Resolution Roughsides

Now I know that December is not even halfway finished yet but I have been thinking about New Years resolutions.  Now I have made and failed those before yet each new year I desire to try it again.  I don't know how many people have lived that reality with me but it has gotten me thinking lately.  Now if I personally had to pin-point a few main causes for failure with new resolutions I believe it would be one of these reasons.

1: Lack of commitment

I believe that I get caught up in the excitement of making changes and I run off of the emotional charge which inevitably wears out.  To truly change any part of myself or my life I need to be committed for the long haul.  I need to be willing to pay the price that it costs to keep my resolutions.

2: Not truly wanting to change

It's easy to romantize change, but I have come to realize that even the most 'random' of people are habitual creatures.  We like consistency.  Change sounds exciting but we have to truly want change to force ourselves to do so.  For me it often gets to the point where if I am to change I need to truly loathe the present to change to the future.

3: Poor foundations

It's all about covering the bases properly, such as planning, scheduling, prioritizing and accountability.  Fail to cover those bases and I find myself crippled before even starting.  If I don't have a proper set up to help myself succeed in my new goals the plausiblity of failure abounds.

4: The belief of failure

I think this one is the biggest screwer of resolutions ever, starting something and expecting to fail.  As a general rule if I expect to fail in something, duh I fail!  No brainer really but it's a hard concept to truly pound in.  Failure cannot even enter the mind as a possiblity.  I gotta believe in myself that I will succeed.  I truly believe that the power of will is what separates the successful from the failures.  The successful don't let themselves believe they will fail.  If they believed they would fail, I can nearly guarentee that they would have failed in thier goals.

I know there is a myriad of other reasons for failure in resolutions but as I said I want to try it again.  Now I don't want to make a lot of resolutions but the few I make I want to be blunt and open about.  I shall obtain accountability so that I will keep these goals.  If you wish to keep me accountable message me via fb or this blog and I shall remain accountable.

Give up porn:  Yes I like many struggle with pornography and I cannot stand for it dirtying my mind anymore, I desire purity.

Get 6 pack abs:  Silly I know but I am tired of having pathetic abs.  I desire to look my best this coming year.

Read my Bible every day:  God is my foundation for life and I desire to fall fully in love with Him this year in a new way

Do the splits: I believe flexiblity of body and mind, now the mind is a bit of a challenge but I think the body is trainable here.  Should be painful fun.

So there you have it, my resolutions.  I resolve before God and any readers to accomplish these goals in the new year ASAP.  So lets make and succeed in our goals for this new year, start if off with focus, purpose, and direction.  All the power to win!

Christmas Craze

Well I know most people start off a blog by saying who they are and what they wish to communticate to anyone with a passing interest in what they have to say.  Heck, why not so here's the skinny, my head title for this blog is "No Excuses", the reason for that is because I believe in whatever we do in life we need to accept the postive and negative consequences of it.  That  applies to texting, talking, even in how much we sleep.  So my first encouragement to you, is to live life with no excuses, but with purpose and confidence.

So it is nearing Christmas time, and a lot of people myself included are feeling the rush and the hustle and bustle of the holiday craze.  But I know I am not the only one who is feeling like all of this hype of season is misplaced.  I mean come on, the season is not about spending thousands of $ and getting the perfect gift.  Its about blessing others.  Be it through celebrating the birth of Christ or simply dropping spare change in the bins for the Salvation Army.  So I wonder, where did we put that heart?  Giving has become an obligation and a burden for many.  Where has the Joy gone in giving?

Some people like myself seem to enjoy giving a little to much, AKA beyond our own means.  It's not enough simple to put love into the gifts, it's gotta be something that blows your loved ones socks off.  For us I wonder if we have forgotten that it's the small things communticate the large love, like making breakfast for mom, stacking firewood for dad, helping that friend with organizing their garage.  The thing all those involve is the giving of the hardest gift to give of all, time.  It's easy to spend money we may or may not have to say I love you, but how many of us will take the time to really love people by giving them our time as a gift.  That is the gift I am trying to learn to give now to others, while still giving them loving small gifts as well.

Come with me and enjoy this time of year, the giving, the food, the good cheer, family, the coffee, and the mistletoe :)  This is a season of joy so let us look for the silver lining in our cloudy snowfilled skys and the shining sun when it peeps its warm face.

Regardless of how we give during this festive season let us remember to be giving time to the one who gave us our time in the first place.  I don't want to waste my holiday by giving to everyone except for the most important person to me, God.  Let's not make him our Christmas after-thought.