• Start
    Here
    • Start Here
    • About Barb
    • Barb Raveling’s Books
    • Renew Your Mind Seminar
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Contact
  • Renew
    Your Mind
    • Renewing of the Mind Project
    • Renewing of the Mind Tools
    • Grow Closer to God
    • Transformation 101
    • Renewing Your Mind Bible Study
  • Bible
    Studies
    • Free Bible Studies
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Online Bible Studies
  • Live In
    Peace
    • How To Live in Peace
    • Anger
    • Worry/Fear
    • Depression & Discontentment
    • Insecurity
    • Stress
    • Boredom
    • Other Emotions
  • Pursue
    A Goal
    • How to Start a Habit
    • How to Pursue a Goal
    • Goals and Productivity
    • Ministry and Blogging
  • Lose
    Weight
    • How to Lose Weight
    • Weight Loss Resources, Classes, & FAQ
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Weight Loss App
    • Weight Loss Bible Study
    • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Break
    A Habit
    • How To Break a Habit
    • Habits Blog Posts
  • Podcasts &
    Coaching
    • Coaching with Barb
    • Christian Habits Podcast
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Podcast Interviews

Barb Raveling

Tips, Tools, & Bible Studies to Renew Your Mind

Subscribe

  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Habits Podcast
You are here: Home / Habits Blog Posts / How to Set Boundaries

How to Set Boundaries

April 18, 2012 By: Barb Raveling

This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy here.

If you want to break a bad habit, the first thing you need to do is establish some boundaries. The boundaries should tell you two things:

  1. How often can you do your habit?
  2. How much of your habit can you do?

How Often

If your habit’s a sin, the answer to the first question is easy: never. If your habit isn’t a sin, it’s a little more complicated. It kind of depends on why you’re limiting your habit.

Do you spend too much time on it? Is it unhealthy for you? Does it control you? It is hurting your relationship with God and others?

Talk to God about it and see if you can come up with a good concrete goal. It might be a number goal: 2 times a week. 3 times a day. Once a month.

Or it might be tied to an event: I can check my blog stats the day after each post. I can eat whenever I’m actually hungry. I can get on the Internet only after I’ve finished all my homework for the day. I can’t work after supper.

How Much

You’ll also have to decide on how much time to spend on your habit, or with a habit such as eating, how much to eat. Here are a few questions you could ask yourself:

  1. How much time do you think God wants you to spend on this habit?
  2. What would be the best amount if you had the control to actually follow through with it?
  3. What’s the best amount for maximum benefit with minimum consequence?

If you’re dealing with a recreation or work habit, set a time limit: 30 minutes of television a day, 15 minutes of Facebook three times a day, one hour of writing a day.

If you’re dealing with an eating habit, limit the quantity in some way. You could count calories, carbs, or Weight Watcher’s points, or you could just eyeball the food before you sit down to eat and decide on a healthy amount (with the additional boundary of no second helpings). You could also look into hunger/fullness eating boundaries from sites like Thin Within.

Your Project

How to Set Boundaries for your HabitIf you’re trying to break a bad habit or sin, why don’t you take out your journal and spend some time talking to God about your boundaries and exploring some boundary possibilities?

Once you’ve established your boundaries, focus on renewing your mind whenever you break them – or even better, whenever you feel like breaking them.

P.S. For two other posts on this topic, click on these links: How to Set Boundaries to Break Free from Idolatry and Secondary Boundaries.

 

Related Posts:

  • How to Stop Being Angry – 12 Tips
  • 8 Signs You're People Pleasing and How to Stop People…
  • Feeling Guilty: 10 Bible Verses & 8 Questions
768 shares
  • Share39
  • Tweet

Comments

  1. Loren Pinilis says

    April 18, 2012 at 11:29 am

    This is a deceptively simple but powerful start to our habits. We may unconsciously skip over this step, but we have to intentionally consider these issues. What does our desired state really look like?

    • Kari Scare says

      April 18, 2012 at 2:47 pm

      Be intentional. Very important… crucial actually.

    • Barb Raveling says

      April 18, 2012 at 4:50 pm

      Yes, I do this with habits, but I haven’t been doing it with goals – that’s what I’m working on now.

