New Year’s Resolutions Results Guaranteed … Or Your Money Back!

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Do I have your attention? Now if I could only figure out how to get you to send me ONLY $19.99 for this amazing secret, I could accomplish my resolution of becoming independently wealthy.

Most New Year’s resolutions are broken by January 6.  Are we really that bad?  Lazy? Incompetent? Weak? 

I think it is more an issue of focus.  It is not that we cannot focus, but that we focus on the wrong things.  So what I am offering here are two focus-shifters and four strategies that I am absolutely convinced will bring us positive results in 2014.

First, the focus-shifters ...

1. Instead of focusing on the “what”, or even the “how”, focus on the “why”.  Focusing on the “what” would be something like, “I am going to lose weight.”  Focusing on the “how” might be, “I am going to limit my calorie intake to 2000 per day and exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 days a week.” Those are great “how’s” to support the “what”. But why?  Here’s where we stumble.  Focusing on the “why” could be, “I am going to develop a healthier lifestyle so that I can be more healthy and effective in everything I do.”

2. Instead of focusing on personal benefits, focus on benefits to others.  That good “why” of being more healthy and effective becomes a great “why” when I am more healthy and effective so that I can be a greater blessing to my family and my world.  Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God completely and the second is to love others. (Matthew 22:37-40).  He even commanded us to love others like He loves. (John 15:12)

So, now that our focus is adjusted, we need some strategies.

1. Accountability: Enlist a trusted partner to be your “alarm clock” for your “what, how, and why”. It works even better if the accountability is mutual, encouraging each other.

2. Deadlines:  Always keeping your “why” at the forefront, develop some short-term markers along the way. “By March 1, I will have lost 8 pounds … or paid of $500 in debt … or written 3 chapters of my book.” The best thing that ever happened to my writing was having a weekly deadline for the newspaper.

3. Grace: Don’t let failure be your final answer. If you don’t reach a goal by the deadline, don’t give up.  Set a new goal, renegotiate your accountability, and start again.  Consider it a brief layover on the journey.

4. Prayer: Never underestimate the value of your most powerful accountability partner.  Some of the most important “why’s” are too hard to keep in focus when life happens.  Each day is a new chance to begin focusing on the reality that your life—with all the “what’s, how’s, and why’s”—matters to God.

I can’t guarantee that you will keep your resolutions, but I can guarantee that you will see God at work.  

And that’s worth way more than $19.99.

QUESTION:  What are some other focus-shifters or strategies you might add to this list?

Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.