Growing up I enjoyed listening to Aesop’s Fables. One very important fable to start the new year is the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The story begins with the Hare making fun of the Tortoise and his slow approach to life. The Hare’s arrogance eventually caused him to challenge the Tortoise to a race, with the assumption that he was so fast, and therefore the Tortoise had NO CHANCE to win.
The moral of the story is that through slow and steady progress the Tortoise won the race. The Hare had such a burst of early energy in the race, along with the pride of self, the Hare decided he could stop and sit along the side of the road, take a nap, and still burst forth and win in the end.
How do you want to face the challenges and choices of this new year? People often make resolutions to begin a new year with great intentions to finish the race strong. Often, however, the energy and excitement of the new year is not enough to sustain the hard work and consistency necessary to achieve the end results.
If you are thinking about resolutions for this new year, you can use the following encouragement to help you win the race with slow and steady steps to the finish line.
Pros of Setting Resolutions
• Adds motivation to change
• Provides guidelines for improving life
• Creates a clean start
Cons of Setting Resolutions
• Increases anxiety
• Sets up for possible failure
• Hesitant approach of the future
It is best to set realistic expectations couched with moderation. It is also good to place your goals in a positive framework like, “I will attempt or try _____.” The more traditional tone of resolutions is, “I will quit ______.” Once you hear or say quit, the battle of will-power over long entrenched habits begins. Having a positive “I will try” gives room for measured positive successes over time versus a cold turkey, 180° about-face.
Measured positive successes are like a military campaign. A battle or two may be lost, but the overall war is won. This goes back to the realistic, moderate, measurable “expectations” you place upon yourself.
Three top resolutions you may make and realistic suggestions to achieve success.
- Losing 50 pounds in one or two months is not realistic with the expectation of maintaining the weight loss. Reducing sugar intake, chips and cookies, as well as increasing the amount of water you drink rather than soda or other sugar infused drinks is a great start. Did you notice, exercise wasn’t even suggested. Increasing exercise to lose weight may be the #1 New Year Resolution that fails. Slightly changing eating habits has a longer sustainable possibility. Then, when the weather starts to warm up, a short walk around the block or some other outdoor activity can add to your “exercise” routine. A natural outdoor activity does not add the cost of a gym membership or anxiety of consistently getting to the gym, so as not to waste your investment.
- Praying for one hour a day (without) interruption may not be realistic because of your stage of life. You may have small children and NEVER get a full hour of anything. You may be juggling a job or two as well as family obligations that may put you in the middle of caring for your children, grandchildren, and your parents. A great place to start is 5-15 minutes a day. This may be during your morning or evening bathroom routine. Let that be your uninterrupted time with God. Then, throughout the day maintain an attitude of prayer and send up whispers of praise or petition to God our Father. Eventually you may see that time of prayer expands naturally without you having to punch a time clock.
- Getting out of debt within 6 months. If it took you 5, 10, 20 years to get yourself in over your head, it may take 3-5 years to get out. For getting out of debt, just like losing weight, choose small realistic, measurable goals that you and your family can live with. Rather than eating out several nights a week, see if you can save money by eating at home. You can also start a “We Saved That Money” jar and place what you might have spent aside. This jar can be used for small unexpected emergencies that you might have normally charged. Once you can maintain that success, see other options of less spending in another area and divert those savings to paying off small bills that nag at you and disrupt your peace. This slow and steady process will focus you in the right direction for digging yourself out of the money pit.
The goal of New Year Resolutions is to activate positive change in our lives. The most important positive change in our life is making sure we have a solid faith in the redemptive work of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. That redemptive work connects us back to God as Father. Knowing the LOVE of the Father and His daily unlimited desire for our best (Jeremiah 29:11) is the best New Year Resolution anyone can make. Therefore, we can make plans for our future and know that we are not alone in the process to achieve those goals. May 2024 be your BEST year ever because you face it with the JOY of Jesus as your STRENGTH! (Nehemiah 8:10)
