Well, it’s that time of year again.
It’s the time when everyone counts down the ticking hands on the clock, decked out in flashy eyeglasses that say “2014”, shimmery shirts, or fancy hats. It’s the time of year where everyone decides that THIS will be the year. The year of weight loss, the year of that vacation to Maui, the year of that big break, the year of that luck in love. But the truth is–a new year doesn’t bring ANY of that.
It’s not a stroke of luck or a clean slate or a living, breathing entity that gives out gifts. It’s just 365 more days of YOU. A year is an accumulation of “todays”. Sooo…the big question is what will you do today?
One of my favorite quotes simply states: “Make sure that what you do today is important–because you’re exchanging a day of your life for it.”
SO true. And I learned that this year.
I remember this time last year like it had happened a week ago. Maybe because I sat with my Dad (who was sick at the time, and now he has passed) talking about resolutions. My resolution was to get a certain promotion by the end of the year. So, as soon as the clock struck midnight, I set to work. Each and every day I worked for that promotion. And not a day went by that I didn’t think back to the resolution, measuring myself up against it. I honestly had a year where I felt like every day I was running out of time–when instead, I should have felt that every day I was a stepping stone further on this journey we call life.
And so the end of the year came. And…guess what? I didn’t get it. A lot of changes happened, sure. A lot of learning and growth and development and opportunities even. But not the same resolution. So I admit. It was tempting to feel like I failed myself and that 2013 was a bust. I’ve been tempted to fall into the same mindset of last year and say, “2014–let’s make this a successful one! I’ll actually DO IT this year!”
But I decided…no. Not this time. Because I didn’t fail after all. Neither did you, by the way.
2013 taught me patience. It taught me endurance. It taught me to work hard and to persistently work toward daily goals to improve myself, my work, my family, and my life, even if the reward of it isn’t seen on my specific timetable.
Maybe last year you said you’d lose thirty pounds by the end of the year, and maybe you didn’t make it. Well, this year, resolve instead to run every day. Drink more water each day. Or follow a daily plan to nutritious eating. Resolve to work every DAY, and not just make it a “by the end of the year” kind of thing.
We aren’t promised 365 days, but we are given this one. So make it a great one. And tomorrow, set out with the same plan. Only by working one day at a time and resolving each day as soon as your feet hit the ground to be a little kinder, work a little harder, and exchange each day with something well WORTH it–will you look back and see it really was a great year.
Happy New Year everyone–and here’s to 365 more days of fulfilling and valuable “todays”.
all our lemmony things 