One of the many things we do each New Year is make a resolution or two…a promise to better ourselves in the new year. We want to break old bad habits or start new ones that we aspire to. We want to improve our health, relationships, finances, education. All are commendable and worthy of our efforts.
We often fall off the wagon in about 2 or 3 weeks which leads us to loose heart and quit…most often before the end of January. We just can’t keep up the new habit. Here is a list of 5 steps to keep our New Year’s resolution and keep it going.
- Only pick one or two (definitely not more than three) new habits to start. This helps beat the feeling of being overwhelmed in the first week.
- Write down the new habit as a letter to yourself and how you plan to fit it into your daily life… and WHY you want to do it. Explain what you gain from it. What is it worth to you? Describe how you will feel when you have accomplished and made this permanent new habit. This becomes important later. I will explain why.
- Imagine how your day will unfold tomorrow and when and how you are going to start your new habit. It is important that you fit it into your schedule. If you have to get up 5 minutes earlier, then don’t forget to change your alarm before you go to bed tonight.
- Your new habit must be small to start…it should take only about 5 minutes. You are exercising a new muscle called will power. It’s not important how much you do in the first week but that you did it every day the first week. Keep track in a calendar (something you carry with you in your wallet or purse or hang on the wall at home) as soon as you have done it. Give yourself a small reward if you completed the first week without missing a day. Did you complete the first week? Great !!! Can you do it for the next week? Don’t look past the next seven days. See how many days you can do it in a row.
- Want to really be committed to your New Year’s resolution? Share your calendar with a trusted friend EACH week. Don’t worry if you missed a day. If they are a real friend, they know what it is like and will still give you a pat on the back for what you did accomplish. You didn’t fail, you just missed your stride. When you miss a day and want to beat yourself up, go back and read that letter to yourself and why this is worth doing. You ARE worth it, your friends and family are worth it.
There will be times when you don’t make it and don’t get 7 checks in a row for 7 successful days. And we all know who will come into our daily lives to try and destroy our attitude, our relationships, our finances, our health. Let us rest, assured that there is Someone stronger that cares for us deeply, and will help us along the way.
So have you picked your New Year’s resolution yet? Pick something that is within your control. Is it something about your health? Eating better? Exercising more? Is it something about your relationships? Call or visit more often those who are shut in? Spend more quality time with loved ones? Is it something about your finances? Getting out of debt sooner?
Go ahead. Pick one or two…..but there is one habit that I would recommend above all others. It will fix your family, your finances, your health. Do it daily and it will give you peace of mind that you can’t explain but will be overjoyed with. Read your bible daily. There is so much in it that you will be able to apply to your life. There are people in it who have suffered as you suffer today. It tells you how to take care of your health, how to treat one another and how to handle your finances.
There are apps and plans and daily e-mails out there but really… you need no more than a calendar or chart and a bible.
Here are several calendars you can print for free. Tuck it in the front of your bible and keep track of your progress.
A favourite calendar that Eric & Joanne shared today in church here.
A 5 days a week Bible reading program.: PDF.
A 52 week Bible Reading plan.: PDF.
5X5X5 New Testament Bible Reading Plan. PDF.
A Bible reading chart without days or weeks. Read a chapter & just mark your progress. PDF.
Straight Through the Bible Reading Plan. PDF.
Two year Bible Reading Plan. PDF.
