Even if you aren’t religious, you can use the season of Lent to improve yourself. Photo by Jose Cabezas/AFP/Getty Images

Maybe your forehead bears an ashen cross today, symbolic of repentance and commitment to God, or perhaps your T-zone is unembellished.

No matter your location on the liturgical spectrum, I challenge you to take advantage of a great 40-day commitment to personal development.

The Season of Lent marks the time before Easter where one fasts from many materialistic pleasures and focuses inwardly on preparation of the soul. In general terms, the goal is to remove distracting obstacles from your path to personal betterment. Though I concur that you are awesome, I submit that you could improve.

What can you do in 40 days? Kick a habit. Stick a habit. Shut out some distractions and give yourself space to think. Borrow this tool from the church and see how you come out on the other side of 40 days of intentional refining.

Here are some bits of inspiration to jump-start your goal-setting.

• Kick soda and make the habit of drinking enough water every day.

• Go for walks without your iPod. Instead of music, let the soft sounds of nature fill your ears.

• Turn off the television by 10 p.m. each night.

• Bow out of propagating the rumor mill.

• Cover the mirror in your room that causes you to waste so much time primping.

• Ask people how they are doing and then listen and respond.

Get creative: Pick something that will shock your system for a few days as you realize just how free you can feel with a little change. Don’t try to reinvent your whole life. Micro-scale intentionality for 40 days can give you the mini-victory you need to consistently look for healthy choices.

Though Lent is traditionally about fasting from a food or activity, I think the bigger effect is found in filling the newfound space when you remove an activity from your daily life. What will you do with this new hour?

Enjoy the freedom of bonus time and fill it with something life-giving.

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