Resolutions!
As each new year rolls around people tend to create their New Year’s resolutions. Our resolutions tend to center on ways that we can better ourselves by focusing on areas such as our spiritual lives and walk with Christ, our health and workout habits, and even our mental and emotional health. In theory, none of these are bad things. Actually, it’s great to recognize the need to improve ourselves. Regardless of whether we feel like we’re doing well physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally, we can always be better.
Resolutions, when set up and done well, can be a great tool. They help us honestly evaluate where we’re at versus where we want to be and can help us create a plan to make it happen. From a physical health standpoint, this happens by being honest with ourselves. If my goal was to lose or even gain a certain amount of weight over the course of the year, I have to be realistic. I can’t create an impossible resolution, but I also need to think about creating a realistic resolution. Physical health resolutions especially, should be set up in a way that helps to facilitate success and not failure. That’s not to say there are never moments when we mess up or don’t reach a goal. Instead, we do so in a way that doesn’t discourage us so much that we quit, but rather encourages us to try again.
Stages
Depending on the stage of life you find yourself at, your picture of physical health may look different. Personally, I was always an active kid and even a young adult. Every job I had until I started working at the church involved being on my feet and walking around all day. I played basketball and softball and worked out regularly, but in my mid-twenties, I decided to get serious. I got into the best shape of my life and felt really great. Fast forward 14 years, add in a family that gets my time when I’m home, a job that requires me to sit most of the time, some nagging injuries that crept in, and 39 years old was beginning to feel astronomically different than 25 years old. So, on my 39th birthday, I told Amanda my goal was going to be to get into the best shape of my life by the time I turned 40. Welp, that didn’t happen. I can give you some valid excuses, but at the end of the day, they’re just excuses. Now, at 40, I’ve decided that I’m going to do better physically. I set a goal that I wanted to get back in shape and start working out, but the only way I can do it is to be honest with myself to stay on track. I didn’t lack motivation, but I did lack guidance and structure, and this is why I think it’s important to evaluate ourselves and create an intentional plan to make our resolutions stick.
Hard Truths
Part of creating resolutions is evaluation. We have to be willing to look in the mirror (literally and metaphorically) and honestly evaluate the areas we want to improve. Sometimes evaluating our lives means needing to hear some hard truths. When we read and memorize Scripture, we often focus on passages that encourage us or even remind us about God’s love for us. At times we may glance over passages that speak truth to us, but require us to let go of areas we want to hold onto. One of those passages is found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 where Paul says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Man, if I’m honest with myself on this one, that’s tough. If I really looked at my body in light of the truth that God bought me with a price (sacrificing His only Son), would I live the way I live? Would I eat the things I’m eating? Would I watch or listen to the things I do? Would I take care of myself better? Would I visit my doctor regularly to make sure things are okay? Would I rest when I need to? Better yet, do I even view my body as belonging to God or do I even care? These are all questions that I think need to be asked because if we truly view our bodies as God’s temple, it should change the way we live.
Intake = Output
Okay, you’ve asked yourself some hard questions and I hope you were able to be honest in your answers. One thing that was drilled home to me when I was doing my master’s degree and even more in my mental health/life coaching training is that our output—how we live, think, and feel—comes directly from our intake—what we watch, hear, and ingest. That means if we’re struggling to stay positive mentally or emotionally, we need to ask ourselves if we are filling our thoughts with positive reminders or negativity. If we’re struggling in our spiritual lives, are we taking the time regularly to connect with Christ, through the Word and in prayer? If I don’t have the energy or drive to exercise, am I eating foods that make me feel sluggish and tired? Am I getting the vitamins and nutrients my body needs to function properly? These things are so important when we’re trying to stay physically healthy. I’ll say this as well, if you need to, start the process by meeting with your doctor to check your levels and connect with a professional dietitian and trainer as needed. At the end of the day, we want to set ourselves up for success and build consistency in our routines.
Consistency
I mentioned earlier the importance of creating resolutions with realistic goals. This is important because we aren’t always going to hit our goals perfectly. Creating realistic goals allows us to go a few different directions as we walk through our setup time frame. We can meet the goal we had, which allows us to know that’s a good target again going forward. We can fall short of our goal, which can show us that we may need to pull back a bit or work harder. Obviously, life happens and things will come up that can throw us off track. That’s why being consistent in sticking to your plan is important. If you were to miss a day, or even a week, in your workouts because you were sick or had an emergency, but you’ve been consistent to that point, you’re able to pick up where you left off. You’ll have to make some adjustments probably by pulling back for a day or two, but you’ll find that you’re quickly able to get back to where you were.
The last thing about consistency is that when you’ve been consistent and find that you’re exceeding your goals, you’re able to see the strides you’ve made and know that you can work hard (maybe even a little harder) going forward. Don’t get discouraged regardless. Stick to your plan and make adjustments when needed. Journaling or taking notes is huge! It may seem tedious, but if you’re recording how your workouts go, you know right where to pick up next time. If you’re lifting weights, record your reps, sets, and weight used. If you’re walking or running, write down how far you went, the time it took, and where you were. This is helpful information that will allow you to not just see where you left off but will show you that you’re making improvements.
Final Thoughts
This post has mostly been about our physical health. While I think our physical health is extremely important, I want you to hear this: taking care of ourselves physically should not take away from our time spent on our spiritual lives. Paul reminds Timothy of that truth when he says, "Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7(b)-8). Our relationship with Christ should be our greatest relationship and focus. It should be the conduit for our full being (spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health). Our reverence and love for Him should lead us to care for and nurture these areas of our lives.