  2. Kari Scare says

    April 18, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    Great tips! I have been thinking of writing on this topic, and you have given me some great ideas and inspiration.

    • Barb Raveling says

      April 18, 2012 at 4:49 pm

      Thanks, Kari.

  3. CJ says

    April 18, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    Thanks for the reminder. I think I sometimes keep thinking “my” boundaries are sufficient, but i haven’t prayed and asked God for specific goals (in terms of amount, number, etc…)… but I need to do that… TONIGHT! I need to do it and reevaluate at my boundaries and goals.

    • Barb Raveling says

      April 18, 2012 at 7:58 pm

      I think I need to do the same thing with my writing. So often I start different projects and then don’t finish any of them. My to-do list project has pushed me to at least write for a specific time on each project Monday to Friday, but I feel like I haven’t spent enough time praying about what God wants me to accomplish and writing down overall goals.

      • Kari Scare says

        April 19, 2012 at 10:21 am

        My prayers about writing have been very general. You know the “wisdom” request. I need to be more specific and then be a good listener. My prayers about my writing are now going to change. Oh, help me Holy Spirit! I feel even inadequate in this.

  4. Dan Black on Leadership says

    April 18, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    This is very helpful for me. I’m trying to cut down on the amount of TV and social media I use so I can write and think more. Setting time limets is a great idea.

    Also I make sure to only check my traffic once a day, so I don’t become overly focused on my blog traffic.

    • Dan Black on Leadership says

      April 18, 2012 at 7:13 pm

      Before I was able to correct the spelling and finish the comment, I pushed enter. So sorry about the miss spelled words.

      This was a great post.

      • Barb Raveling says

        April 18, 2012 at 8:06 pm

        Thanks, Dan. I’m still trying to get this whole social media thing figured out – how to do it (all the techy things plus just learning how to be a better writer), how to keep writing from taking over my life (which is funny since my old problem was how to force myself to write), and how much time God wants me to spend working on all of this. It seems like I have a lot of new temptations as a blogger that I didn’t have before I started blogging! Sounds like you are on the path to managing it all.

        • Dan Black on Leadership says

          April 18, 2012 at 8:11 pm

          Yes I am. I try and spend more time writing and reading other blogs than focusing on my traffic numbers, social media, and the tech side of having a blog. Since God has called us to write so we can add value to others then our focus should be on writing not things that distract us. Though this is a challenge for me.

  5. Barb Raveling says

    April 18, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    Yes, that’s what I’m trying to figure out – how to focus on loving God and others through my blog without being distracted by everything else. I think it’s tricky. But I’m guessing it’s one of those things that gets easier with time. This is the first time I’ve been committed to blogging two or three times a week and had enough discipline in my life to pull it off for the long-term. I do have a friend (another blogger) holding me accountable to checking my stats just once a week.

    • Dan Black on Leadership says

      April 18, 2012 at 8:36 pm

      I think that’s a major challenge every blogger faces. To spend more time writing valuable content rather than doing other things. I think Focus is essential!

      Great idea about having an accountability partner. I also have another blogger who I talk with over the phone or via email each week, so we can encourage and challenge each other.

Search Blog

Connect with us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

  • Spiritual Attack: 10 Tips for Spiritual Warfare
  • How to Meditate on Scripture
  • How To Renew Your Mind
  • How to Make Yourself Exercise and Renew with Anna
  • Weight Loss Bible Study: Day 1
  • 35: 7 Ways to Get Closer to God
  • How to Overcome Insecurity with God’s Help
  • When Life is Boring: 10 Questions & 9 Bible Verses
  • 29: 6 Steps to Breaking Free From Self-Condemnation
  • Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner’s Guide

Archives

Categories

  • Anger
  • Bible Studies/Worksheets
  • Boredom
  • Christian Habits Podcast
  • Depression/Discontentment
  • Goals and Productivity
  • Grow Closer to God
  • Habits Blog Posts
  • Insecurity
  • Letting Go of Negative Emotions
  • Marriage
  • Ministry and Blogging
  • Other Emotions
  • Stress
  • Transformation 101
  • Uncategorized
  • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Weight Loss Podcast
  • Worry/Fear
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (www.lockman.org).
Copyright © 2023 • Custom blog design by The Pixelista • Built on the Genesis Framework
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT