[PART 4] Fundamentals of Bible-Based Self-Improvement

Greetings, my friend,

Welcome to The Arsenal, your weekly newsletter designed to train and equip you for a set apart lifestyle.

As we approach the end of laying the foundation for living a more productive, purpose-driven lifestyle, let’s recap what’s we’ve learned so far:

· The importance of starting off our day right by spending time with Yahweh first and foremost through prayer and Scripture-reading

· A three-step process for discovering your purpose/calling and aligning yourself with Yah’s will

To support these two core endeavors, we’ve discussed the supplemental habit of: 

· Several ways to treat your body as a holy temple for the Spirit to dwell in

If you missed and/or would like to review Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 of this series, click each respective part to do so.

To further add onto this supplemental habits list, I want you to chew on this thought: As you strive to implement or restructure your routine based on these habits in pursuit of your purpose, and as you begin to discover what your higher calling looks like, you may begin asking yourself: What does my journey to build the best version of myself and fulfill Yah’s purpose for me look like in a practical sense? In other words, what can you do daily to help build a more productive and set-apart lifestyle that glorifies Him?

That’s where today’s newsletter can help. Let’s dive into our fourth fundamental habit.

Habit #4: Setting and Pressing Toward Your Goal 

Since I was quite young, I’ve always enjoyed planning things, keeping track of things, and trying to help facilitate and lead things where I can. And my experiences with the opportunities I’ve been given to do those things has helped me realize that no matter what type of event or endeavor I exercise those traits for, they all have one thing in common.

Whether I’m helping develop a new marketing campaign at work, planning out my study and workout sessions for each day of the week, or organizing a group trip to Cedar Point, I noticed I’m always subconsciously striving to reach some goal. In the case of the examples I just mentioned, they were to maximize profits, to do well on my assignments, to boost whole-body strength, and to have fun with my friends. 

Once I understood how there was always an end goal behind every choice and subsequent action I made in life, even when I didn’t always think about it, it unlocked a brand new thought process that allows me to evaluate every aspect of my life and ask the important questions in order to improve, especially when it came to eliminating distractions and unhealthy habits that could hold me back.

Here’s a practical demonstration: Let’s say you have a bad habit of scrolling Instagram reels or TikToks non-stop for a good 2-3 hours a day. You know deep down that it’s unproductive and there are better uses of your time, but you just can’t crawl out of the dopamine rabbit hole, especially since you’ve just had a long day at work and just want to relax. To break free of this cycle, try using this goal-oriented thought process by asking yourself these questions:

· What is the end goal and/or benefit I’m seeking to get out of this activity?

· Does the determined end goal benefit me physically, mentally, and spiritually? What will it allow me to achieve in the long run?

· If not, what must be done to eliminate and replace this activity with something else more beneficial? How will the new activity contribute to my pursuit of purpose and fully align with my morals and beliefs? 

Now of course, there’s a balance between productivity and relaxation: Every single aspect of your daily routine shouldn’t be focused on productivity and “the grind” from the moment you wake up till when your heads hits the pillow. That’s a fantastic recipe for burnout and consequently sucking all your motivation down the drain.

But at the same time, I recommend spending your downtime engaged in activities that don’t overstimulate your brain and contribute to the more creative, expressive, and imaginative side of yourself, such as playing an instrument, writing/journaling, reading a book, or even listening to a podcast for new inspiration and ideas for things you enjoy doing. As long as you start your day right and prioritize your mission for the day by accomplishing everything you need to, enjoy your hard earned downtime.

From a spiritual perspective, this mindset and mental habit becomes an extremely powerful weapon that combats the schemes of the Enemy to keep you distracted from what Yah has for you: In addition to eliminating unproductive activities and maximizing your time, it can also be used as a moral compass in conjunction with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and convictions.

By analyzing your habits and daily routine by setting goals that encourage spiritual growth while guarding your eyes (Matthew 6:22-23) and heart (Proverbs 4:23), you will begin to subconsciously remain focused on growing closer to Yeshua and walking in His ways. And setting yourself up to be continually walking in obedience to the Word and what the Holy Spirit convicts you to do while reap immense benefits and blessings.

So now that you’ve discovered how to set the right goals for yourself, how do you help yourself stay on track to ensure you reach them? Here a few practices you can implement to do that:

· Utilizing calendars and to-do lists – Partially based on my enjoyment in organizing and keeping track of things, I utilize multiple apps on my phone to help me accomplish what needs to get done. The first is Google Calendar. Every part of my daily routine, as well as any upcoming events, appointments, lessons, etc. are all placed into my calendar. This gives me a clear reminder of the plan for the day and also helps me visualize an ideal, productive day should look like, all in an aesthetically pleasing and highly customizable fashion. I also utilize a note-taking or to-do list app for remembering to perform more miscellaneous but important tasks, like cancelling that free trial, changing out my contact lenses, or registering on time for an event or seminar. Some app recommendations would be Obsidian for notes you can sync across multiple devices, and Things as a to-do list app that’s simple, focused, and has features built in to help you succeed. For tasks involving deadlines or of extreme importance, I would recommend also putting those tasks into your phone’s Reminders app as well to ensure you’re notified of that task before the end of the day. 

· Having an accountability partner – This is a big one that so many people, especially men, tend to miss. Many of us often feel too prideful or that it’s an act of weakness to ask for help in achieving something, even if we’re struggling. But you have to ask yourself: How badly do you want to accomplish your goals? Accountability is also a very biblical concept, as demonstrated in the following passages:

By applying these concepts to help yourself combat laziness, pride, and even sinful habits, you will see significant results. So don’t be afraid to approach a trusted friend, family member, or mentor with your struggles to achieve your goals. Two minds are better than one, so having a second opinion or another perspective on where you may be falling short can be the key to unlocking the proper process for success.

· Pray for strength and discipline – What better source of encouragement and help can you run to than your Creator? As it is written, 

Be encouraged, my friend: Yeshua is on your side, and He will provide everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). And because He’s prevailed over human weaknesses, let us rely on Him who has overcome as our Provider for that kind of strength.

As a final note, let our ultimate end goal we set for ourselves imitate Paul, as he imitates Yeshua:

Be blessed, my brothers and sisters.