January is over. My guess is many of our resolutions are also over. Deep sixed. Abandoned. Tossed out. Our heads are hanging and we feel like a failure again. So much hope goes flying out the window.
Are you willing to consider a different approach?
Think of a change you are trying to make. Instead of making a long-term resolution that is sure to be doomed to failure, think about only the one month in front of you. Worse case, you get two weeks into this and you fall off the wagon. That’s ok – you simply start over and worst case – you’ve only lost two weeks, not a whole year.
The world is harsh and unforgiving. If we can get away from those terrifying and debilitating phrases of ‘always’ and ‘never’, maybe, just maybe, we will get some real opportunity here for change and growth. It requires two things:
- we forgive ourselves for our missteps
- we admit we are not perfect
What do you say? Are you willing to try “just for a month” and see what can happen? It won’t be perfect, but it will move you forward. In the end, rather than hanging your head, the worst thing you may need to do is start the month over. But no matter what, you’ll be farther ahead than if you gave up prematurely and did nothing or tried to do it perfectly and throw in the towel. Those are truly worst-case scenarios that breed perpetual failure.
“Just for a month.” It’s a spin on a phrase we use quite often around here: One step at the time. Each time you take a step, you are moving, advancing, pursuing.
Our perfection is in Christ. So release the perfection trap. And get going – just for a month.