The “Resolutions of New Year” are quickly approaching. It is a time for a fresh start or a “clean” slate. When the clock changes from 2019 to 2020, you want to do “things” better in the New Year. We want and desire change.
Resolutions though do NOT have a high rate of success. As a matter of fact, research has shown that only around 10% of adults keep them after a few months. I know for me personally, I fall into the 90% of failure MOST years. My intentions may be there, but I don’t set realistic ones in the areas I usually want to change (spiritually, relationship wise, career, and self-care).
- I want to spend ______ minutes in scripture each day.
- I want to lose ______ lbs.
- I want to wake up and work out at 4:30 4 times a week.
- I want to go on ___ date nights per month with my husband.
All of these are GOOD goals, but……
My list of things to change tended to be the same list of things to change the following year as well.
I wanted to be the jar of clay and molded. (Isaiah 64:8).
I wanted to be willing to change, but I wasn’t doing. (Phillip. 2:13)
And with that said I believed I failed because of the approach. My goals were unrealistic. My goals were sometimes hindered because there were just some things out of my control. And…I just wasn’t focused.
A couple of years ago, that changed. I was challenged to read a book titled One Word That Will Change Your Life by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon as a summer read before school started back in session again. Everyone in the secondary faculty at MTCS read it— It is short (around 144 pages of a SMALL-sized book), and it was like the words jumped out and spoke to me. We were asked to “choose” one for the school year to keep us grounded and in-check as the year progressed and the chaos continued.
The book shows research of resolutions and the high failure rate and found that for them, simplifying the process worked for them…by just choosing ONE word for the year.
I thought about the person I wanted to be at the end of the year. What characteristic did I want to “own?” So, I prayed, looked, and researched for a word that would move me towards this…One that could help me in ALL-aspects of my life–my relationship with God, my relationship with my husband and children, my friendships, my career, and self-care. It would help guide me to the person I wanted to be.
And one jumped out at me–-ANCHORED. (Hebrews 6:19)
I was putting on new hats that year career-wise–back into coaching after an over-decade break, yearbook adviser, secondary teacher. Life was about to be BUSY.
But if I wasn’t ANCHORED to Him, what did it matter?
If our family wasn’t ANCHORED, what did it matter?
If my friendships weren’t ANCHORED, what did it matter?
If I wasn’t ANCHORED to take care of myself, what did it matter?
We painted a rock and put the word across it to set on our desk at school. I had it posted at home. The word stuck….and many opportunities were given to me that year that challenged the thought of being “anchored.” At the end of the year, I had made changes for the better because of simplifying all those resolutions into ONE word and moving my thoughts to the characteristic I wanted to become. (Hence, the closing at every blog post is Anchored to Him 🙂 –and now you know the REST of the story with that)…….
And the next year…a new word transpired that actually BUILT UPON the previous one. TRANSFORMED….
IF I was anchored to Him, I have to be “transformed” from the world (Romans 12)….Not the world’s expectations, but God’s. And once again, many opportunities have been given to me in 2019 that has challenged the thought of “Transformed”….through my relationship with Him, my family, my friendships, and self-care. I have eaten better, taken care of myself better, been challenged on the sideline when I might be upset at a ref and should act different(Yes…and sometimes not successful)….and been encouraged to dig into the TRUTH more to understand His expectations instead of the ones looming around us that are accepted but lies. Do I have a ways to go and will this word ever not be a challenge? NO! We live in the world but are citizens of heaven……We will be tempted to live by the standards of the world as long as we are alive here on this planet….
Choosing ONE word to put the lens on has simplified my “resolutions”. It has focused my growth to the characteristic I want to have. I have seen growth. I have faced setbacks. But, I have seen change.
Your characteristic you may want to be at the end of the year may be more like: thrive, joy, authentic, intentional, simplify, seek, love, kindness, growth, obedience, grace….
Pick one. Let it be your FOCUSED word for the year. And when the clock is about to turn to 2021, reflect. See how much you have changed, for the better.
Anchored to Him,
Leigh Ann
P.S. My 2020 word is CONTEND–JUDE 3 🙂
