I can honestly say that I am not sad to see 2020 go. And just about everyone I talk to says the same. This year has been filled with hardships for many across the world, and the common phrase I hear regarding the new year is “As long as it is better than 2020!”
With this excitement for 2021 comes the infamous lists. You all know, the annual list of resolutions for the new year. “New Year New Me!” written at the top of a piece of paper with a bullet list of habit after habit that we want to implement over the next 12 months, with a renewed sense of discipline never seen before. Most of these lists involve habits to change our physical appearance. 50% of lists say they want to exercise more, 43% want to eat healthier and 37% say they want to lose weight.
Please don’t take this as me bashing everyone who writes out a list every year. This is all coming from a girl who started her own gym membership this week. It is good to set goals for yourself, to want to make yourself feel better mentally, emotionally, and physically. My problem is that when we all eventually fail at accomplishing these lists, we us that as an excuse to beat ourselves up.
Only 7% of people who make resolutions say that they have stuck to their past lists.
80% of “resolutioners” will quit their gym membership within 5 months, and 14% quit before the end of February.
Life happens, things get in the way. There will always be something that takes priority over going to the gym 6 times a week, things get put on the back burner. There will be a day where you just want to buy yourself that new pair of shoes instead of saving that money. Or you just come to the realization that on this search to make a “new me” you lost some happiness and choose to abandon the list. And that is ok.
When these lists are dropped come the acute sense of failure. How can I not just stick to a simple list? Do I not have enough willpower and determination for just this one thing? We berate ourselves over a goal that let’s be honest, was unrealistic in the first place.
If your ultimate goal for the new year is to be your “best self” and to be happy in all areas of your life, then writing habits on a sheet of paper and feeling terrible about yourself when those fail aren’t going to help anything.
We are not supposed to meet unrealistic goals on our own. We have a God who can meet the most ridiculously out of this world goals for us, and in the end, He is going to be the one to make us feel like our “best selves” in every aspect of our lives.
We have got to stop setting unrealistic goals for ourselves and going through life with that weight on our shoulders. Instead, take a step back and present those goals to a God who wants nothing but the best for you and loves you unconditionally. He is going to pull through for you. And while that may not present itself in 20 pounds lost or an extra hundred dollars in your savings account, I can promise it will be something so fulfilling that will last for years to come.
With that in mind, here are my resolutions for 2021:
- Read my Bible and have quiet time every day.
- Try to journal at least once a week.
- Find at least 3 things I am grateful for every day.
- Take pictures of 5 things I find beautiful every day, no matter how small they seem.
- Post what I want, when I want, without considering the likes or filters or themes of a feed.
- Foster a more grace filled spirit towards myself, it is not all on me!
- Ask God for the little and big things, there is no guilt. Just a loving Father.
These are so small, so miniscule. They will probably not result in me being thinner or rich. But I know that they are realistic for myself. There won’t be an impending sense of doom of when I will quit my gym membership. Or a sense of guilt when I eat the cake or buy the shoes. Or just live my life.
And with this I will continue to ask God to shape my life as how he sees fit. He wants the best for me and you and trusting both him and his plan will ultimately make me content in all the ways that matter; my “best self.”
As you write out your resolutions this year and reflect on how you want 2021 to go, remember that you are the child of a God who can do the unthinkable. Give yourself a break. Instead of carrying the weight of making a “new you” on your shoulders, give it to God and I promise you will not regret it.
Here’s to 2021!
Curious how you are doing with your goals. No shame if you are not keeping up. Jesus wants to be in a relationship with Him – sometimes the best we can do is just sit with Him. Looking forward to meeting you in September. Praying for you as you raise your support team.