New Year's Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again.

Resolutions.

I have a love-hate relationship with New Year's Resolutions.  I love the thought of something new, a chance to "start over", the hope of accomplishing a few goals.  I hate it when I don't follow through.

After careful consideration, here is what I've discovered -- New Year's Resolutions could really be titled: Things I Didn't Do Very Well This Past Year.  Honestly, if you started and maintained a killer exercise regiment in the past year, would you make a resolution to do that?  If you lost the weight you wanted to, would that be on your list? 

So instead of jumping right in to make a list of goals based on everything I have been terrible at, I am going to start with a look at the positive.  What do I NOT need to make resolutions for? 

I'm pretty confident I will not be making a resolution to spend more hours working.  I will not resolve to be more committed to my graduate studies, and I will set no goals for additional projects to do in my spare time.  Resolutions will not involve gardening, recycling, or staying up later to get everything done.  I think I've also sufficiently mastered the ability to not focus too much on what foods I am consuming, to 'let the house go' for the sake of spending time with my children, and to be more relaxed about keeping up with laundry. 

Yep, I've got all that covered.

So what do my New Year's Resolutions need to be?

I need to spend more time in the Word and in prayer.  And, sadly, when I say "more time", that really isn't going to take much. 

I need to exercise again - consistently.  I did great in the fall, and then, not so much. 

I need to eat right.  Not just for weight loss, which is also needed, but for overall health.  I have been diagnosed with or am one step away from nearly every 'polycystic __________ disease' known to man, so I have got to quit with all the refined sugar and processed foods.

I need to focus on people way before my to-do lists.  If someone were to ask me, I, of course, would say people and relationships are much more important than getting things accomplished.  Unfortunately, I know my actions don't always match my words. 

I need a good system to keep my family working together to maintain household chores.  I cannot do it alone, and I want my children to know how to handle responsibility.

And here is where I get into trouble every year. 

An overwhelming number of resolutions I'd like to accomplish. 

Not anymore.

This year I am narrowing it down to one resolution.

This year I resolve to do what it takes to make sure that next year's New Year's Resolution does not need to include weight loss, exercise, more devotion and prayer time, house cleaning, or relationship building.