Once again, a new year is upon us.
I don't know about you, but each and every new year finds me poised with a pen over paper, mind running madly and hand hurriedly scrawling about 62 resolutions.
You may hate New Year's resolutions, and I've always had a strange love/hate relationship with them too, but the thing is, there is always something in me that WANTS to make them. It feels like such a clean slate. Such a chance to start over and really DO this thing this time. And a new start IS so refreshing. January 1st always revs things up a bit for me and I find myself juicing, working out, having my quiet time, and being more organized. But the February rolls around and I start to run out of steam.
But our problem lies not in making resolutions, but in the definition of the word "resolution". In the dictionary it is defined as a firm decision to do or not do something. Whoa. So if my New Year's resolution is to eat healthier, is that a FIRM decision never to eat a french fry for an entire year??! I'm doomed before I begin! Suddenly it can all start to get a bit heavy and vague and "what does that even MEAN anyway?" and out our resolutions go with the day's trash.
So I try not to think of them as resolutions. Maybe it's a cop out, but truly, for me they are GOALS. Things I aspire to, aim towards, and hope to achieve, but will not label myself a failure if they don't come to fruition in 2014.
Recently I became aware of this concept (I know, it's been around a long time and I've been living under a rock) of choosing a word for the year. Last year my word was "Simplify" and I'm not sure if I accomplished simplicity in my life to the height of my expectations, but I did make some progress towards a simpler life, and so in that regard, I succeeded.
This year my word is "Surrender".
I have some very, very specific situations to which that applies, and then I have some vague situations to which it also applies like priorities, time management, goals, ambitions, what drives me, what motivates me….etc. And while those are a bit vague, it helps to guide me along the right path to have one over-riding theme, which in this case is SURRENDER. Giving it all to God. The good, the bad, the ugly. I want Him to become the driving force in my life. What people see when they look at me. I want His victory in some areas in which I fall on my face nearly every time. I want freedom from comparison, jealousy, and fear. I want to be brave. Courageous. I want to truly surrender to His plan.
So instead of a list, (well, I still have a list floating around somewhere, but that's besides the point;) I have a word.
What's your word for this year?
I don't know about you, but each and every new year finds me poised with a pen over paper, mind running madly and hand hurriedly scrawling about 62 resolutions.
You may hate New Year's resolutions, and I've always had a strange love/hate relationship with them too, but the thing is, there is always something in me that WANTS to make them. It feels like such a clean slate. Such a chance to start over and really DO this thing this time. And a new start IS so refreshing. January 1st always revs things up a bit for me and I find myself juicing, working out, having my quiet time, and being more organized. But the February rolls around and I start to run out of steam.
But our problem lies not in making resolutions, but in the definition of the word "resolution". In the dictionary it is defined as a firm decision to do or not do something. Whoa. So if my New Year's resolution is to eat healthier, is that a FIRM decision never to eat a french fry for an entire year??! I'm doomed before I begin! Suddenly it can all start to get a bit heavy and vague and "what does that even MEAN anyway?" and out our resolutions go with the day's trash.
So I try not to think of them as resolutions. Maybe it's a cop out, but truly, for me they are GOALS. Things I aspire to, aim towards, and hope to achieve, but will not label myself a failure if they don't come to fruition in 2014.
Recently I became aware of this concept (I know, it's been around a long time and I've been living under a rock) of choosing a word for the year. Last year my word was "Simplify" and I'm not sure if I accomplished simplicity in my life to the height of my expectations, but I did make some progress towards a simpler life, and so in that regard, I succeeded.
This year my word is "Surrender".
I have some very, very specific situations to which that applies, and then I have some vague situations to which it also applies like priorities, time management, goals, ambitions, what drives me, what motivates me….etc. And while those are a bit vague, it helps to guide me along the right path to have one over-riding theme, which in this case is SURRENDER. Giving it all to God. The good, the bad, the ugly. I want Him to become the driving force in my life. What people see when they look at me. I want His victory in some areas in which I fall on my face nearly every time. I want freedom from comparison, jealousy, and fear. I want to be brave. Courageous. I want to truly surrender to His plan.
So instead of a list, (well, I still have a list floating around somewhere, but that's besides the point;) I have a word.
What's your word for this year?
