this.

Go find that app on your phone to schedule your reminders to move, to be still and be loved, and to do work that matters.

In the comments below, share what matters most to you and how you will use this tip to help you remember what matters most.

Amia Freeman (Platoon 15) is a wife and mom of 3 who lives in Marietta, GA where she teaches group fitness and senior wellness/memory care programs. Amia is the Regional Coordinator for Revelation Wellness and is actively involved in her church and local community wellness outreach.

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