Beginning 2021 with Endurance
“2020 cannot end fast enough.”
I think we all made a comment along those lines over the past year. It is quite funny when you think about it: as soon as midnight strikes on December 31st, all the challenges and woes of 2020 will end as 2021 is brought in with shouts of joy and triumph!
Now hear this: I do believe this year is a beautiful year to start new:
New attitude
New outlook on life
New priorities
New sense of time
New faith
It is a good year to start something new. But we need to keep in mind that we are coming off of a really hard year and we are all exhausted. New Years resolutions will probably be harder to keep this year. A friend of mine shared with me that self-control and discipline are like a muscle, you get stronger and it comes easier when you use it more. We have lacked so much self-control and discipline this past year, it is going to take some work to get it back. I really love that concept and I hadn’t thought of it before.
So how can we start our 2021 with endurance and discipline?
Here are some things I am going to do:
Make a list of things I want to prioritize that I haven’t necessarily been doing (for me it’s working out and eating better). Figure out how I can make that happen.
Set reasonable goals. I am not going to set myself up for failure by doing Whole 30 and promising to get to the gym every day. But I can start focusing on getting walks in, working out a few days a week, eating more vegetables, and drinking more water. A little goes a long way. I believe in starting small for almost everything.
Make a list of things I am doing well, but want to get better at (for me it’s daily Bible study). Find out how I can make that happen too. I think it’s really important to acknowledge what we are doing well and celebrate that! Let’s not be so hard on ourselves!
Pray about some goals. Are God and I on the same page? Where is God leading me this year? I want to take some time to really listen to His voice and see what He says to me. I usually pick a word of the year, so I will also pray about that.
Set a family mission statement. We created this 10 day (or 10 week or 10 session, whatever works for you!) study of the Beatitudes. It walks through each Beatitude and explains how they point to the way Jesus wants us to live our lives. It’s super easy to do and involves fun activities for the whole family with very little prep! At the end of the study, you and your family can make a family mission statement together. It’s a great way to start your year focused on the same goals together. We would love it you checked it out!
Wake up every day and pray. I have been saying this super simple prayer every morning,
“Lord, give me the endurance to faithfully live this day for you. Help me to be the wife, mom, friend, and Christ-follower that you call me to be. Set my heart on fire for you. Amen.”
That’s it. Try it out every morning and see what happens!