Reset, Restart, Refocus
If you made a New Year’s resolution,
or a 30 day declaration,
are you on track or
or missing the mark?
I’m faltering,
but Heaven help me,
I want to get back on track.
Once you fail,
the temptation is powerful to chuck the
exercise program,
writing project,
savings plan,
home renovation
or diet
to the curb in utter defeat.
It’s hard to overcome
the voice in your head that says …
You’ll never win.
Nothing will change.
This will never work.
Give up!
Take heart, Dear Friend.
I hear those same recordings my head,
but we don’t have to cave.
Instead of letting those unholy voices
lock up our hearts and enthusiasm,
put them in lock down.
Take every thought captive,
confess,
forgive yourself
and start over.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV)
Take thoughts captive.
Then, confess the mess and move on!
Oh dear one, I so wanted a different story to tell you.
My first goal for January was to:
**Abstain from chocolate for 30 days.
Let me tell you how that worked.
I fulfilled the letter of the law,
I’ve had no chocolate.
Instead, I had VANILLA pudding,
strawberry shakes,
and sugar laden coffee drinks.
My second goal in January was to:
**Exercise a little bit every weekday.
Well, I sorta did this.
But, many days,
I counted grocery shopping or
laundry as my exercise.
My third goal for January was to:
**Fast between meals
and not eat after 7pm.
This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
I legitimized that if I didn’t CHEW, it wasn’t eating.
It’s amazing what you can smash up
enough with your tongue to swallow.
I didn’t hit the mark,
but today,
I’m hitting the reset button!
Taking thoughts captive.
Confessing and forgiving myself.
Starting over.
Focusing on what went well.
That’s what Jesus says and models in the Bible.
He gave Peter a second chance when he recommissioned him in John 21.
He flipped Paul on his head and gave him a new start in Acts 9.
He says to forgive (yourself, included) 7 times 77 in Matthew 18:22.
Hard as it is,
let’s stop beating ourselves up
for not making the mark.
As long as we’re in the pit of
discouragement and
focused on failure,
we are not in the frame of mind to
reset, restart or refocus.
I didn’t exactly fulfill my goals,
but I did have some wins.
I didn’t eat chocolate but
even with my snitching,
I ate much less sugary calories
than I would have without the goal.
The exercise I did manage has me touching my toes
instead of waving at them in the mirror.
My clothes fit better,
my skin looks less pasty,
and I feel good.
It’s enough to get me
Reset
Restarted
Refocused.
I can’t wait to hear how you’re doing.
Hopefully, better than I or at least ready to restart!
Leave me a comment below and I’ll reply to as many as I can.
My new year has not started out well enough for me to focus on goals. I broke my elbow. Most goals I had made are now adjusted to fit a one arm persons lifestyle for the next 6 weeks. I launched my website and changed over from wordpress to squarespace after a ulgly mess I had to deal with on my blog. Now I have time to reset and focus.
Good luck on your future goals.
Whaaat!? That stinks! So sorry, Amanda.
You always inspire me to try and do better, letting the Lord take the load. Thanks
Jan, God is the key to it all, isn’t he?
Easy to say, harder to remember, surrender and comply! 🙂
I’m very thankful for the reset button and a fresh start!
You have your PRIORITIES RIGHT! GO GOD GO! Just think if you were NOT listening to God’s promises and reminders of NO CONDEMNATION!
He tests my FAITH everyday, and more the last 3 months, searching for a job. I find doing eating pizza, chips ,and CHOCOLATE EVEN MORE TEMPTING, when I am WEAK. (HE IS STRONG). I started up my membership at our local college again, where I swim. I know I should go everyone day , and I KNOW HOW GOOD IT MAKES ME FEEL!!!!!! I DON’T have a WORK SCHEDULE to BLAME it on!
You have ENCOURAGED me to get back ON TRACK! GOD BLESS YOU, and I will see you in February 25, @ CAMBRIA BAPTIST CHURCH.
HUG!
Karen
Thank you, Karen! I’m so excited for you! See you very soon! Be sure to say hello, there are a lot of ladies at that event. I don’t want to miss you!
Nothing like a deadline to help you with your weight goal. Les and I are attending a family wedding in Palm Springs CA in February. We are grateful that our flights, one night hotel stay, and rental car are covered with the points Les has earned with all his work travel in the fall. But then in the bottom right corner of the invitation it says: “Guest attire: formal gowns and tuxedos”. Ugh. So I went online and found myself a silver blingy gown. I loved this gown just from the pictures. I got it, tried it on, and couldn’t zip it up. No problem, I’ll order the next size up. Ugh. There is no next size up. So I had to return the gown and find another gown the next size up. It arrived a couple days ago. It’s silver and it fits. I am wearing a silver shawl to cover my disgusting back fat, and doing my sometimes best to avoid sugar. Lord. have. mercy.
Oh, Lord have mercy! Glad you get to go all swanky! Hope you have a great time. You have a fabulous back! Not everyone can be Jen. 🙂