“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.” Benjamin Franklin
Eating an elephant can be overwhelming.
animals.nationalgeographic.com
I remember how I felt when my dad died. His house was a huge elephant. More than 30 years of stuff and he never got rid of anything. We went thru that house one bite at a time over the course of an entire year in many 3 week stints to Miami. But I remember, initially, it was hard to just start…. Hard to do the next thing. It was overwhelming. I think New Year Resolutions can be like that.
Realizing over the years that making resolutions ensures at least some self improvement has been a huge revelation. It is like the old saying goes, “Fail to plan, plan to fail.”
The key to making changes is in moments and not in huge leaps. Every purposed moment makes a difference. Change is a process, not one dramatic resolve. There is power in increments.
“I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the year’s. ” Henry Moore
Looking back at past resolutions, I found that even if my goal wasn’t obtained, I still succeeded in results. Success isn’t always what you think it will look like.
For example, just minutes a day reading your Bible is how you start to read the entire Bible. I never finished in exactly a year and wouldn’t have finished if I hadn’t started.
Charlotte Mason was brilliant concerning this. She advocated short lessons. It helps focus attention. 15 minutes a day does not seem like enough time to cover much in teaching. But daily minutes of handicrafts everyday produces tangible results. We have completed latch work, crochet projects, felting, sketching, dragon eggs, cross stitched, lap books, and scads of other things. One bite at a time.
Concerning organizing clutter and cleaning goals, Flylady has also figured this out to a science. She advocates working in 15 minute increments too. It all begins with a shiny kitchen sink. How easy is that?
In memorizing Bible verses, we have accomplished The Beatitudes, Proverbs 31, and over the years, many others. We also recently memorized The Gettysburg address, all in just 5 – 10 minutes every morning.
Edifying your kids instead of criticizing them is accomplished one word at a time, a breath really.
Encouraging a friend is one phone call, one card, one prayer, one moment of time.
I have resolved this year is to walk (or run) about 3 hours a week. To commit everyday equals only 30 minutes a day. 30 minutes is more manageable than 3 hours. It doesn’t seem as daunting. Just think one bite instead of a mouthful.
I am also resolved not to hurry so much and to make SLOW an intentional, deliberate habit. I would appreciate any accountability here.☺
Finally, remember to pray and ask for God’s grace and His will in all your resolutions.
“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake.” Jonathon Edwards
So, what is your elephant and how do you plan on eating it?
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