Hope for Resolutionists

Here we are on day five of the new year. How are you doing on your resolutions? I'm doing ok...some ups and some downs, but I'm hopeful for some positive change in my life this year.

In the past, predictably, if I "messed up" in my progress toward a goal I was more likely than not ready to ditch the whole effort, convinced that I'd start again - next Monday, the first day of next month, or perhaps next year.

Not this year - I'm taking this as a one day at a time prospect. If I "mess up" today, there's a clean slate again tomorrow, or even five minutes from now. Losing focus for a little while doesn't mean that the whole thing's off.

Yesterday, someone special was telling me that she's working on helping her son give up his bottle. Wow - now that's a resolution! Those of us with children will remember the nights spent listening outside their doors as they cried themselves to sleep without their favorite transitional object - in my house, for Eric, it was the pacifier. I think the year we gave up the pacifier at New Years was one of my hardest resolution years ever!

I've been doing some reading this week about habits, and about breaking old ones and building new ones. We've all heard that "21 day" statistic tossed about - it takes 21 days to build a new habit. But I'm convinced that, for some habits, it's a lifetime adventure. I know that there are some things I'll never be able to take for granted and some behaviors that I'll be working on until the day I die.

That's ok - I'm not in it alone. Today, I was working on a book review for a great new planner product called Orderly Days in the Workplace. The first page I turned to had stamped across the top of the page:

I have the strength for everything through Him that empowers me. (Phil. 4:13)

God has a funny way of laying things in my path, making sure that I can't miss them even if I have my blinders on. Here I am on Day Five of this New Year, already feeling a little down about not making the quick progress I'd hoped for and He sends me this message. One of my problems is that I forget to rely on Him - the one who strengthens me! I neglect to turn to him when I'm feeling like I'm falling short, when I need support or strength for the test that lies ahead. Alone, I will always fall short, but with Him, there is great hope for my life as long as I'm living it in conjunction with His plan.

That's the kick in the pants I need to get me through the rest of today - and maybe even most of tomorrow. When I look around, I see role models and inspiration all around me:

my widowed friend who faces each day as a single mom and does it with a smile on her face

my husband, who goes off to work each day with a serving heart despite the many sad things he may encounter in the Emergency Room

my kids' teachers, who have some of the hardest jobs I know and perform them with tremendous dedication and grace

and my "special someone" sisters, who are wife, mommy, and two of the world's finest people

These people, and the knowledge that I'm not on my own in striving to be and to give my best, give me hope for meeting my resolutions.