Resolutions were something I always avoided.  I saw it as an opportunity to fail, and I don’t like failure.  I am so averse to failure that I would wait to fill in the sample questions on standardized tests until the correct answer was given.  I couldn’t even risk being wrong on the same, simple question I had been given four years in a row that didn’t count towards my grade in any way.  I am not a risk taker for the same reason.  I want to know the outcome before I commit to something.  We may be able to read all of the possibilities before choosing our path in a “choose a story” book, but, unfortunately, that is not how real life works.  We have to go along without knowing how it ends.  My husband is much more of a risk-taker.  He calculates risk, but is much more willing to take the path least traveled than I am.  He is also a goal setter.  He likes to have resolutions or goals to spur him on, and they encourage him to keep trying.  He doesn’t get defeated by failure.  We have both been learning from each other during our married life.  He has become a bit more cautious and less willing to take big risks.  I have become more open to risk and failure, and I think I’m a bit more flexible on scheduling.  

I have finally embraced some goals for the year.  We have done goals as a family for several years now, but I think this is the first year I actively thought of goals rather than being dragged kicking and screaming.  I’m going to share my goals and my progress this year.  This year, my writing may be a little bit more like a journal.  I want to show my progress and my failure.  I want to embrace failure for what it is…an opportunity to learn.  I want to show others that I, too, require change and sanctification.  I am a work in progress.  It may not be pretty; it may not be success, but it will be honest.  

My goals this year are not overly original.  I would like to lose weight.  This is probably one of the most common goals given in January, but it is a need.  While doctors may be quick to tell a man that his weight is causing him issues, they will rarely say that to a woman.  However, last year I became lax and made excuses.  While ensuring that my children were avoiding added sugar and sweets, I took every opportunity to have them myself.  I need to crack down and limit my sugar intake and stick to a healthy, balanced diet.  I want to be healthier for myself and for my family.  This is more about embracing healthy changes and improving my overall health than a number on a scale, but I know those are both related.

In a related, and equally popular, goal, I am working toward a regular exercise plan.  I have always been someone who preferred a blanket and a book to hiking outside.  Unfortunately, that isn’t a healthy option, and it’s not the choice of others in my family.  My boys love the outdoors and are always on the go.  I want to be healthy and able to participate with them in time outside.  I am also trying to increase my time outside.  While this may be easy for some, it is something that I have to actively seek to accomplish and enjoy.  I have to stop thinking about sweat, heat, bugs, and dirt so I can enjoy time with my family.  I need to be present and enjoy the limited time I have with my children.  While I still prefer to take pictures and make sure the three-year-old doesn’t fall in the water, I will be there while they are fishing.

Finally, and most importantly, I am challenging myself to read a minimum of one chapter of the Bible each day.  My children are old enough that I can transition from a survival, “grab a verse when you can,” mode to a bit more organized reading plan.  I am looking forward to digging deeper and spending more quality time in God’s Word.  (For those of you still in survival mode, keep doing what you can.  It will go by quicker than you realize, and you will have more time for slow reading.)  I enjoyed participating in a couple of different Bible Studies this past year, and I am ready for some more time in God’s Word to just read, meditate and savor Scripture.

It is the end of January, and I’m already struggling with my health goals.  I have to continue to remind myself that failure is how we learn.  I don’t have to give up on a goal simply because January hasn’t gone well.  I get to start over every single day.  I may not have a regular exercise plan, but I can start with something.  I can start by getting outside and playing with my boys.  I can do some sit-ups here and some planking there, and eventually find a way to consolidate it into one session a day.  If you don’t usually make resolutions, I would encourage you to think about one thing you would like to change in this upcoming year and how you would like to accomplish that change.  Make a goal and work towards it all year long.  Seek to glorify God through learning from failure and accomplishing goals for His honor and glory.  If you do make goals or resolutions, I encourage you to stick to them.  Don’t give up when it is hard, or when you fail, or when you just don’t want to anymore.  Know that I am struggling along with you and that our ultimate goal should be go glorify God in all that we do.