Straight Talk About Resolutions

January 2006

It's that time of year again when we look in the mirror, examine our lives and see how we come up short.  For most, rather than a time of assessing and appreciating our strengths, we focus on those areas we feel are lacking.  A more positive approach is to celebrate all that God has done in our lives.  "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new.  The old life is gone; a new life burgeons!  Look at it!"  (bold added,  2 Corinthians 5:17, The Message).  Nonetheless, there is always room for improvement - especially if the Lord has been quietly speaking to you of a better way of life.

It is well established that new habits can be created in 30 days.  Try a new spin on your resolutions. Instead of setting a goal you know you'll need to maintain for the rest of your life, try a 30-day trial of that habit instead.  Track your progress, and then after 30 days decide if it is a habit you want to keep or if you'd rather not.  It's that simple. After 30 days you will be able to see or feel the benefits, and this will allow you to make an informed decision as to whether this new habit is a worthwhile lifestyle change for you.

Don't attempt to change everything at once.  Start with a simple goal broken into baby steps.  This will lead to more success than large complicated life changes.  Track your progress:  log the number of minutes you exercise each day, keep a food diary, or make a note on the calendar for each day you spent time focusing on the good things God has done in your life, reading the Bible, avoided caffeninated beverages, etc.

Remember, you are making a 30-day commitment to see how this new lifestyle will work for you.  After that you can drop it, or modify your plan and give that a 30-day trial.  It's up to you.  Have some fun with this and have a great year.

(Partially adapted from http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/04/30-days-to-success/)

_________________________________________________________________________

Wife, mother of three and Registered Psychologist, Dr. Skidmore is well acquainted with the challenges of living a balanced life.  A humorous and dynamic communicator, Dr. Skidmore runs her own private practice, is Executive Director of "Take it to Heart Workshops", a popular radio guest "expert", and has hosted her own radio talk show.