Have you reached your point of no return yet? The point at which you say you're finally ready to do something about an issue, make a change, get help with something or finally get to work seriously on your victory goals? Many people get motivated by all the energy that comes in with the new year and talk about this mysterious being "resolutions" that are kind of like the mythical unicorns that many know of but few actually experience. I'm not a resolutions person but you know I love victories. Why? Because it's a lot easier to love something that is primarily positive instead of something that focuses on something you don't like, sacrifices and changes.
So what can we do to not only have a better year of personal growth but accomplish more victories? One thing to try is to follow through more consistently on your commitments. It's as simple as it sounds: when you start something, finish it! As much as I'd love it if we could finish every commitment in one day, that's not always how it works. Sometimes there is a length of time attached to the commitment like a for a season (i.e. summer) or for the duration of the school year, and other times there isn't a time constraint attached just a project that takes as long as it takes to get done which often means more than one day. But the focus shouldn't be on how long it takes, but rather your willingness to follow through on what you agreed to.
It's also a good opportunity for us to work on making wise choices in that if we're concerned we won't be able to or might not really want to put in the effort and time it might take to finish something we should carefully consider everything before making that commitment. It's awesome to say "yes" to stuff and people in our lives, but we also have to be cognizant of our limits and the limits of the number of hours in the day and resources we have.
No, we won't always make a good decision about how to spend our time or what we commit to (and sometimes people leave things out of the information so we end up committing to stuff we didn't think we were), but even in those situations sometimes it's worth it to see it through not only to show yourself that you can but to learn as much as possible personally and relationally with others who are involved in the commitment with you. And if it does come down to something you really can't finish right now, or ever, don't let that discourage you or stop you from committing to finish things in the future. Learn the lessons you can and move on.
So this year what are you committing to? Maybe start off with committing to some fun things that you know you'll finish and you'll enjoy the journey like baking cookies each week to share with your church group or school group, or going on a date of one kind or another with your partner every week, or finishing a book each week (or each month), or doing a craft each week/month, or doing something other than school or driving to and from activities with your kids each week to get you into the finishing spirit. And if you've already finished something this year don't forget to celebrate it!
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