Some of you might be familiar with the “One Word” approach to New Year’s Resolutions. Essentially, rather than having a long list of goals you want to achieve, you focus on a single word and let that influence all of your activities. In the past, my words have been “purpose”, “grow”, and “keep on” (I understand this is technically two words, but it speaks to me more than “persevere”). My word for 2020 is “today”. My goal in this post is to share why I chose this word, some things I have done to stay focused on it, and share how it is going.

Why “Today”

Towards the end of December I found myself in a bit of a funk. I had little motivation, wasn’t working out much, was watching more Netflix than was healthy, was struggling to spend time with God, and overall felt like I was drifting through life. I also have a tendency to get overwhelmed with tasks, and can struggle starting big projects because I can’t get over how hard it is going to be and how much effort it will require. Or things just feel so monotonous and pointless that I question why it even matters. So, I decided to break things down into smaller chunks. I can’t control what will happen a week from now, but I can take small action steps each day to grow. I don’t know if I will have the strength to face tomorrow, but perhaps I will have the strength for what is right in front of me.

This is not a new concept. The Romans had carpe diem- “seize the day”, Ben Franklin had a daily habit of asking himself in the morning “What good shall I do today?” and “What good have I done today?” in the evening. Jesus teaches us to pray for “our daily bread.” And Hebrews 3 states, “But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today” and “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Master Oogway said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift, and this is why it’s called the “present”.”

How’s it going?

Some things that have been helpful for me is that I have been more intentional about small steps I can take to reach a bigger goals, breaking those down into daily tasks/goals, and focusing on those. For example, I have a goal of doing a “tough mudder” type race this summer. I have laid out different fitness goals to help me take measurable steps, and have been tracking them each week. In 8 weeks, I have lost 12 pounds, increased my push-up max by 18, my pull-ups by 8, and have improved my 5k time by a minute and a half. I still have a long way to go, but seeing small progress over time helps me to persevere.

Another thing that has helped me “seize the day” is doing a different 30-day challenge each month. January the challenge was to do a “Faithfit” workout each day. That led me to more associate workout and worship, and helped me grasp the truth “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” My body is not my own, but God’s, to be used for his purpose.

The challenge for February has been to not watch any videos: Youtube, Netflix, Disney+, etc. My hope was that I would have a greater understanding that my time is not my own, but every minute is a gift from God. This month has been challenging in a lot of ways. I anticipated the natural question, “What the heck am I going to do with myself?” But I didn’t anticipate how big of a void I would feel. My eyes were opened to how much I use videos to numb myself and escape from pain that I don’t want to deal with. So, there were times were I found myself crying or so angry that I wanted to break something for no discernible reason. Some nights were devoted to life-giving activities like listening to podcasts, reading books, or doing puzzles. Others were spent looking for anything to entertain me. Since working out wasn’t as big of a focus, I found myself struggling some weeks to hit the gym

I have learned in these two months  that it is more helpful for me to have positive goals (accomplishing something) rather than negative goals (avoiding something). It is harder for me to feel accomplished by not doing something. Another struggle I have is to base my worth on accomplishing goals. By being successful in the 30-day challenges, I can downplay sins or unhelpful beliefs/thought patterns that I struggle with. I can look for my righteousness in doing these tasks, rather than trusting that Jesus purchased my righteousness by dying on the cross. I have to constantly remind myself that self-improvement isn’t the goal, but rather being transformed more and more into the image of Christ.

March I will start my Spanish Duolingo challenge. My hope is to regain some of the Spanish skills that I have lost over the years. I hope to have a greater understanding that God is the God of every people group and language, and to grow in appreciation for other cultures.