The Suede Sofa Blog

The Debt Comes Due

Back in the spring of 2024, I began a health transformation and sought out several coaches and mentors.

One of them was a functional medicine doctor who tested my VO₂ max and ran me through a series of functional longevity markers — including strength, power, cardiovascular capacity, etc. — to assess how well my body was aging.

The results were humbling. Embarrassing, even.

A body far heavier than it should have been (not exactly a shock ) and lab numbers I couldn’t ignore any longer.

That was the turning point — the spark that started real change.

During one of our conversations, I told the doctor how sobering it felt to watch so many people my age being diagnosed with serious diseases — or suddenly dying of heart attacks.

His response grabbed me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it:

“In your 50s, the debt comes due.”

He probably didn’t realize it, but that was the come-to-Jesus talk I needed to course-correct.

{Thank you, Dr. McNab}

That line has stayed with me because it forced me to face the reality of my habits — and my own health.

As I’ve shared throughout this habit series, habits have been central to my Peace with Food journey.

As we near the end, I want to take a wider view and talk about why habits matter so much in the first place.

Habits are not merely routines that feel boring or impersonal; they are expressions of what we truly value.

And at their core, habits are about stewardship.

When we hear the word stewardship, we usually think about money — but it goes far beyond that. It’s about what we do with everything God has entrusted to us:

• our time

• our energy

• our attention

• our bodies

• our relationships

• our money

• our calling

All of these are shaped by habits.

Every habit is either an investment or a withdrawal in our stewardship account. When we steward those investments wisely, they compound into life and strength — and peace.

But when we neglect them, the cost is often delayed — but never erased.

In other words, the bill doesn’t arrive immediately… but eventually, it comes due.

That’s why habits matter so much.

They’re shaping every aspect of your life.

So yes, the bill does come due. Whether it’s in your 50s or later, habits always have long-term effects that eventually produce a harvest.

But here’s the good news. And it is REALLY good news.

If you find yourself on a downward habit curve (which, by the way, I’ve found myself on more than once — so no judgment here), you can choose TODAY to course correct.

You may be tempted to think, “Forget it. It’s too late.”

If that’s your mindset, may I suggest considering a different perspective?

I know for me, that kind of thinking usually comes from focusing on the long road ahead. And while it is wise to — as Jack Welch would say — “face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be,” sometimes the distance to the destination can feel so overwhelming that it keeps us from starting at all.

When I began my health reset — now nearing the two-year mark — I knew it would take time.

(LOL… I just didn’t think it would take this much time. Still haven’t reached some of my goals yet, but I’m still working on it. )

But do you know what I experienced on Day 1?

j o y & h o p e

And they have been a constant ever since.

Research suggests that the greatest joy and satisfaction don’t come from reaching our goals, but from making progress toward them.

I know that’s been true for me.

How about you — how long does the satisfaction last after reaching a goal?

Usually, it’s short-lived.

That’s because growth isn’t a final destination; it’s a continual process.

Which makes starting today an even better reason to start today.

In fact, you can start right now — with a decision — and seal it with your first Low-Hanging Fruit action

(or take giant action if that’s more your style – whatever it takes to get you momentum ).

I just want to encourage you not to let the disappointment of a goal that feels years away keep you from beginning today.

Whatever route you choose, start now because you’ll blink and it will be 2 years… 5 years… 10 years down the road.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself:

What decision do you need to make right now?

If nothing changes, what will life likely look like two years from today? 5 years? 10 years?

If you say yes to change, what could your life look like in two years? 5 years? 10 years?

What is one Low-Hanging Fruit action you can start immediately — and keep doing — to build momentum?

Joy is in the journey — and it begins the moment you start.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… let’s go.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” —Galatians 6:7-9 (NIV)

Make Your Desired Habit The Path of Least Resistance

Here’s one powerful strategy for forming new habits:

“Make your desired change the path of least resistance.”

If you want to lose weight, make unhealthy choices the harder option — inconvenient or harder to access. That might look like removing them from your pantry or fridge and stocking your space with healthy, nourishing options instead.

You may not be thrilled with every healthy option at first. But when the only food available is food that supports your goals, the friction works in your favor.

Imagine if the only food in your house was healthy food.

Any time you wanted something unhealthy, you’d have to make a trip to the store to get it.

That inconvenience would dramatically lower your chances of eating poorly — and raise your chances of eating well.

