Tag: resolutions

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on a Realistic New Year

I tend to be quite idealistic, so thinking about the start of a new year can stress me out.

Instead of being excited about all of the possibilities and potential, I often get overwhelmed by my unrealistic expectations.

This is the year I’m going to . . .

*Get in shape

*Write my book

*Organize all of the pictures on my phone and computer

*Do my devotions every single day

*Send my Christmas cards before Christmas

Before long, my list grows to an impossible length and I wake up on January 1 with a sense of dread because I know I’m probably going to fail at most of my intentions.

I have one day left of 2022. One more day to think this through and get to a more realistic mindset for 2023.

What if I try to let go of my idealism? Instead of an impossible list, maybe I can go into the new year prayerfully. I can ask God to show me a few things to prioritize in 2023, but I don’t have to do “all the things” and I don’t have to do anything “every day.”

Life has an ebb and flow. The more we can acknowledge that, the happier we’ll be. Rather than beating ourselves up for missing a day of devotions or a workout at the gym, we can show ourselves grace and keep living each day doing the best we can.

God loves us unconditionally. He doesn’t care if the Christmas cards go out on time or if you’re constantly pushing up against the storage limits on your computer.

He’ll guide us each day and show us what he wants us to do. Love him and love others—those are the most important commands. The rest of life will fall into place in his timing (I know it takes some work on our part, but that feels like a topic for a future blog post).

Looking forward to a realistic new year just might help us begin 2023 with excitement and joy.

Happy New Year, everyone!

“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust….Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:1, 4–5 NIV)

Do you tend to get idealistic about starting a new year? How can focusing on God help you be more realistic?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Beginning the Year Well

Happy New Year!

It’s the first day of January. We want to eat right, exercise, read the Bible in a year, keep our finances in order, never lose our temper with our kids, have the perfect marriage, and be the best friend anyone has ever had. Everyone’s social media posts inspire us (or depress us) as we see what they plan to do this year.

May I humbly suggest a few ideas that could help us begin the year well?

  1. Live your own life. It can be tempting to compare our own plans to those of our friends, neighbors, and relatives. If we think someone else’s lofty goals seem better than ours it could lead to confusion, desperation, and despair. Pray about what God wants you to tackle, then move ahead, being willing to adjust as he leads you.
  2. Live for others. Make sure to include some ways to help others in the coming year. Self-centered lives seldom bring much joy, but reaching out to others will improve our own emotional well-being and theirs.
  3. Live for God. As a Christian, this is of utmost importance to me. (If you want to know more, go to The Robyn’s Nest and click on “About Me.”) If you are a person of faith, try to set some time aside each day to read the Bible and pray. It can make a world of difference in how we interact with others and react to the circumstances that come up daily.

The first day of the year is exciting, but too often we feel pressure to do everything “just right.” Let’s push aside that pressure, friends, and begin the year well.

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.” (1 Chronicles 16:11–12 NIV)

Are you feeling lots of pressure to do “all the things” in 2021? How can focusing on God help you to begin the year well and feel more relaxed as you do it?

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Super Saturday: Let’s Focus on Starting the New Year Right

We are entering the final days of 2019.

If you’re like most people, you may be considering resolutions you want to make for the new year.

Or maybe you’re starting to make a list of all of the goals you want to complete in 2020.

I know. I feel it, too. I look at all of the bad habits indulged in this year and I want to resolve to eradicate every single one from my life – by March 1.

I see all of the goals I didn’t complete–and all of the time I wasted–and I want to make a detailed plan to complete every single thing on my list (and maybe add ten more, because I’m sure if I managed my time better I could do them all).

We can’t do that. If we do, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment, failure, and frustration. When we’re focusing on fixing all of our shortcomings and doing all of the things we think we need to do to have a good, successful life, we’re going to end up feeling pressured and agitated when life doesn’t go as planned.

There’s a better place to put our focus. On God.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)

When we start there–with our focus on God–we can feel peace as we trust Him and live our lives each day.

When we start the new year with our focus on God, He’ll give us the wisdom we need to decide what habits we need to work on changing – with His help. He’ll help us discern what our goals should be and give us the energy and drive to complete them.

Starting the new year like this will allow us to begin 2020 with joy in our hearts, excited about all of the opportunities and possibilities the year will bring, instead of weighed down with all of our own demands and expectations.

Now that’s a good way to start.

Happy New Year!

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)

Are you excited about the new year, or are you stressed about what you “should” do in 2020? How can focusing on God help you to begin the new year well and enjoy the inevitable ups and downs 2020 will bring?