Making Good Habits  Breaking Bad Habits by Joyce Meyer Pt1  [Summary] 

Main Summary: Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits by Joyce Meyer is a book that teaches how daily habits shape your character and spiritual growth. This first part focuses on understanding habits, renewing your mind, taking responsibility for your choices, and replacing destructive patterns with godly, life-giving behaviors.

Lessons You’ll Learn From This Post 

• How Habits are Formed
• Procrastination Habit
• The God First Habit
• Choosing to do the Hard Things helps build character 
• Your Thoughts, Words, and Habits
• The Habit of Decision Making
• Prioritizing Healthy Habits
• The Habit of Being Happy 

First we form habits and then they form us. We are what we repeatedly do.

How Habits are Formed 

• Habits are behaviors formed through repetition and eventually become automatic.
• We are shaped by what we repeatedly do; habits don’t just affect life—they form life.
• Good habits overcome bad ones by replacement, not obsession with failure.
• Focusing on what you want to do is more powerful than focusing on what you want to stop doing.
• Repetition is the core mechanism behind both forming good habits and breaking bad ones.
• The mind must be trained intentionally; reminders and systems help reinforce new behaviors.
• Bad habits must be treated as enemies because they steal destiny, peace, and progress.
• Gradual change is effective—small adjustments lead to lasting transformation.
• Repeated actions program the subconscious mind; excellence comes from repeated right actions.
• Activity defeats passivity; doing the right thing leaves no room for the wrong one.
• Decisions, not emotions, should govern your behavior.
• Patience is essential—habits take time to form, and failure should not lead you to discouragement.

If you don’t put God first, nothing else in your life will work properly.

Procrastination Habit

• Procrastination is one of the greatest enemies of progress and success.
• Thinking, planning, and talking about change does nothing unless action begins.
• Bad habits feel comfortable but quietly create bondage and long-term pain.
• Delaying difficult tasks often creates more stress than doing them immediately.
• Becoming a “now” person—someone who acts promptly—is essential for growth.
• Procrastination often begins with small delays that accumulate into major problems.
• Faith requires action; believing without obedience produces no results.
• Obedience in small things strengthens discipline for bigger challenges.
• Waiting for a “convenient time” is usually an excuse that prevents progress.
• Great character is built by doing what must be done, even when it is difficult.
• Viewing life with a conqueror’s mindset helps overcome fear and delay. Success comes from consistent action, not intention alone.

You can get rid of any thought you don’t want by simply deciding to think something else.

The God First Habit

• Putting God first is the most important habit for a successful and stable life.
• A strong relationship with God does not happen accidentally; it must be cultivated intentionally.
• Spending time with God daily provides strength, wisdom, peace, and direction.
• Many struggles in life are intensified when God is neglected.
• Prayer and studying God’s Word should be a priority, not an afterthought.
• Starting the day with God sets the tone for everything else.
• The presence of God empowers believers to overcome bad habits and weaknesses.
• Consistency with God produces spiritual maturity and emotional stability.
• Trusting God daily reduces anxiety, fear, and stress.
• Obedience becomes easier when intimacy with God is developed.
• God desires a relationship with you, not just a religious routine.
• Your time with God should be protected just like any important appointment.

You cannot change what you will not confront.

Choosing to do the Hard Things helps build character. 

• Personal growth requires doing things that are uncomfortable and difficult.
• Avoiding what is hard strengthens weakness; facing it helps you build strength and character.
• Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want now.
• Life becomes harder when you avoid responsibility, but easier when you face it.
• Doing difficult things consistently produces long-term freedom and confidence.
• Many bad habits persist because people choose comfort over growth.
• Maturity develops when we stop running from challenges.
• Obedience to God often requires sacrifice, but it always leads to reward.
• The pain of discipline is temporary, but the pain of regret lasts much longer.
• Courage grows through repeated acts of obedience, not feelings. Comfort zones are enemies of your destiny.
• God often uses difficult assignments to prepare us for greater responsibility.

You can get rid of any thought you don’t want by simply deciding to think something else.

Your Thoughts, Words, and Habits

• Thoughts determine words, and words determine actions; they are the foundation of all habits.
• Every habit—good or bad—begins in the mind before it shows up in behavior.
• Entertaining the wrong thought long enough will eventually lead to wrong actions.
• Wrong thoughts must be rejected immediately before they turn into excuses.
• Words always come before action; what you consistently say shapes what you do.
• Speaking based on feelings or circumstances can trap you in defeat.
• Victory begins when your thoughts and words align with God’s Word, not current reality.
• People stay stuck because their thoughts and words contradict their desires.
• You can talk yourself into victory or talk yourself into defeat.
• Renewing the mind is required to experience God’s good and perfect will. Because it is God’s Word that reveals what is possible and gives you direction for change.
• Bad habits continue when people refuse to believe or act on God’s instructions.
• Thoughts may come uninvited, but they do not have to be accepted; they can be cast down and replaced deliberately.
• Verbal affirmation interrupts negative thinking and redirects behavior.
• Taking responsibility for your thoughts and words is essential for lasting change.
• The tongue has spiritual power and shapes your future outcomes. Speaking life produces life; speaking negativity produces negative results.
• The habit of right thoughts and words opens the door to many other good habits.
• With God’s help, your mental and verbal habits can be reprogrammed.

People who stay in the middle of the road get run over.

