Well, we’re off and running in the New Year, and I have to tell you, I’m a guy who is all for making resolutions.
I know a lot of people oppose it because they think it really doesn’t matter. But let’s face it. All of us need a little recalibrating from time to time. Even the most passionate among us can have leakage and drift. So here are the five resolutions I invite you to make along with me for the New Year.
- I resolve to move forward. By that I mean, life is about advancing. It’s not how fast you go. It’s that you’re going forward. I’m not going to look to the past, to the regrets, the sins, the mistakes that I have made and, more importantly, the ones that have been perpetrated against me. I’m going to let the past be in the past and I’m moving forward. There is no future in the past and it’s really tough to navigate the road ahead by looking in the rear-view mirror.
- I resolve to plan ahead. I have set goals for the New Year. I have a plan. Not only do I have a 36-month plan, I have a 12-month plan. I divide that up into small bites that I schedule weekly. Just going with the flow and letting things happen often means that we get far less done than we could have with a plan. Remember, we woefully overestimate what we can do overnight, and we woefully underestimate what we can do over time.
- I resolve to resist judging others. Too often we waste our time trying to figure out other people’s motives; trying to make judgments on who’s good and who’s bad, who’s in and who’s out. I’m simply not going to make a judgment as to whether or not a person will be open to my influence, or even open to helping me. I’m going to ask and let them make the decision. I resolve to not say “no” for someone else.
- I resolve to show up. My daily mantra is to get up (oftentimes depressed people stay in bed or lie on the couch), suit up (which means brush my teeth and put on my work clothes so I will feel ready), show up (which means I’m going to be where I should, keep my promises , and be on time), and do the next right thing.
- I resolve to expect the best. I know that this year is going to be my best year yet. 2010 was a great year. It’s hard to believe in the last four years, my life has developed into something I’ve always dreamed it would be. After a very dark night and a disappointing failure in my life, God has shown up. He’s taught me to expect the best. Yes, I can plan for contingencies, but I will not plan for the worst. I will expect the best and make my plans, understanding that things always take longer than I thought they would, cost more than they promised me, and sometimes have to be jettisoned and revamped altogether. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to expect the best from God and His plan for my life, as well as other people. Just because some people let you down doesn’t mean everyone will.
This is my list. Either adopt it as your own, or come up with one that’s better.