That’s the power of the path of least resistance:

You’re no longer relying only on willpower.

Instead, you’re doing for yourself, when you are strong, what you can’t do when you are weak.

You’re letting your environment do the heavy lifting.

And one of the fastest ways to change a habit is to spend time with people who already live the habit you desire. They gently nudge you in the direction they are going — often without you even realizing it.

Small changes in setup can create big changes in outcomes.

And if your goal is to get fitter but you get hijacked by going to the cafeteria at lunchtime, make movement the easier choice. Pack your lunch so food is handled, then use part of that break to walk — with a friend or on your own.

If temptation hits on your commute as you drive by your favorite fast food restaurant, changing your route can eliminate that temptation all together.

Because here’s something powerful to understand:

Your environment is silently shaping your behavior every day.

We don’t just rise to the level of our intentions — we often fall to the level of our surroundings. Willpower fades, but environment keeps influencing us long after motivation wears off.

Principle to Tap Into ⇨ Make the Good Option Easy, the Bad Option Difficult

Your environment will set you up for victory or for failure.

I was reminded of this firsthand recently:

One habit I’ve built is doing my grocery shopping online for three simple reasons:

To reduce unnecessary temptation

To buy back my time

To protect my energy (busy stores drain me)

But recently, I had to run inside the store — and as a student of human behavior (especially my own), I was fascinated.

I had zero intention of buying food. I wasn’t even thinking about it. And yet, almost instantly, I was surrounded by food cues and temptation I hadn’t considered — all because the environment was doing exactly what it was designed to do.

I didn’t give in — but make no mistake, it did cost me some mental energy to resist.

Neuroscience shows that self-control draws from the brain’s limited cognitive resources, which is one reason repeated exposure to temptation makes resisting harder over time.

You drain your internal battery.

And, while temptation has a spiritual component — it also has a very real physical one. Our environment affects how our brain responds, often before we’re even consciously aware of it.

Here’s the key insight:

Every time you say no to temptation, it draws from a limited reserve of self-control.

That’s why wisdom isn’t just about resisting temptation — it’s about removing the temptation (ahead of time) you don’t need to face.

(Btw, because of this mental drain, often our worst habits happen at night. Your path of least resistance here? Go to bed an hour or two earlier and you just eliminated unnecessary temptation.)

This is one way you can: “Win the battle before it begins.”

You can’t eliminate all temptation. But you can eliminate the unnecessary kind.

I’ll talk more about how to deal with temptation in future posts — especially the spiritual side of it. But for now, keep this in mind:

Make your good habits the path of least resistance. Make your bad habits inconvenient or harder to access.

So you can run the race set before you — and finish well.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” —Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Why Habits Feel Hard Before They Feel Easy

How Long Does It Really Take to Form a Habit?

At some point, we all start something new.

A habit. A rhythm. A reset.

And not long in, the question creeps in:

Should this feel easier by now?

If you were hoping your habits would be sticking more smoothly at this point—and they’re not—hang tight. There’s actually a very real reason it still feels hard.

When you start a new habit, it often feels awkward, clunky, and slow.

And hard.

That’s because your brain is literally building something brand new—neural pathways.

Neuroscience research shows that these pathways are strengthened through repetition. Each time a behavior is repeated, the brain reinforces that route, making it smoother and more automatic over time—much like paving a well-traveled road.

Years ago, my family would vacation in Colorado. Each time, we’d drive through the Eisenhower Tunnel—1.7 miles of roadway cut straight through solid mountain. We’d cruise through it at highway speed, and I was always amazed that we were traveling right through the Rocky Mountains.

What fascinated me most was imagining what it took to build that tunnel.

It took 11 years to build (1968–1979), cutting straight through solid granite. It was slow, exhausting, and expensive—but once finished, it made travel effortless for millions of people.

That’s exactly what forming a new habit is like.

At first, it’s all excavation—resistance, friction, and effort. You’re carving a brand-new pathway in the brain. It’s energy-intensive and uncomfortable. But once that pathway is established? You can cruise almost effortlessly.

Here’s something important to remember:

You don’t break habits—you replace them.

Old pathways don’t disappear overnight, but the more often you travel a new route, the stronger it becomes.

Each time you choose the positive action over the negative one, you strengthen that neural connection. It may feel insignificant in the moment—but it isn’t.

Research from University College London found that habits take an average of 66 days to form—but the range was 18 to 254 days, depending on the habit and its difficulty.

