Good Habits

This week, I read a quote from Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Work, which caused me to reflect on the nature of lasting change. 

"...Stopping [bad habits] and beginning to do healthy things" 

(PMG pg. 188)

It is simply not enough to stop bad habits. We must replace them with good habits. 

In the April 1996 General Conference, Robert D. Hales taught: 

"...by turning on an electric light or by lighting a candle, there was no more darkness...

 You learned a simple law of nature, which is also a spiritual law: 

 Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time.

 Satan and his disciples cannot tolerate the spiritual light of the gospel; 

they must immediately depart."

 

It is only light that can chase away darkness--only good habits will replace bad ones. 

Currently, I have a bad habit I am working on: going to sleep earlier, and thereby working up earlier, and having more time. 

Sleeping too late will be replaced with the following counsel: 

"retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."

(D&C 88:124)

“But If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear” (D&C 38:30)

From the time I was twelve years old, I have been taught to “be prepared.”

During conference week, my mission president would urge us to “prepare for the Prophets.”

However, sure enough, this week I neglected the counsel of my former years.

All week long, I was excited about the weekend. I was having a mission reunion on Friday evening. That would be followed up with Saturday and Sunday Sessions of General Conference, where I would receive counsel, comfort, aid, and ideas for the questions and challenges I faced.

Although I planned in anticipation of Conference and my reunion, I didn’t finish all the schoolwork  that I had planned on completing. The catch is that every day, I failed to reach my goals for school work accomplished.

“I’ll just do a little more tomorrow” became my motto every evening. Saturday morning arrived, and the things I had failed to complete weighed on my mind throughout the day, diverting my full attention from the conference speakers, and those around me.

Bottom line, I didn’t enjoy my weekend quite as fully as I had hoped that I would.

So what?

I have learned (or re-learned, to be more accurate) that I ought to be honest with myself when it comes to planning my time and tasks. Procrastination creates a false and deceptive reality that is rarely, if ever realized.

I am making a resolution to complete all of the leftover schoolwork from the week, today (even if means I’ll be awake until the twilight hours). I don’t want it to spill over into Sunday’s conference sessions or onto the upcoming week.

The prospect of a fresh start to the week feels great.