The Habit of Decision Making

• Indecision is a destructive habit that steals your peace, progress, and success.
• Life is filled with constant decisions; your refusing to decide is still a decision.
• Being decisive in a wise and timely manner is essential for a stable life.
• Some people decide too quickly, some too slowly, some unwisely, and some not at all.
• Right spiritual decisions—especially putting God first—make other decisions easier.
• The fear of displeasing God can sometimes cause unnecessary indecision.
• Indecision produces misery, confusion, and instability.
• Good decisions are learned through experience, including making wrong decisions.
• Wisdom comes from asking God in faith without wavering.
• Wavering, doubting, and hesitation block your ability to receive help from God.
• God does not always give detailed instructions; sometimes He gives freedom to choose.
• Peace, wisdom, and alignment with God’s Word are guides for decision-making.
• God cannot direct someone who refuses to move; action is required.
• Indecision often comes from insecurity, fear, people-pleasing, pride, or fear of responsibility.
• Being afraid to be wrong keeps many people frozen in inaction. Once a decision is made, you must follow it with responsibility and action.
• Listing options helps clarify available choices. Weighing positive and negative outcomes leads to wiser decisions.
• Acknowledging God before and after deciding brings clarity and peace.
• Small steps of faith help overcome fear and build confidence.
• Big successes grow out of small beginnings.
• Decisiveness should first be practiced in small, everyday matters. Once a decision is made, excessive reasoning should stop.
• Having no plan leads to wasted time and missed opportunities.
• As a believer, you must avoid double-mindedness and develop mental firmness.
• Confessing decisiveness daily helps reinforce the habit of wise decision-making.

Our bodies are not really all that intelligent. They just crave what we repeatedly give them.

Prioritizing Healthy Habits

• Many illnesses could be prevented through early healthy lifestyle choices.
• Health should be chosen proactively, not only when sickness appears.
• The body belongs to God, and you should honor it as His dwelling place.
• Caring for your body is an act of stewardship and worship toward God.
• Health decisions are investments, not gambles; today’s choices affect your future well-being.
• Neglecting your health can hinder the fulfillment of God’s assignment and destiny.
• Physical energy and longevity are necessary to complete God’s purpose.
• Healthy habits require discipline, sacrifice, and consistency. Because the body craves what it is repeatedly given—good or bad.
• Knowledge about nutrition is essential to making wise health choices.
• Stress is a major contributor to modern illness and must be addressed intentionally.
• Chronic stress damages nearly every system of the body.
• Many people complain about stress but refuse to change their lifestyles.
• Trusting God and casting cares on Him reduces stress significantly.
• It is never too late to begin repairing health through better habits. Small changes made consistently can restore your vitality and strength.
• Seven foundational pillars that support long-term physical health:
  • Drinking plenty of water
  • Getting sufficient sleep and rest
  • Eating quality, living foods
  • Exercising regularly
  • Using supplements wisely
  • Detoxifying the body
  • Managing and reducing stress
• Moderation and balance are essential in eating and lifestyle choices.
• Regular rest and honoring the Sabbath principle are vital.
• Supplements and detox practices can support the body’s natural systems.

I am convinced that happiness is a choice and a habit that we can develop.

The Habit of Being Happy 

• Every person desires happiness, and this desire motivates much of human behavior.
• Happiness is not merely a feeling; it is a choice and a habit that can be developed.
• Deciding to be happy must come before feelings follow.
• If happiness is not chosen deliberately, circumstances will always steal joy.
• Joy gives strength to handle life’s problems, while sadness drains energy.
• Being unhappy changes nothing and wastes valuable time.
• God desires His people to enjoy life and live abundantly.
• Focusing on good things produces positive emotions; focusing on negative things produces sadness and anxiety.
• Happiness is not determined by circumstances but by perspective and mindset.
• Persistent negativity makes consistent happiness impossible.
• Many people chase goals thinking they will bring happiness, only to be disappointed.
• Wealth, possessions, and career success cannot sustain happiness.
• Good relationships and good health are major contributors to happiness.
• A close, obedient relationship with God is the greatest source of joy.
• Serving others and making others happy produces personal joy.
• Loving God and loving people are keys to daily happiness.
• Beliefs greatly influence happiness; purposelessness and feeling unloved destroy joy.
• Believing God loves you and has a purpose for you increases happiness.
• Hope is essential for joy, even in difficult circumstances.
• Trials can produce character, endurance, and confident hope.
• Joy and peace are found in believing in God. Wrong beliefs about yourself must be replaced with God’s truth.
• Many people delay happiness by attaching it to future events. Happiness should be enjoyed now, not postponed.
• No person can make another permanently happy. Taking responsibility for your own happiness transforms relationships.
• Letting others control your joy leads to constant disappointment.
• Laughter is a powerful, healthy habit that relieves stress and restores joy.
• Laughing helps people cope with life and avoid excessive intensity. Adults need to laugh more and think less.
• Enjoying oneself improves overall quality of life.
• Being overly critical of yourself contributes to unhappiness.
• Learning to laugh at oneself reduces pressure and increases joy.
• Growth and change should be pursued with joy, not self-condemnation.
• Life is precious and short; it should not be wasted in unhappiness.
• Happiness is a deliberate lifestyle choice, not an accident.
• Developing the happy habit leaves no room for constant sadness or anger.

Your habits are shaping who you are becoming. When you choose discipline, renew your thinking, and act on God’s truth consistently, lasting change follows. Transformation is possible when you stop living by feelings and start living by intentional, faith-based choices.

Finally, here is a question we’d love you to answer.

Are your daily choices moving you toward freedom or regret?

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your answer and comment in the comment box below.

This book is available to buy or read in various online bookstores or from your local bookshop.

If you have yet to SUBSCRIBE to our blog, please do that NOW. So you don’t miss any inspirational book summaries coming next.

Also, do well by liking and sharing this post with your friends and loved ones. Let’s spread the word together.

God bless you