I can’t quite believe that the first week of January is already finished. I’m still not sure that December really had 31 days…mine seemed to be only about 20 days long (with 40 days worth of activities).
But the new year has started, and with disregard for whether I was ready or not.
Perhaps you’ve already spent time making new year’s resolutions or goals. Maybe you’ve chosen books you want to read this year or have filled in special dates on a brand new calendar. If so, can I just tell you I think you’re awesome.
Then again, maybe you’re like me. You’re just trying to get meals on the table and keep the laundry pile under control and break up sibling squabbles and train little hearts and you just can’t quite seem to catch up. If you’re more in this category, can I let you in on a little secret?
You’re awesome, too!
Sometimes life is so very full. Sometimes it’s scary to stop, catch our breath, and plan for the future because it feels like we’ll just get further and further behind.
I know the feeling!
I haven’t pick a word for the year, written down goals, narrowed down a reading list, or filled in a calendar.
Thankfully, I have people in my life who speak truth to my heart and my overwhelmed mind. People like my husband who told me not to worry about designing my planner for the entire year. “Just print out January and get started,” he told me.
Now why didn’t I think of that?!
I want to encourage you today, to take a few moments to look at this month, or even just at this week, and find some ways you can “just get started.”
Maybe it’s overwhelming to make year-long goals. I can tell you from experience that monthly goals can make a huge difference.
Maybe making a month-long meal plan stresses you out. Just pick six dinners to make in the next week (saving one night for leftovers).
Maybe you want to read more, but coming up with a list of books seems too time consuming. Don’t let that keep you from reading. Just pick the next book and get started.
Maybe (like me) you want to get that planner just right. Stop stressing out and jot down a simple to do list.
There’s no rule that you can only make new goals on January 1st.
[Tweet “No one ever said you can only start being the you you want to be when the calendar changes.”]
Let’s give ourselves and those around us the room to be continually changing into the people God wants us to be!
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)
So today, if 2015 has started without waiting for you to catch up, will you unite with me and pick one way you can just get started with something to add a little order to your life?
Share Your Thoughts: Were you prepared for this new year or do you feel like you’re scrambling to catch up? What is one way you added or want to add some order to your life? Click the blue button below and join the conversation.
Thank you for that reminder! It was complete confirmation when I seen the verse in Lamentations that I read yesterday. This year is going ahead full swing and I’m moving at a snails pace. It was such an encouragement to read this. Thanks for being so transparent:)
Thank you for sharing this as I’ve always been such an avid goal-setter. Now all of the sudden, it’s January 11th, and I haven’t done anything! 🙂 Thanks for this encouragement! Can I use this blog in my January monthly newsletter for moms to encourage them about goals? You can check the 4Real Moms mission at http://www.4realmoms.com.
Blessings-
Christine
I have felt like this new year means I need to create a list of goals for my blog. I recently went through a fitness challenge and set a goal of running a 10k at the end. I didn’t think I could get in shape to do it and I thought if I did do it I would run slow and barely make it. Instead I blew my goal out of the water and ran so fast. It opened my eyes to how important setting goals are. Without them we just wander. I still am afraid to make goals for my blog. I’m not sure if it is the fear of failure or the fear that goals will make blogging more of a job than a hobby. Right now I am enjoying it and I don’t want to lose that feeling. So I haven’t done anything new for the New Year. Maybe I’ll get around to it.
I teach full time, so my new year actually starts in August and ends at the end of May–which leaves me wondering half the time what year and decade I’m in ;). I tend to plan for school years (the REAL year) and summers (the little year in-between the REAL years). Yep. That probably makes me weird. Right now I’m working on my plans for the summer and carrying out the plans for the year–it takes a lot of ‘new year planning’ pressure off a gal!
Getting started is the hardest part! I love the new year and spend time planning… but am not as good at actually enacting what I plan. Thanks for this encouragement to start small!
There’s a poem often quoted called “The Next Thing”. Are you familiar with it? Google it – you will appreciate its message!
Your husband is wise—just print Jan and get started. I think it’s so easy to be overwhelmed especially as a new year starts. I try to simply take each week by itself.