A Routine that is Built to Last
Once your Heart Starts to Change the Rest Gets Easier!
Introduction
Finding a routine that works can be life changing; and if done correctly, the results will be evident overtime through your personal growth as an individual. When I reflect on my life, I look back to the times when I “didn’t have a routine” and all I see is dysfunction and confusion. However upon deeper reflection, I realised that I did have a routine but the issue was that it was not true to me. It was not intentional and I didn’t even know that I had one. I just happened to be in it. But what I have grown to understand is that it’s impossible for anyone to have a life that isn’t governed by a routine.
I had several routines that were orchestrated by everyone and everything but myself. My work-life gave me the routine of working consistently to provide for the needs of clients. My friends gave me the routine of drinking and partying every weekend. My football team gave me the routine of watching all the matches consistently. When I look back on everything, my conclusion is this: Routines aren’t inherently good or bad; but a routine becomes a problem when it is self-governed or influenced by external factors. Routines are something we just do. For the most part, we live our lives in cyclical patterns of repeating behaviours and activities that are governed by these three things…
The 3 Elements That Influence Your Routine
The environment (external)
The need to survive (external)
The things you crave (internal)
The environment refers to the culture, heritage, tradition or societal norms around you. It is normal to be influenced by the things that happen around you but that doesn’t always mean that they are beneficial. Secondly, the need to survive means that your trust is usually put into the things you believe will assure your survival. Therefore the daily eating of food, drinking water and even breathing can be considered as elements that will always be in a routine.
Lastly, the things you crave have a huge impact on your routine. There is a slight difference between this element and the previous two because your cravings are intrinsically motivated. This means that the influence comes from your heart. The problem that many people come to realise is that your intrinsic desires (cravings) are not always good for you. It is a common thing to say you want the best when what you truly mean is that you want what feels best. Your cravings are extremely dangerous and having a routine that is influenced by what your heart craves will often lead you away from your individual path of fulfilment no matter how innocent the routine may look.
For example, the routine of an aspiring public figure may look like this. Consistent public displays of confidence, keeping up with social appearances and the self celebration of achievements. If you take each of these acts of behaviour in and of themselves then we cannot call them good or bad. The routine is not the disease and neither is it the cure. The routine is the daily application of the posture of one's heart. Therefore the aspiring public figure can develop a lifestyle consisting of these actions but hidden in the depths of their heart might be a root of insecurity. The inclinations of their heart would say that “self exaltation and public validation would heal the deep rooted insecurity.” The more they follow the inclinations of their heart, the more they develop a routine that actually does nothing to the heart. Their lifestyle becomes a perpetual cycle of surface level solutions to deep rooted issues. The solutions might feel good but they are not always true.
A Routine That is True to You
True personal growth will only be evident through a routine that is true to you but here is the mistake that we often make. “True to you” doesn’t mean “true to your heart.” There are countless examples that we can all point to where we develop routines and activities that are inspired by the inclinations of our hearts. This is where we often find ourselves unsatisfied while motivated to chase the things that don’t last. Our motives become our biggest enemies which is how we end up in patterns of addiction, toxic relationships, crime, boredom and the list goes on. A routine that is true to you is a routine inspired by an external source (God) that will be called upon to transform an internal problem (your heart). When the source is called upon, the source begins to change what is within so that what is within begins to produce what is truly good. Many times we are told “to look within”; but what are we really looking to find? If you look within to find wisdom, clarity and goodness, then your life should be a perfect reflection of these things.
Living a life of following your heart might sound great, but is it really? The Bible offers a different solution. The Bible encourages you to change what is within. There is a reason why David prayed this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me Psalm 51:10
The history of this passage is about David’s repentance to God after following the inclinations of his heart. He had just killed a man named Uriah after having an affair with Bathsheba (his wife). He followed the inclinations of his heart which could have become routine. But when he found out that he displeased God, he asked him to change his heart. This was a man who achieved so much by the standards of the world. But to God the success of his achievement was only measured by the state of his heart.
Now most of us wouldn’t routinely do what was done in this story. We might not even make the mistake of doing it once. There are also some people that wouldn’t admit to anything being wrong in a lifestyle that perpetuates such actions. However we are all born with the same capabilities to draw evil and negativity from our hearts (Matthew 15:15-28). No matter what we do on a day to day basis and no matter what we have done. The problem lies in the common fact that an untransformed heart will always have the potential to do damage and lead us astray.
What Does This Have to Do with Your Daily Routine?
A routine is the daily application of the posture of one’s heart.
If every single one of us inherently have crooked hearts then a routine drawn from a crooked heart will always be incongruent with a routine of destiny. Everything that we do begins to matter more once we ask God into the same hearts that have the potential to lead us astray. Throughout my life I found myself in cycles as a result of following my heart. My heart controlled what I ate, my heart controlled what I drank, my heart controlled what I did, my heart controlled my life. Little did I know that my heart was deceitful and ignorant. It was one mistake too many that led me to ask for a change of heart. I realised that our minds and emotions are too volatile to be in the operation of self-governance. It is the recognition of a deceitful heart that will inspire the invitation for God to change it.
“The heart is deceitful above all things And it is extremely sick; Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives? Jeremiah 17:9 AMP
On the Back to Square One Podcast (Episode 4), I touch on the topic of inspired self improvement. What I have grown to understand is that everything we do, especially in our day to day routines, is inspired by something. However, what matters most is where that inspiration is drawn from. If your daily routine is inspired by any of the 3 influences (environment - survival - cravings) the routine will not lead to personal growth. A routine inspired by the vision God has given you will be far more trustworthy than the routine inspired by what your heart craves. It will be far more considerate than the routine your environment projects. It will be far more fulfilling than a routine simply designed for survival (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV).
Let’s Take Things Further
The aim of these letters is for you to look at every aspect of your life through the lens of faith. We often make the mistake of compartmentalising our faith but this is when it becomes religion. The truth is that God cares about every detail of your life. God also understands that your heart is so powerful yet so volatile. This is why the foundation of a daily routine must start at the transformation of the heart, which can only be done by God. It is an outside in invitation that will trigger inside out excellence in your life. This topic has opened up the avenue for me to really expand on a range of sub categories that I will love to explore through subsequent letters to you. This is where I need your help. Write in the comments or send me a message suggesting which one of these topics you would love to see me explore even further.
How a routine is designed to establish boundaries - how to guard you heart
Understanding the vision God has given you to create a routine inspired by your purpose.
I hope you found this helpful and I can’t wait to explore this with you in more depth.
Have a great day!
Please speak more on understanding the vision God has given you to create a routine inspired by your purpose.
This was such an amazing read, thank you so much! I’ll definitely love to hear more on what you have to say on understanding the vision God has given you to create a routine inspired by your purpose.