And this is exactly why I love Low-Hanging Fruit habits.

Because they’re small and simple, your brain tends to resist them less.

Less resistance means less mental load on the brain—which, simply put, makes the habit easier to repeat. And when repetition is easier, neural pathways strengthen faster—often much closer to the 18-day end than the 254-day end.

So if you’re three weeks in and things still feel hard, remember the tunnel.

The work you’re doing now is laying the foundation for something that will eventually feel natural.

And give yourself grace in the process. God isn’t after perfection—He’s after transformation rooted in dependence on Him.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” —Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

The Easiest Way To Make A Habit Stick

The Easiest Way to Make a Habit Stick

Once you understand how habits work (see my last post), the next step is making them automatic.

One of the simplest—and most powerful—ways to build a new habit is by “hooking” or “pairing” it to something you already do every day.

I call this “linking” — because when you link a new habit to an existing one, it locks in faster and feels more natural.

Instead of starting from scratch, you simply attach your new behavior to something you already do.

And when it’s a Low-Hanging Fruit action?

It becomes even easier.

This tells your brain:

“These go together. This is simple. A piece of cake.”

It feels familiar, safe, and doable — which makes the new habit far more likely to stick.

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Principle to Tap Into ⇨ Link It to Sync It

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When you “link it,” you speed up the habit-forming process.

What used to take effort becomes second nature.

Here are some ideas to get you started

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Faith & Mindset

CUE: Showering before bed

ROUTINE: Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart.

“Search me, O God… know my heart… see if there is any offensive way in me.” —Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV)

RESULT: You end the day cleansed in body and heart, with clarity and peace.

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Health & Fitness

(This is how one of my friends gets a workout in with no extra time needed!)

CUE: Commercial comes on while watching your favorite team or show

ROUTINE: Drop into a 1-minute plank or do a quick core move

RESULT: You stack a simple workout onto something you already enjoy.

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Relationships

CUE: When you’re together with a friend (or someone in your POSSE)

ROUTINE: Go ahead and schedule the next hangout, lunch or mentoring session — even if it’s months away. This automates never losing connection

RESULT: Creates consistency and deepens friendship/mentorship over time

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Order & Clarity

CUE: As your workday wraps up

ROUTINE: Write down your top three priorities for tomorrow

RESULT: You end with order and begin with focus.

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Peace with Food

CUE: Mealtime or snack time

ROUTINE: Reach for a protein source first (eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, turkey, etc.)

RESULT: You feel fuller, more satisfied, hit your protein targets, and naturally eat with peace and control.

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Action Step

Pick one habit you want to build and ask yourself:

“What do I already do daily that I can link this to?”

Then start with Low-Hanging Fruit—tiny, doable, nearly friction-free.

“Linking” builds momentum, forms neural shortcuts, and speeds up habit formation.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

And automation is the most powerful practical system you have for forming habits that actually stick.

Link it to sync it — and watch how quickly small rhythms turn into lasting transformation.

The Habit Loop

✨ A Fresh Start (Right Where You Are)

If you’ve been thinking about your habits lately…
and you’re realizing how hard they can be to build or keep—

I want to encourage you:

👉 transformation really is possible. 🦋

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned — both personally and spiritually — is this:

You can absolutely grow without ever knowing the science behind habits…

but when you do understand it, you gain tools that make transformation easier — and yes, even a little more “engineer-able.”

Because when you use the God-designed process of habit formation, habits shift from being accidental and undisciplined to intentional rhythms — repeated choices —and suddenly you can shape the very patterns that influence your spiritual, personal, physical, relational, and financial life.

Habits will either happen TO you… or they will happen FOR you.

Even spiritual growth runs on rhythms:
Scripture.
Prayer.
Obedience.
Worship.
Fellowship.

These are simply habits — small, repeated acts of faithfulness over time. We call them “spiritual disciplines,” but that’s just a biblical way of saying:

These are the daily patterns (habits) that shape who you’re becoming.

And here’s the reality:

Understanding how habits work is key to transforming any area of your life:

• Spiritual
• Personal
• Physical
• Relational
• Financial

It’s all connected.

Because God didn’t design growth to be chaotic or exhausting.

He built order and wisdom into the way we’re made. Scripture even hints at this design:

“God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.” —Proverbs 25:2 (MSG)

In other words, much of what modern neuroscience discovers simply reveals the brilliance of God’s original design.

