My 2018 Resolution

New Year's Resolutions can be a great opportunity for change in our lives. Knowing that most people abandon their resolutions pretty early on, I decided last year to stop making them. I believe in goals and change but I don't believe in forced or hyped attempts at fitting in with the rest of the world. I think change needs to come when we want it to happen and it wont if we haven't decided that we truly want it.

Since last year I have taken a different road when it comes to resolutions and last years was actually really helpful. Instead of treating the New Year like lent and cutting something out or promising to do something that I probably wont do, I am choosing a theme to focus on.

Last year's theme was FEAR and I had to confront my usage of the word scared or afraid and what role they played in my life and learn how to change them.

This year I want to do a more positive version of this. I started to look around for words that I could put my focus on. I saw a Facebook friend share on of those copy and paste status updates that everyone does where he challenged people to give him one word to bring in the New Year with and his choice was the word HOPE. I had just written a status update about my feelings of the New Year and how I was feeling hopeful. Then at church we had a whole service on Hope. Then later a friend posted asking for help because he needed hope.

So I chose HOPE.

Another prominent theme in my life lately has been planning. I planned out this whole year's blog posts, daily readings, big projects, and courses to take. I started in October of last year with a hope of just accomplishing a few things before the year even started so that I could get off on a the right foot.

I ended the 2017 with a new book. I read and annotated the first 5 books of the bible. I took 3 courses. I finished several books I had started but not finished, one of which I read alongside my husband. I also planned around the holidays to make sure that I could still enjoy them.

I started the year with a daily plan.

So my New Year's Resolution is to stick to my PLAN and keep HOPE. Simple right? :)

As someone who talks a lot about the power of positive thinking, I know how hard it actually is if you're not naturally a positive person. My natural state is anywhere between pessimist and realist at best.

Being optimistic is work.

So keeping hope sounds easy when things are going well but I know that it will be a struggle and a challenge to keep hope when things get tough.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

I really think that working on becoming the kind of person who sees hope before disaster will be beneficial for me, not just for this year, but for my life.

I read the Find Your Purpose book by Dale Partridge with my husband and one of the tasks was to list our weaknesses. The 3 I chose for myself were confidence, assertiveness, and decisiveness.

So earlier when I mentioned that a friend needed help with finding hope, I tried to advise him by defining hope as something other than wanting good things to happen. So looking up a quick definition, I found these other definitions of hope:

to place trust & a person or thing in which expectations are centered

So...by placing my Confidence not on myself but in my Trust in God, and by Asserting my Expectation that good will happen as He promises, and Deciding to allow His blessings to occur I will use Hope to work on my Weaknesses this year. That is my Plan. :)

I am excited to see how this year plays out. I saw a lot of growth in 2017 and I expect a lot more this year.

So, what are your resolutions?

Did you choose something that you really want in your life? How will you stick to it? And if you haven't chosen, it's not too late! If you need help make sure to book a coaching session and I can help you make sure this year is the best year of your life! :)

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