So what’s up for the New Year? I hope you’re not one of those folks who start making resolutions they’ll never be able to keep. (If you can, great for you – most of us, however, just don’t do so well…)
Resolutions to accomplish more, eat less, be healthier, save money, and maximize your earnings potential start out with the best of intentions, but usually get moved first to the background and wind up out-of-mind as life gets busier. When you finally remember and realize you haven’t gotten there, it’s easy to feel like a loser or a failure. But you’re not. You just used the wrong approach to the problem.
A man I study about who wandered around Israel a couple thousand years ago instructed us to do just two things and everything else would fall into place. Similarly, if you do just this one thing I suggest, then all your resolutions will fall into place without even thinking about them. Just…
…Be deliberate every moment.
Deliberate means “carefully weighing or considering, intentional, careful or slow in deciding, steady in movement and action”. Deliberate is applied to what is done not in haste but with full realization of what one is doing.
If we are deliberate every moment, we will not say harmful words to those we love, sit for hours in front of the TV set, eat that second piece of pie with the extra large scoop of ice cream, smoke, drink, drive too fast, argue with the rude customer, buy it just because it’s on sale, or neglect to help others.
If we are deliberate every moment, we will put out that extra effort, read the book that will benefit us, exercise even when we’re tired, do the job that much better, make the plans we should, eat the salad, work the extra hour, give the compliment, lend the hand, say we’re sorry, and succeed in life.
Isn’t that so much better than a resolution?