What is it you dislike doing daily, but you do it anyway?

`Is there something you do daily that you don’t enjoy, but you find a way to get it done regardless? This could fall under the category of a daily grind, a chore, a fake-it-til-you-make it, even a habit or routine. The bottom line is you don’t enjoy doing it, but you appreciate the results. A few things come to mind that fit this category:

·      Freshly grinding your own coffee

·      Stretching your back every morning

·      Daily Bible reading, prayer and journal

·      Making your bed every day

·      Daily exercise

·      Washing dishes

 Whatever it is, you find a way to get the job done. You don’t like it and may never enjoy it, but you know you are better because you completed the task. Take washing dishes. I don’t know of anyone who enjoys this chore, even if it involves a dishwasher, it’s still work, right? It can be made more tolerable with music or a partner, but you still must unload the clean ones, scrape the dirty ones, rinse, load, add soap, etc. 

My Mom led by example. I don’t recall her ever giving instructions about making sure all the dishes get done before going to bed, because it’s an absolute joy to wake up in the morning to a clean sink! However, her example still speaks loud and clear, even though I’m not following very well… But my brother picked up on it, as well as his oldest son, who we got to be with weekly for two years. They make sure the dishes are done every night and do so with a smile on their face. Unbelievable! (BTW, thanks for your example Bro and Happy Birthday!)

What about making your bed? On one hand, why make it up if you’re just gonna be right back there tonight and mess it up! I was in a military organization for four years in college and we had to make our beds every morning, and it stuck. Then my oldest son was being mentored by a friend, who noticed my son needed to start each day with an achievement to reinforce discipline. The mentor instructed my son to make his bed every morning, which may seem small, silly, even a waste of time. But it provided an accomplishment, a sense of pride and a starting place with a positive daily habit.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear says you have to “fall in love with boredom.” That’s because in order to form a beneficial habit that turns into a reinforcing routine, we must go through the grind of doing something you don’t enjoy at the time, but the results are worthwhile. 

What is it you need to press into a little harder and endure the grind of forming a good habit to establish a routine that ends in a positive result? Pick something fairly easy, such as reading for 30 minutes a day, and make it happen. But also consider something from a more eternal perspective, such as loving God through loving people. What is a simple daily routine you can do that may not be enjoyable, but you know it is beneficial for someone else? Things that come to mind include:

·      A call, text or email to encourage

·      A hand-written note to a friend

·      A small act of kindness to a stranger

·      An individual prayer over someone hurting

·      Or even remove the mask, smile, hug and embrace

Paul shares, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”