Why the Habit Loop Matters

God designed your mind to work with patterns, not randomness.

The Habit Loop — CUE → ROUTINE → REWARD → REPEAT — simply describes the internal system He wired into us.

Once you understand this loop, you can begin shaping routines that support the life you desire…

and maybe even the life you’ve been praying for.

Every habit — good or bad — follows this pattern:

Cue — what triggers the behavior
Routine — the action you take
Reward — the payoff your brain loves
Repeat — how it becomes automatic

This is why some habits feel effortless and some feel impossible to break.

Your brain is simply following its design.

The good news?

You can change habits in two ways:

Add something life-giving
Replace something that’s no longer serving you

You don’t need to overhaul your whole life.You just attach a better routine to an existing cue.

That’s where momentum begins.

A Few Simple Real-Life Examples

(Of course with some Low-Hanging Fruit actions!)

Cue: Alarm clock goes off
Routine: Read your Bible for a few minutes
Reward: Peace and connection with God

Cue: Making coffee
Routine: Pray a short prayer of surrender such as Rom. 12:1-2
Reward: Calm and perspective

Cue: Feeling overwhelmed
Routine: Reach out instead of retreating
Reward: Encouragement and connection

Cue: Lunch break
Routine: Take a short walk or do 10 squats
Reward: Energy and momentum

Cue: An anxious thought
Routine: Replace it with truth
“Lord, I cast my cares on You because You care for me.” —1 Peter 5:7
Reward: Peace and clarity

Every small win tells your brain, “Yes… let’s do that again.”

And over time, these tiny, Low-Hanging Fruit choices begin shaping:

• your habits
• your mindset
• your confidence
• your spiritual life
• and even your future

They are literally determining the outcome of your life.

One Last Encouragement

If your habits feel messy right now — don’t give up.

You are human.

And you’re learning to partner with the design God built into you.

Start small.
Start simple.
Start where you are.

Because transformation isn’t about dramatic change…

It’s about consistent, life-giving choices —

one cue at a time.

“One & Done” vs. “One & Undone”

🚀 Set Yourself Up For Success

It’s easy to drift through seasons where habits feel inconsistent or start to slip.
Life gets full. Focus gets scattered. And before we know it, we’re telling ourselves,
👉 “I’ll get back to it soon.”

I’ve been there too.

But what if this season looked different?

What if you chose something simple and doable—something that closes the gap between where you are and where you want to be, and brings peace along the way?

What if you gave yourself a head start… starting today?

What if you focused on the one habit with the most leverage… and built a fool-proof way to follow through?

I’m telling you…
It’s possible.
You can do this. 💪

If you’re up for the challenge, here’s all it takes:

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Pick ONE habit you deeply want

Not 17.

Not a list.

One.

The one that would make everything else easier.

(***See ideas at the end of this post for inspiration.)

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Choose a Low-Hanging Fruit “One-&-Done” action

Here’s what that is and what makes it so powerful…

A “One-&-Done” action is something you do once — and boom, it’s done.

You can’t undo it.

And you’re playing offense, not defense.

It’s one way you can win the day — getting a win right out of the gate and creating immediate leverage. That one tiny start sets the tone for everything that follows.

This flips the script. That old, perfectionist—and completely futile—script.

Instead of exhausting yourself all day trying not to fail — constantly defending against your “One-&-Undone” — you’re choosing one tiny win that quietly stacks in your favor, building confidence and forward momentum. For example,

Think:

1 minute of squats

Eat 1 veggie

Track 1 healthy item in your tracker

Drink 1 glass of water

Read 1 verse on stewardship

Those are “One-&-Done.” They give you an immediate win, and the best part? You can’t undo them.

NOT:

“No sugar, sweets, fast food, processed foods, etc.”

“Stay under ___ calories”

“No snacking”

“No seconds.”

“No eating after ___ p.m.”

Those are “One-&-Undone” (you can undo them instantly). And they focus on the negative, what NOT to do, instead of the positive action that you can actually build on.

Btw, keep your “One-&-Done” short—2 minutes or less. The simpler it feels, the more likely you’ll stick with it.

Better yet? I dare you to make it 1 minute.

Your brain won’t resist that.

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Choose Your Tracking System

Whatever motivates you:

A digital tracker

An accountability friend you text a daily

A physical calendar where you mark a big or

Or the simplest option — a sticky note on your bathroom mirror

Make it simple.

