1. Quiet Time Routine Cue Routine Reward
Begin with Praise or Thanksgiving
Pray for blessing, peace, and focus.
Read passage and answer questions.
Choose one thought to reflect on.
Isolate the principle or truth.
“What would it look like in my life if I believed and practiced this truth?”
Clearly mark this question, take notes and review later.
Pray for God’s Word to change your life in this area. Confess your sins. Pray for other requests and for the women in your group.
Enjoy the rewards of being quiet before the Lord.
At the end of the week, review and choose something to share with the class.
Cue
Routine
Reward
1. According to Charles Duhigg in his book, The Power of Habit, habits are made and reinforced through cues, routines, and rewards. A cue is something that reminds you of your goal. The routine is the procedure you establish to work on the goal. Reward is how you celebrate your progress.
2. Group discussion: What triggers (cues) do you use to know it is time to study your lesson? Examples: a sign on bathroom mirror.
3. What is your study routine? Do you have a specific place, pattern, or time?
4. What about reward? Do you couple your study time with something else you enjoy?
Implement Rule:
5. Establish a cue. What do you use to remind yourself to study? Is this cue sufficient?
6. Establish a routine.
Choose a place for study where you can keep your study materials, prayer requests and contact information of women in your group. Is there something you could add to your place to make it more convenient?
7. Choose a time (can be relative: during naps) when you are the most alert mentally and when you will have the least amount of distraction.
8. Develop a system to pace your study throughout the week. Glance through the lesson to see how you want to subdivide it and what areas you want to focus. If you skip a question, make sure to come back to it. Often we avoid answering the questions that we most need to. Leave time for review even if you don’t finish all of it.
9. Start early.
10. Increase your motivation by coupling your study time with something else you enjoy. Don’t just answer questions, pray through a list and NOT spend quiet moments enjoying the Lord’s presence. Commune with God! This is your reward. Find the peace, contentment, and joy of being his child in his presence.
11. Seek additional accountability if needed.
12. Give small groups scenarios to work through that involve problem solving about combating distractions and lack of motivation to study. How could cue, routine, and reward address these problems?
13. Two weeks later, re-evaluate effectiveness of cue, routine, and reward. Make adjustments.