Solutions To New Years Resolutions: How To Have The Stamina To Last Through The Year
Posted: Wednesday, January 06, 2010
by Laura Trahan
Every year we do it. I am the worst. I make all of these resolutions only to never start making them a realization or quitting two weeks into the new year.
This year, I am determined to make things different. I am motivated and I am looking for ways to cheat. Ways to make it permanent that really do not upset the daily flow of things.
Here are a few of my resolutions and how I plan to deal with keeping them this season.
Read my Bible more
I make this resolution every year. I am not sure of a Christian who does not make this resolution. Yet, somewhere in Genesis or Exodus, we lose steam. Of course, we all know that God only wants our best and is not up there counting what pages we have read or scriptures memorized. This year I am trying a different route. I am going to surround myself in scripture so I have no other choice.
Starting with email - I found this great website, www.bibleinayear.org. Granted there are a lot of these sites out there, just Google it. I like this site because it is free and every day they send me a portion of the Bible to my email. What is great is that you can choose how you read it from alternating, start to finish or in order of time. I do not have to start at Genesis and still get through the entire Bible in a year.
iPhone Applications-techonology is great and YouVersion has a great mobile application that will put the Bible at your fingertips in seconds with no bulky book to carry around. I love this program because it not only has commentaries for me to better understand the reading passages, but it also has daily reading plans and my favorite part is ALL of the different versions.
Of course, if that does not keep me to it, I have nightly devotions for my kids to do. As well as family scriptures to memorize that we are starting as a family tradition. We pick a verse as a family to memorize each month. If I do not succeed this year, there is no hope.
Finances
Budgeting is something our family has continued to have a mental block against. We really are beyond help. This year, we have made this resolution for the fifteenth millionth time. This year it is going to be different.
We are stocked up with a plan. Finally, a year and a half after taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, we are putting it in practice. The great thing about this program is that it really is simple once you put it into practice. It revolves around an envelope system so you never spend what you don't have. Check out daveramsey.com for details.
Other tips I am using this year is taking advantage of discounts and coupons as well as simplifying our lives. Coupons.com offers endless supplies of coupons. Retailmenot.com also offers great discounts for online stores. I am also taking advantage of bank promotions. Stop by your bank just to see what promotions they have. I acquire points every time I use my bank card. It isn't a lot, but it is something. I also am taking advantage of their technology advances with iPhone apps and online banking.
Eating at home - this is two fold. This will save us tons of money, but it will also help our health. I acquired two cookbooks for Christmas. Armed with sale ads, we are no longer waiting until the week of to plan dinners. Instead, we are going to take advantage of the sales and coupons and plan dinners accordingly. Every penny that can be saved will benefit us greatly. We are notorious for eating out and then questioning where the money in our bank account went.
Healthy living
This is something we battle every year. We want to be healthy. We want our kids to be healthy. The truth is fads only get us so far.
We canceled our gym membership last year. It saves money, and I am not saying I have anything against a gym membership. But you can not imagine how much of a waste it is if you are not getting up and driving there. Our solution. The park or the mall even. There are so many ways to exercise without ever spending money.
iTunes even has exercise videos. You can't imagine how much more your family can be involved with working out and living well when you take a family trip to the park to exercise every day. It gets you together. It even gets the dog exercising since gyms don't allow pets. HMM. . .maybe that is a new idea for a business. . .Exercising together as a family can be just as beneficial and cheaper.
Diets - I have done every diet known to man. The only one that ever worked was Weight Watchers. I lost over 50 pounds once. You know the reason it worked. It doesn't promote a diet but a life change. Bringing healthy food into your house, getting rid of the other options is the only way to succeed at this resolution.
A great site to help with transforming your life in all these areas is the http://lifestyle.onemonthtolive.com/ I usually would never promote my pastor in this way, but this program has some amazing tools to keep you on track. It is part of his One Month To Live challenge. You would be surprise how much this one resource can change your habits and actions and lead to transformation in several areas depending on your resolution.
Of course all of this is my opinions. It may not work for some. The trick is lasting 21 days since that is how long it takes a habit to form. This year, I am looking to last all 12 months. Families can be transformed by sticking to resolutions.
Here is to wishing you a successful year full of fulfilled resolutions. Feel free to leave your own tricks in the comment section below to help others achieve greatness in 2010!
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