Just as bread does not bake itself or a car cannot simply evolve, a well-lived life doesn't just happen. There is always a process that leads to a satisfying final product.
And there's a process that leads to a life that honors God.
Peter Walsh on the hit HGTV series Clean Sweep promoted a clear-cut designing process. Before we can de-junk our homes, he explained, we need to envision what we want our homes to represent.
As a "client" stood in the doorway of a room, Walsh asked questions like:
"What do you want this room to reflect?"
"What is your vision for this room?"
Once a person articulated a clear vision, it was time to eliminate things that didn't belong - things that ran contrary to the vision.
The same is true in our lives. I call it the 5 C's.
First, we need to CLARIFY. In other words, we need a clear vision of who 
we want to be - better yet, who God wants us to be. Then, we need to CHUCK (eliminate) some attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that don't belong in that vision. Next, we CHOOSE better responses - we think and act with wisdom and in response to God's purpose and design. We COOPERATE with Him - through a yielded, obedient heart - in creating a whole new life and lifestyle. And then we CELEBRATE! We rejoice in the good work God is doing in and through us.
We follow this five-step process in every area, whether in our relationships, budgeting, parenting, what we eat, entertainment ... everything!
When I grasped this idea, I found I had a perception of myself that was decades old. My vision for my life was still marred by some wrong past choices, but God wanted to give me a new vision. He showed me who I am in Christ. I embraced His vision as the template for my life.
I have the opportunity to grow past all of my wrong choices. God can redeem every one of them!
Every single choice I make now is creating a new version of who I am. I am carefully designing my life. And so can you!
Being proactive in upgrading our lives is all about responsibility. There may be many reasons for the way we are, but never any excuses for how we remain if we are a child of God. We enjoy the precious presence of God's Spirit and have access to His power. We can't blame others. We may not have any control over our circumstances, but we can always choose our responses.
As a Christian, I choose to upgrade my life according to the wisdom found in the Word of God as I rely on the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). It's an upgrade toward positive change in my mind and heart as I lean on God.
Self-effort will only go so far. It isn't trustworthy (Jeremiah 17:5-6). Any work of "the flesh" is weak, limited and temporal. But "blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:7).
We can choose obedience and faithfulness. As we cooperate with God, we remember - transformation is ultimately His work. Our confidence is in Him.
What are you doing to carefully design your life? I invite you to share some examples of recent UPGRADE successes ... or where you still struggle to UPGRADE Your Life.
Dawn Wilson is the founder of Heart Choices Ministries and creator of UpgradeWithDawn.com. Dawn's ministry encourages, edifies and energizes women with the truth of scripture so they can better enjoy life, bless others and honor God.