Start Anew, and Build Too

It’s that time of the year again. Out with the old, and in with the new. It is the natural ending to one calendar and a logical beginning to another. Many people use this time of year to start afresh. All the mistakes and unfulfilled hopes of the previous 12 months can miraculously be wiped away when the clock strikes midnight. Whoosh. A new year. A new opportunity. A new you.

Spoiler Alert. The stark reality is that it is just another day in the continuum.

But alas, the beginning of a new year does indeed provide a unique opportunity. For at least a day or two, it feels like we all have a little more time: time to reflect, time to think, time to evaluate, time to plan. For a few days after the rush of the Christmas season is over, our hectic lives slow to a crawl, gracing us with the chance to dream of all things new.

In response, we make New Year’s Resolutions. These proposals can initiate an illusive journey that commences with a clean slate. It gives us a chance to believe that we really can begin (or end) those habits that we believe will revolutionize our lives. Gym memberships skyrocket. Plans are devised for healthy eating. Vows are made to save more money, be more kind, stop procrastinating. Will power is accessed as we silently chant along with the little engine, “I think I can, I think I can…”

But before you break into the mad dash towards 2015, I want to encourage you with something different while it’s still 2014.

As you reflect, find something good that was birthed in 2014.

Paul said in Philippians, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Even if you experienced a difficult year, I’m pretty sure you can find a pearl. Look for that gem, however small it may be.

And then…

Carry that gem with you into 2015, and build on it.

In my experience, it really is easy to start something new. For a day or two. Or even for a month. It takes incredible force, willpower, and energy to keep it going when it loses its novelty. A research statistic that I read recently said that only 8% of people are able to actually follow through on their new year’s resolutions and be successful. Yikes.

Maybe you’re one of those that begins each year with a hefty, optimistic list of resolutions. I’ve definitely done that. But sadly, 3 months into the new year, I find that my gusto has fizzled along with the melting snow.

Here’s a different approach. What if you springboard into the year with the momentum of something you’ve already started? What did you do right this year? What can you celebrate and build on? Before you look forward, look at where you are, and look back to see how you got there. Instead of replanting lots of new ideas, fertilize the things in your life that are bearing fruit.

Consider this. Perhaps it’s not the right season for some of the things you want to initiate.

I remember several bygone Januarys when I vowed that THIS would be the year for me to start an exercise program. I would commit to myself to start working out regularly. I would envision that I could get into shape. I even invested in the necessary gear to make it happen. Cool workout clothes, check. Yoga mat, check. Dumbbells, check. Calorie burner watch, check. Workout plan, check. The problem for me was that some of those years were times when my kids were little, and my energy level was not only low, it was non-existent. Try as I might, this idea was doomed from the start because my idea of what I could do far exceeded the reality of what was possible in that season of my life. The timing of my great and wonderful resolution was terrible. Additionally, if the truth be told, I did not really want to do it. It was something I felt I should do, or something that would be good for me.

Here’s another reality check for you.

Guilt rarely produces fruit.

Last year, I decided to focus on starting merely one new thing. I began this resolution immersed in the flurry of new year’s electricity that seems to permeate the atmosphere. I also capitalized on the winter hiatus to jump start my change. The resolution I devised was to become an avid reader again. I was that passionate reader many years ago, but I allowed the circumstances of life to ebb away this value expressed in my life. Though I’ve currently lost count of how many books I’ve read this year, I can say that I’ve read a lot: articles, editorials, classics, mysteries, biographies, inspiring documentaries, and many other riveting tales. It felt as if a part of me came alive again. It turns out that this reading resolution was the foundation for another long awaited resolution that didn’t begin until much later in the year: writing. As for the exercise routine, my husband is the one who successfully followed through on this positive change. He also managed to be consistent without all the workout accoutrements I mentioned above. As a result, a part of him has come alive again too.

As I go into 2015, I have 3 resolutions. Two of them will build on the things I started in 2014. There has been so much fruit, and I am inspired to go deeper. Only one of my resolutions is new.

Perhaps this is the year for you to gain momentum instead of starting over.

Sometimes we can’t make significant progress in an area is because we overlook areas of growth. Amidst our desire to start something new, we abandon our progress and in so doing diminish the fruit that is possible.

As I propel myself into 2015, I have written my private celebration of 2014 on a small stone which I will use as a reminder. It is my memorial stone, my stone of remembrance. I wrote about this in a very short blog almost 2 years ago called Milestones and Memorial Stones. I’m taking my little stone with me into 2015. I have high hopes of even greater fruit in 2015.

Celebrate the goodness of God in what you have accomplished this past year.  As you reflect and make your resolution list, look at how you can take the goodness from 2014 with you into 2015 and build something lasting and something wonderful.