Make it visible.

Make it satisfying.

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Do Your “One-&-Done” ASAP Daily

If you’re up for it, take a quick moment and do your first tiny action right now — before the scroll pulls you away.

In just one minute, you’ll get your first and the dopamine hit that goes with it. That’s how your 36-day head start begins.

Then track it and just keep the string going — tiny wins, day after day, building real momentum.

And here’s the best part: you’re also building the skill of resetting.

Even if you miss, you’re never far behind — you’re always just one minute away from a reset.

And if you want a little extra joy and accountability, invite someone from your POSSE to do it with you. You’ll stick with it longer — and you’ll have way more fun along the way.

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Here’s the beauty of this…

By January 1, you won’t just be “starting fresh.” You’ll have 36 days under your belt and well on your way to establishing your new habit.

You’ll already be BECOMING the version of you who lives this habit out naturally.

Here are a few examples of what that habit building will look like—and who you’ll be becoming:

Read 1 verse → Seeker of God.

Encourage someone → A kind human.

Make your bed → A person who creates order and calm.

Eat 1 veggie → Healthier eater.

Walk for one minute → An exerciser.

Write one gratitude → A grateful person.

These tiny habits aren’t about perfection — They’re about being faithful in the little things and stewarding your life well.

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Your 5-Minute Challenge

If you’re ready to take a simple first step, take just five minutes right now to:

Pick your one habit

Choose your 1-minute “One-&-Done” action

Pick your tracking system

Do your very first “One-&-Done”

Not ready or not the right timing?

No pressure.

Start whenever you’re ready — the tools will be right here waiting for you.

But if you are ready…

Let’s GO!

—Cheering you on

Robynn

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Use the ideas from the 8 Domains of Life below for inspiration. If possible, do your “One-&-Done” first thing in the morning for a quick WIN.

SPIRITUAL

Offer your life to God with a simple, sincere prayer.

Read one verse before reaching for your phone.

Thank God for something good in this stage and season of your life.

Repeat one Scripture truth out loud that speaks to your current situation — fear, anxiety, grief, or whatever you’re walking through.

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PERSONAL GROWTH

Write your top 3 priorities for tomorrow (the night before).

Read one page of a growth-oriented book.

Make your bed immediately when you get up.

Put things away as soon as you’re finished with them — your clothes, dishes, or anything else.

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PHYSICAL HEALTH

Do 1 minute of movement (squats, stretching, walking in place).

Do 1 minute of a farmer’s carry with two heavy dumbbells or 2 gallons full of liquid.

Eat one serving of protein.

Stir your creatine into your morning drink.

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FAMILY

Pray for one family member by name (literally takes 30 seconds).

Send a quick “I love you / thinking of you” text to a family member.

Practice being “quick to listen, slow to speak” with your child or spouse.

Tell your child/spouse “I love you” before you go to bed.

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PROFESSIONAL

Pick one person at work to encourage or add value to today.

Identify one problem you can solve for someone on your team or for a client.

Identify your #1 task for the day.

Celebrate one small win from the day—write it down.

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FINANCIAL

Check your balances on your banking app

Read one paragraph of a financial book.

Watch a 30–60 second reel from a trusted financial mentor.

Review one financial goal for 30 seconds.

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REST & RECHARGE

Read one comforting Psalm verse.

Sit still in silence for 60 seconds and think of one win you had today.

Step outside and take three slow, deep breaths.

Protect your rest with a nightly wind-down reminder.

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RELATIONSHIPS / PEOPLE

Pray for one person by name.

Take 30–60 seconds to think about the people you’ll interact with today — and how you can be a blessing to them.

Send an encouraging text to someone.

Ask yourself how you can help someone feel seen, heard, and understood.

Life On The Curve

Did you know your habits are taking you somewhere?

You’re either headed upward toward what you desire—or downward toward what you don’t. But either way, all of us are on a path, and our daily habits are what chart the course. As F.M. Alexander said,

“People do not decide their futures; they decide their habits, and their habits decide their futures.”

Here’s an interesting thing about habits: we often believe two common lies

The bad things we do won’t really bring a consequence.

The good things we do won’t really bring a reward.

But God’s Word reminds us otherwise:

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” —Galatians 6:7

This slow, steady multiplication of your daily choices is what some call the:

C O M P O U N D E F F E C T

of habits.

