Many of you are probably at the beginning of a New Year's Resolution (or two!). Much like seeing the syllabus at the beginning of a semester, looking at the work you have ahead of you over the next year is overwhelming! Even more so if this is a resolution that keeps appearing again and again--and one you have never claimed victory on.
It doesn't matter if your resolution is health oriented, fitness oriented or organization oriented, about 4 weeks into it, we question if this was really a good idea and then get down on ourselves for not being able to achieve our goals.
Let me give you 3 things to remember:
1.) Take it day by day. We are not promised tomorrow. We are given the strength for each day. Pray. Do your best on that day. Go to sleep. Wake up. Repeat.
2.) Embrace failure. Ouch. Yeah. I said it. You will fail. You will eat too many cookies. You will hit snooze instead of exercising. Accepting the reality of our nature makes it much easier to wake up the next day without the guilt that hangs around you. Are we perfect in any of the other areas of life that we aren't making resolutions for? No way! But we don't let that get us down. Keep moving forward and pressing on.
3.) Remember that you are creating a new normal. Growing pains are hard. Teaching an old dog new tricks is challenging. You are creating a new normal for your life. It won't feel natural. It will be a struggle. Identify the areas that will be "new" for you and when you get to those, remind yourself that just because it's not easy or natural, doesn't mean it isn't right.
I invite you to join me on my blog, www.peak313.com, if you are interested in working on your physical health this year. I have lots of exercises, tips, healthy recipes and most importantly, motivation. Work hard, pray often and press on in 2012!!
Clare and her husband and 2 children live in Northeast Ohio. She has her bachelor’s degree in business management and left a promising career to be a stay-at-home mom to her children. She is a certified fitness instructor and teaches pilates and group fitness classes at her church and local university. Clare’s passion (outside of raising and nurturing her children and home) is motivating women of all ages and stages of life to live well physically, emotionally and spiritually. Visit her at her site, Peak313.
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Embracing failure stings but it helps aid in our growth. Learning from our mistakes and continuing to put one foot in front of the other, in God’s strength, is what ultimately brings us closer to our goals. Thanks for the reminder!
That’s exactly right, Kasey! Thanks for your thoughts!!
Clare