It’s 2019! Happy New Year! I hope it’s not too late to wish such merriment. So as this year has been morphing into full-bloom, I made a discovery. I did not post anything on this site in 2018. It’s not that I didn’t have goals or desires to do so. In fact, if you dust off my last post, I admitted that I was trying to find some type of rhythm to my blogging/writing life. My goal? To obviously get into some type of schedule. My results? I’d rather not talk about them.
Now don’t judge me too quickly. I’m sure most of you have set goals and not completed them. Or must I remind you of your own past resolutions to exercise, eat healthy, read your Bible daily, etc…. I’m not saying you didn’t do these things, I hope you did. But it’s not easy! I feel the pain of those who struggle in reaching a goal, but want to encourage you to think about goals a bit differently. So what am I trying to say in the first post So what am I getting at with this first post in over 18 months?
During my renewed fervor to begin writing on this site again, I began reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s a book in which he not only relies upon research, but upon his personal experience as well. He conclude the following in regards to reaching goals…
- If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead
- You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Clear is not saying we shouldn’t have goals. They are crucial in helping determine the direction we need to head. But if you want to make progress, for him, it’s all about daily habits. For example, if I want to read 10 books this year, that won’t happen unless I develop a habit of reading a certain amount of minutes each day. Clear gives quite a bit more info in his book about the value of habits and how to develop them. I suggest you pick up a copy of his book.
So I do have a goal for writing and sharing content this coming year. But more importantly, I am working on developing some daily habits. I hope those who read some of the content on this site will benefit from them. And if you wish, feel free to ask me how it’s going!
Before I wrap up this confessional-like post, I would be amiss if I didn’t ask you about your goals or resolutions for the coming year? If you are already struggling with them, that’s ok! However, I suggest you begin to think about making some daily habits. It’s one thing to say you’re going to begin praying for your co-workers this year, and quite another to make it a habit of praying for them each day before you turn your car off and enter the office.
I pray you press on! And like I’m doing with this blog, don’t think too grandiose. Think simply! Start small. For me and this blog, this means two posts a week. One will be something I’ve composed (not too long) and another will be a quote from something I’m reading.
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