Day 2 – Group Email Inspiration and Test

Hello 356 Club Members –

I am testing the new group alias (365club@googlegroups.com) and it appears to be working.

I also wanted to send a bit of inspiration as I know getting started is the hardest part of a commitment like this. First – I want you to know that I am probably an expert on the subject of NOT being disciplined. I have spend almost 35 years trying to figure out how to become a more disciplined person. Well, I finally figured it out!

I was lied to. There is no such thing as discipline. I used to think it was some great gift, or power that people achieved. I would always lament – “Why cant I be more disciplined!” or “If only I could be more disciplined, I would accomplish all these great things!” Well stop wasting your time – disciplined people know the secret. I found out the secret when I finally became disciplined at something. The secret is that discipline does not exist – what exists is good habits.

People that appear to all of us as “disciplined” have really just developed good habits. For a person with very few good habits (like me), the lifestyle of a person that has developed many good habits can seem overwhelming. They wake up in the morning at the same time, they eat a good health breakfast, they exercise, they read scriptures, they pray, they make their bed, they write in their journal, they water the plants, they call their mom, they send letter at Christmas time….you know what I am talking about. Those people. I have never understood “How” to become one of “those people.”

Well now I know. It is really rather simple and they have been hiding the secret from me. All you have to do is really just develop a good habit and then after a while, voila, that habit is no longer difficult to remember to do – it just happens. If you keep up the implementation of good habits – eventually you compile a bunch of good habits and everyone around you will be in awe at your tremendous discipline. It is not hard work to be disciplined, it is hard work developing the good habit!

So I have explored a few questions on this subject during my life. The first is – how long do I have to suffer in developing a habit before it really becomes a habit? The second is what is the most important habit to work on first?

I will answer the first question. 18 days is a myth. I have tried it and 18 days is not enough. Someone told me 18 days was the magic number – that person was not speaking from experience. I have learned that it takes me about 90 days to develop a solid habit. It maybe different for you. I can tell you that it will take at least 60 days. So just plan on 60 – 90 days of having to remind yourself and reinforce the need to keep something up until it becomes a habit.

For those of you who had parents that reminded you everyday growing up to say your prayers, make your bed, brush your teeth – you can now call them and thank them for helping you to develop lifelong habits. For the rest of us – we are going to have to nag ourselves into remembering to follow our 365 commitment everyday for at least 60 days – and then it will become habitual and it will be second nature and you will be surprised that it was ever so hard to remind yourself to do it!

The second question is something I have wondered my whole life. What is the most important habit to develop. Well now you know how and why I came up with the 365 commitment. I concluded that daily prayer was the absolutely most important, followed by planning your day, and finally writing your commitments down. Those three things are the most important habits that I can think of. Now you can debate with me on many others. Exercise would be a good one, eating well might be another – perhaps you will argue that making your bed is the most critical habit. All that maybe true – go ahead and add that to your list each day – but I absolutely believe that prayer and deciding before the day starts what is important to you to accomplish are the absolute foundation of an inspiring journey through life. I also have learned that what I write down becomes true.

I am already experiencing the positive results and I am only on day 2.

Thanks,

Guy Reams (2)
365 Club Member

The (2) represents the number of days I have kept my commitment

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Share the Post:

Recent Blogs

Day 354 – Evidence of Work is Not Evidence of Learning

This article argues that AI has exposed a fundamental flaw in modern education: the substitution of “evidence of work” for “evidence of learning.” It highlights how schools have increasingly focused on quantifiable outputs like completed worksheets and assignments, which AI can now easily generate without genuine understanding. The author contends that AI’s proliferation forces education to return to its core purpose—actual teaching and fostering cognitive development—rather than merely verifying compliance.

Day 353 – les Lumières

Immanuel Kant’s 1784 essay, “What is enlightenment?” marked the end of an era, much like we might be at the cusp of a new one today. The Enlightenment, characterized by reason and a departure from superstition, was known as *les Lumières* by the French and *Aufklärung* by the Germans. We are now entering an “Age of Knowledge” where access to information is ubiquitous, shifting the focus from acquiring knowledge to exercising judgment.

Day 352 – Habits are Foundation

This article discusses the importance of developing habits for personal transformation. It emphasizes that consistent, small habits lead to inevitable success and reduce reliance on motivation or discipline. The key is to engage in the principal action related to your desired outcome every day, as repetition is the best way to fix behavior.

Day 351 – The Real Risk is Not the Start

Many people fear starting new initiatives due to the perceived risk of initial failure. However, the beginning often offers easy gains and quick successes. The real challenge arises after these initial successes, when progress plateaus and requires significantly more effort, skill, or a change in strategy.