The year 2009 is well underway now and I cannot help but feeling as if I am standing on the dock, watching a boat full of people drift away into the horizon. New years tend to bring out the optimist in people. Many are eager to make goals and "resolutions" for the coming year; It is an appealing blank slate. I do not think there is anything wrong with this, except that we should strive to better ourselves year round, not just at the beginning. Making goals though, is a good thing. We are not supposed to stay immobile. Keep moving forward!
But why do I feel like I missed the boat? I sat down and made a list of goals for this year and the next (my goals are mostly character related). I made a list just like several others, but I still feel like there is something missing. That’s it…the follow through: The heart and passion behind it! Sure, I can robotically dispense a list of attributes I wish were attached to me as a person, but without a genuine decision to do what is necessary to implement change in my life, I will only be the woman I am now when everyone bids farewell to 2009 and rings in another new year.
It is hard to stick with resolutions. I would imagine out of the multitude of people that make a goal of, let’s say, keeping to a diet, that there are only a handful at the end of the year who really saw it through from start to finish with as much enthusiasm as they started with. It’s the live-in-the-moment rush that helps us make New Year’s resolutions and I suppose that is why I am struggling so early on. There was a moment of optimism, where I truly did consider that I could use this year as a metaphorical blank slate. Time was just ticking on in a linear fashion as usual, but I could envision this as a fresh start. Well, before the first week of January passed by, I had already failed at one of my goals. I did not give up though. I decided that I needed to keep pressing on. After all, the moment I talk to God, the slate is clean again!
I guess I am not as bad off as I thought when starting this entry. I just have given myself a tall order and I suppose I cannot expect a miraculous overnight change (although, that would be awesome). I just have to remember that each month is a new start, but more importantly, each day is a new start. Break the goals down into smaller bites. Each morning, I wake up and tackle a fresh day. Yesterday is gone. It may have made today more difficult with decisions that were made, but it is in the past and all I can focus on now is the present and future. Learn from it, but do not dwell in the past. One of my goals is to be a woman of my word. Somewhere along the line I have gotten into the habit of knowing exactly what the right things are to say, but I have difficulty seeing them through. In the evening, I share with my husband the chores I intend to do throughout the next day. He is encouraging as usual and pleased with my words. My words return void the next day, as he returns to find I did nothing I said I would. So, each moment of today will be a challenge. There are hundreds of decisions I have to make daily, many of which are trivial but some of which are more detrimental to my well-being and growth, while still a few carry the burden of being life-altering.
Make daily/immediate goals, intermediate goals and long-term goals. You do not have to be chained to the "New Year’s" fad. It is a daunting task to make goals for 365 days. You are not always going to have that spark of, "Yeah! I can do this!" It would be a shame to give up on a goal, just because you fail once…twice…thrice… If you are someone who wants to climb the tallest tree or go to Africa, this can still be applied. I am speaking more from the perspective of someone who wants to make character changes, but we should all have areas we want to better about ourselves. As a Christian, I know ultimately, my betterment is best left in God’s hands. That does not mean I wash my hands of it or stop making right decisions, it just means that I cannot do it alone. I will not see my goals through if I attempt it on my own power. Who wants to diet alone? If you are like me, you hate exercising alone too. It is so much easier to meet most goals if you have someone holding you accountable and someone who is making the same trek as you.
So, if like me you are finding this New Year’s resolution stuff a bit hard to swallow, remember to stop for a moment and break down your list. What are daily decisions you can make to see that ultimate goal come to fruition? Once you have made that list…do it! Do not remain stationary! Even the smallest goals can feel so good to accomplish. It is a sense of accomplishment. If you feel that good about doing the laundry in a timely fashion, or not smoking for an entire day, imagine how great if will feel in the end when you are completing your chores regularly and are no longer addicted to cigarettes! It’s a new year, but more importantly, it’s a new day. What are you going to do with it?
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