Course Catalog / BMU 101 / Lesson 7 of 7

BMU 101

Day 7: Your Peace Plan

About 7 minutes, plus 20 minutes for your action step

Quick review

What is one way to add joy without needing extra time?

See the answer

Habit stacking: attach a small joy to something you already do.

Reading about peace does not change much on a hard Tuesday. A plan you practice does. Today you write yours on one page and start Day 1 of 21.

Start where you are: Look back at your notes from Days 1 to 6. Which tool have you already used at least once? That is a sign of what will stick.

Practice, not information

You have spent six days learning to spot drains, pause, set boundaries, edit your inputs, steer by values, and add small joys. Today you turn that into a plan you can follow.

Real change does not come from reading. It comes from repeating. This course uses a 21 day starter plan for this reason. A short, focused stretch is long enough to build momentum and short enough to stay motivated.

Your one page Peace Plan

• My biggest changeable drain: from Day 1.
• My pause phrase: from Day 2, for example "I do not have to respond right now."
• My boundary: the script from Day 3.
• My input rule: from Day 4, such as no phone for the first 30 minutes.
• My top three values: from Day 5.
• My two scheduled joys: from Day 6.

Pick one habit

Pick one habit from the plan to practice every day for 21 days. One. Trying to change everything at once is how most plans fall apart.

When you miss a day

Expect to miss days. In a study of new habits, missing one day did not undo progress (Lally and colleagues, 2010). Just come back to it the next day.

On a hard or boring day, shrink the habit instead of skipping it. Two minutes still counts. A small version keeps the habit going until you can do the full one again.

Twenty one days gets a habit started, but most habits take longer to feel automatic. In that study, it took a median of about 66 days, with a range of 18 to 254 days. So keep going after Day 21. The free 30 Day Rise Daily Tracker takes you past Day 21, and BMU 201 has a full plan from Day 22 to Day 66.

Worked example: one plan, one habit

An illustrative composite. The person and details are made up.

1. Drain: late night scrolling.
2. Pause phrase: "I don't have to respond right now." Boundary: "I can talk for ten minutes."
3. Input rule: phone free for the first 30 minutes. Values: family, faith, health. Joys: porch coffee, Sunday walk.
4. One habit for 21 days: phone free first 30 minutes. Restart rule: if I miss a morning, I start again the next morning, no guilt.

Common mistakes

• Choosing three habits at once. Fix: Choose one. Add the next after 21 days.
• Quitting after one missed day. Fix: One missed day does not undo the habit. Come back tomorrow.
• Hiding the plan in a drawer. Fix: Put it where you will see it every day.

Check your understanding

Pick an answer, then open "See the answer." Try as many times as you like.

1. How many habits should you practice for the first 21 days?

1. A. All six
2. B. One
3. C. Three

See the answer to question 1

The best answer is B: One

• A: Not quite. Trying to change everything at once is how plans fall apart. To improve: reread Pick one habit, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. One habit, done daily.
• C: Not quite. Still too many to start. To improve: reread Pick one habit, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

2. You miss Day 9 of your 21 days because your kid was sick. What does the lesson say to do?

1. A. Start over at Day 1
2. B. Come back to it the next day
3. C. Quit; it is not working

See the answer to question 2

The best answer is B: Come back to it the next day

• A: Not quite. One missed day does not undo the habit. To improve: reread When you miss a day, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. Missing one day did not undo progress in habit research.
• C: Not quite. A slip is normal. To improve: reread When you miss a day, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

3. Your friend wants to change her mornings, her diet, and her phone habits all this week. What would you tell her, based on this lesson?

1. A. Go for it, more is better
2. B. Pick one and give it 21 days first
3. C. Wait until next year

See the answer to question 3

The best answer is B: Pick one and give it 21 days first

• A: Not quite. That is how plans fall apart. To improve: reread Pick one habit, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. This is the lesson's advice.
• C: Not quite. Waiting is not the plan. To improve: reread Pick one habit, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

4. Where does real change come from, according to the lesson?

1. A. Reading
2. B. Repeating
3. C. Waiting for motivation

See the answer to question 4

The best answer is B: Repeating

• A: Not quite. Reading helps, but it is not enough. To improve: reread Practice, not information, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. Practice creates change.
• C: Not quite. Motivation follows action. To improve: reread Practice, not information, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

Next up: Go to the course wrap up to check your Peace Plan, rate your skills, and set your 7 and 30 day check ins. Then print your free certificate.

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