Resolution

I don't remember a single year of my life when somebody didn't bring up the subject of resolutions at or around New Years Eve or New Years Day. I guess it is so ingrained in our society that we just can't seem to get through the season without talking about it. Sort of like wishing people a happy holiday, or Merry Christmas. It just sort of flows out of us by habit.

But what I wonder is how many of us recognize the extreme difficulty of changing any part of our life? I am working on changing two minor parts of my life - losing weight and getting into better shape. I am proud to say that I didn't wait for some phony 'reason' like the changing of the year to resolve to change, but I am humbled to admit that I was WAY obese and out of shape. If ever it sounds like I am bragging about how many pounds I have lost or how many miles I have walked, please be aware that I am also admitting that I had packed on that many pounds in the first place. And, that just three months ago I would be breathing hard just climbing the single flight of stairs to my office. And my family and friends have come around me to help! Wow - I have teamed up with people who are also changing. Good stuff.

With God's help, I can change things, but wow - some of these habits are deeply embedded into me. I am using that to my advantage as best I can; I am starting new habits and working to see to it that they become deeply ingrained in me. I get up early every morning now to blog and have a quiet time reading the Bible and Praying. You would be surprised at how much that has helped me with the other two areas! What possible connection is there you may very well ask? Discipline.

I get up early, and I have time to luxuriate in my quiet time. I can make coffee, and enjoy a cup or two. I can blog, read, scan the headline news, follow my Ebay items (I'm selling stuff as the economy tightens)and all manner of little items like that, and then as the time for my morning walk comes around, I'm awake, and ready. It is not a real chore that way - it's just the next step in starting my day. Instead of rushing out the door with nothing really accomplished in the morning, I now have a few completed tasks to point to, and I have invested in my health and fitness.

There is a trade-off. Some of you already have made these kinds of changes to your lives, and you know that you can not pop out of bed at 4 or 5 in the darkness without doing a bit of sleeping the previous night. So I'm in bed early now. And what is it that I used to do with my evenings before I began going to bed before nine?

Nothing.

I just sat around wasting time and eating. I don't have TV, so I would pop in a DVD. But I have watched every DVD I own so many times I can quote the end credits. Yes, there are nights I have meetings and rehearsals and so forth at church, and those usually involve people, and people tend to charge me up. But most nights I would just kick back and relax. As if it was something the world owed to me after a hard day. It was a habit - and I got crabby if I didn't get my quiet evenings to waste.

Sort of poetic - I 'sacrifice' my leisurely evenings to have a better life. Sounds counter-intuitive, but so far it has been one of the most amazing transformations. Give it a shot! I will gladly refund your money if not completely satisfied.