At first, it looks like nothing is happening. With both good and bad habits, the early results feel invisible. But over time, those small daily choices start to stack. Then suddenly—almost all at once—the results show up.

It’s like geometric growth: the curve starts off slow and steady, then it all of a sudden jets upward for good habits or plunges downward for bad habits.

Often, it feels like you’re 80% (or more) of the way through the curve before you see any visible results. But when they come—whether positive or negative—they come fast.

And that applies to all areas of life:

Spiritual life

Personal life

Health

Relationships

Professional/Job/Career

Financial

Stewarding your calling

What matters most

That’s why today is a good day to do a quick audit:

Are my habits taking me where I want to go?

Or are they quietly steering me somewhere I don’t want to end up?

The good news? With God’s help, you can choose the upward path that leads to life.

The choices we make daily are quietly shaping our trajectory—upward toward life or downward toward our demise.

“The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind.” —Proverbs 15:24 (NLT)

Action Step:

Take a simple Life-on-the-Curve Audit. For each area below, ask yourself:

“Am I on the upward curve or the downward curve?”

Then choose one small, simple step that puts you on the upward curve, and keep stringing those positive steps together as they steadily move you upward. Tiny changes, done consistently, compound into transformation.

If you’re not sure where to begin, use the Low-Hanging Fruit Framework™ to help you identify the easiest, most leveraged next step.

Upward or downward curve?

Spiritual life

Personal life

Health

Relationships

Professional/Job/Career

Financial

Stewarding Your Calling

What matters most

Transformation At The Deepest Level: From the Inside Out

Ever feel like you’re working hard but not really moving forward—or wondering why real change always feels just out of reach?

That was me—stuck on the hamster wheel until I finally learned how habits really work and even more importantly, how true transformation works. Because here’s the truth:

g r i n d i n g ≠ t r a n s f o r m a t i o n

I can still remember the frustration of taking lots of action—always striving and grinding—but never seeing lasting transformation.

That frustration is what finally pushed me to dig deeper into how habits work—how they’re formed, why they stick, and why they don’t. I devoured books like The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Here are some practical things I learned about habits

They save energy.

They run on autopilot.

They are built on a cue, a routine, and a reward—change one, and you change the pattern.

They are highly influenced by your environment.

They will either enslave you or empower you.

They compound into big results over time—consistency matters more than intensity.

They determine the outcome of your life.

All of that helped me understand how habits work on the behavioral level but even with all the science and strategies, something was still missing. That’s where Scripture took me deeper.

While those books have been incredibly helpful in understanding behavior and habit formation, I had to learn about transformation at the deepest level from the Bible. Without it, change stays surface-level—outside-in—and never truly reaches the heart. But with God, transformation begins at the core and works its way outward.

Scripture shows that true change starts from the inside out—it’s not just about behavior modification; it’s about heart renovation.

And once the heart is made new, habits simply become the way we live out that new life—just as God promised:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” —Ezekiel 36:26–27 (NIV)

Part of our role is learning how habits work so we can put off the old and put on the new—replacing old patterns with rhythms that reflect who we already are in Christ. Transformation at the deepest level begins with yielding our life to God and receiving His grace, and it’s strengthened through daily practice—learning how to exchange bad habits for good ones that align with His truth.

That’s why understanding habits matters so much. God changes our heart, but habits shape how we live from that new heart. They’re the bridge between God transforming our heart and us living out that transformation in daily life—aligning our daily rhythms with our true identity in Christ and turning spiritual truth into everyday practice.

Action Step:

Fast-forward your life 10 or 20 years. Will your habits take you to your desired destination in your:

Spiritual life

Personal life

Relationships

Health

Professional

Finances

Impact on the world you’re called to

If you don’t like the direction you’re headed, in any area, here’s the good news: you can change course today. Habits take time to form and bear fruit—but the decision to change direction can happen in a moment.

And remember this: when you make that decision, you don’t have to figure out the path alone—God has already marked out the good way, and He promises that on that path you’ll find rest for your soul.

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” —Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

Your Habits Determine Your Destination

Intro: The Power of Habits

One of the really big lessons I’ve learned on my peace with food journey, and all of life for that matter, is the power of habits.

At first, I thought peace with food came from willpower or sheer discipline and determination. But over time, I’ve learned that peace is cultivated through patterns—daily rhythms that either move us closer to the life God designed for us or slowly pull us away.

