I am not a fan of big New Year’s resolutions. It’s a personal thing: Grand plans for reform just don’t work for me.
If I resolve to “pray more” or “draw closer to God,” I know I’m going to end up feeling like a failure. Because those big, bright goals are too vague. What I need are specifics. I need a goal like, “Write two lines in a prayer journal every day at the end of my morning quiet time.” Or maybe, “Put a notebook in my purse so I have a prayer list with me when I find odd pockets of time.” I’m a break-it-down kind of person. If it’s not concrete, it’s not happening.
I also need checkpoints. You see, my self-improvement programs start with gusto but quickly slip into the morass of my everyday busy-ness. I’ve found that if I’m serious about making progress, I need a regular way to see if I’m off track. So I write something like Spiritual Plan? on my calendar for February first, March first and every other first for six months. It keeps me honest. When I see those words glaring at me, I have to face up to how I’m doing. If the answer isn’t what I’d hope for, I can ask why. Was my goal too big? Did it fit in my day in a way that allowed me to succeed? Is something habitually distracting me? What practical things do I need to change to get back on track?
Simple steps. That’s me. What do you do to make your resolution to draw closer to God a reality?