I’m not a theologian or Bible scholar—just a fellow journeyer continually learning—but as I study Scripture, I see how habit formation is woven into our transformation in a process the Bible calls sanctification.

It’s part of putting off the old self with its passions and desires and putting on the new self that reflects Christ, as described in Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV):

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

When I read this passage, I see three clear directives for cooperating with God in this work of sanctification—where our daily choices align with His transforming grace:

Put off the old self — strip away old patterns, lies, and habits that no longer align with who you are in Christ.

Renew your mind — allow God’s truth to reshape your thoughts, motives, and perspective.

Put on the new self — take faithful daily actions that reflect your identity in Christ (these actions are shaping your habits).

Transformation from the inside out doesn’t happen by willpower, behavior modification, or just gutting it out. I’ve tried that route more times than I can count.

True change happens by grace—God’s empowering presence working through His Spirit in us to do what we could never do on our own.

Our part is daily cooperation: “putting off, renewing the mind, and putting on.” His part is the sanctifying work of drawing out the new nature He’s already placed within us when we first believed.

Maybe habits sound boring or unexciting—I used to think that too. But over time, I’ve discovered that as my attitudes and behaviors align more closely with Christ, I experience deeper peace, joy, and freedom.

Whether it’s food, faith, or any other area of life, our everyday habits are leading us somewhere—toward peace and joy or toward regret and disappointment.

In the following posts, I’ll share some of the lessons I’ve learned about habits, such as:

How our habits put us on either an upward or downward curve

How to form new habits—and replace old ones that no longer serve you

How to speed up habit formation through automation and pairing

How your environment shapes your consistency

How your identity fuels lasting change

How small, consistent choices compound into lasting transformation

If putting off old habits or forming good ones has felt elusive, I’m praying this series will remind you that change is not only possible—with God’s help and grace, and with time, it’s inevitable.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” —Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

My Midlife Perfect Storm

After experiencing what I call my “perfect storm” in midlife that completely changed the rules on how to thrive in peace with food, I went searching for answers—specifically, how to regain that peace. But instead of clarity, I found my head spinning.

Everywhere I turned there was a new and novel “solution”:

Ice baths

Infrared lights

Sauna

Supplements I’d never heard of

Peptides

Biohacking gadgets

And that’s just scratching the surface!

Finally, when I thought I had a plan, a new “hot thing” would pop up—making me feel like it was never enough.

Cutting Through the Noise

For my peace and sanity, I had to stop the madness. I had to do something not easy for me to do—I had to simplify.

How?

By looking for the common threads.

After listening and reading hours and hours of research, podcasts, and watching YouTubes, I asked myself:

What are the basics all the experts seem to agree on?

Sure, maybe some of these other “novel” things are good things, but what are the primary things, the basics? I can fine-tune later.

And that’s when I landed on 5 main areas—what I now call S.E.E.D.S. These seem to be the agreed upon foundations of lasting health:

S = Sleep (quality & quantity)

E = Eating (healthy & sustainable choices)

E = Exercise (sustainable movement)

D = Drinking (hydration)

S = Stress (managing it wisely)

That list can look a little overwhelming, right? No worries—here’s the key: it doesn’t have to be if you apply the Low-Hanging Fruit Framework™.

The Power of Low-Hanging Fruit

The idea is simple: choose the smallest, most doable action in one of these areas—something so easy your brain won’t resist.

Here are some examples for you to do daily:

S = Pick a bedtime and set a nightly alarm for wind-down time

E = Track your food with a tracking app

E = Lay out your clothes the night before

D = Drink 1 glass of water upon waking

S = Say Scripture as a prayer—such as Matthew 11:28–30

***See the Scriptures below for more prayer ideas.

Your Turn

These are just examples to get you thinking. Your low-hanging fruit might look different, but the point is: start small, start simple, and start today.

Because when you plant S.E.E.D.S., you grow a harvest of health.

Question: Which area—Sleep, Eating, Exercise, Drinking, or Stress—do you need to focus on starting today?

Don’t try to master them all at once. As Gary Keller (with Jay Papasan) say in their book The ONE Thing,

“Build one habit at a time. Success is sequential, not simultaneous. No one actually has the discipline to acquire more than one powerful new habit at a time.”

So, pick one, build consistency, and once it’s in place, add another. Small steps compound into big change.

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***Scripture Prayer Ideas:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

—Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

—Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”

—1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

—Psalm 55:22 (NIV)