I've never really been one for new years' resolutions. i've mostly scoffed at their idea, pushing aside an attempt at self-improvement. i also find that i am often terrible at remembering things. much alone, lists. so the issue that remains perhaps is will i work at any new resolution, but more of will i remember what my resolution was?
nevertheless. a few weeks ago before all of our clocks switched over to the big 1 - 7 , i was chatting with my roommates about any prospective resolutions or goals for the new year. and upon chatting it through and thinking about it on occasion, i came to see a list forming in my mind. these were not just things that i wanted to accomplish, but ways that i wanted to live my life differently. i think there is a lot of power in not just changing what we are doing with our lives, but focusing in on why we are doing it.
with that, here is an ever-growing list. think of it as something developing in real-time. don't be surprised if i revise it and come back to it over time. think that's against the rules? well , perhaps. but i'm also listening currently listening through Switchfoot's Where the Light Shines Through and i'm feeling angsty and (falsely) believing that I can do what I want. here's a couple off the top of my head:
nevertheless. a few weeks ago before all of our clocks switched over to the big 1 - 7 , i was chatting with my roommates about any prospective resolutions or goals for the new year. and upon chatting it through and thinking about it on occasion, i came to see a list forming in my mind. these were not just things that i wanted to accomplish, but ways that i wanted to live my life differently. i think there is a lot of power in not just changing what we are doing with our lives, but focusing in on why we are doing it.
with that, here is an ever-growing list. think of it as something developing in real-time. don't be surprised if i revise it and come back to it over time. think that's against the rules? well , perhaps. but i'm also listening currently listening through Switchfoot's Where the Light Shines Through and i'm feeling angsty and (falsely) believing that I can do what I want. here's a couple off the top of my head:
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1. leaving earlier to arrive earlier
i have been learning over the years that i am notorious for being late to things. it became clear to me when a co-worker let me know the time of a meeting purposefully 15 minutes earlier than the official scheduled time, just to get me there on time. yikes.
i've also found that i am less irritable, more focused and spiritually awake when i leave space to arrive to things ( work, meetings, destinations ) a few minutes earlier to settle in and just sit & think. i'm good at getting to things either right at the buzzer or a couple minutes late. i'd like for that to change
2. waiting better
Advent this past season helped me identify in myself ways that i am terrible at waiting. i often fall into the trap to consume like the culture around me - quick-paced & right away. this is a year in which i want to check my phone less when waiting in lines, talk to more people at the grocery store, and spend more time dreaming and thinking rather than scrolling and searching.
3. responding to emails right away ( but not texts )
a wise man once told me that the character of a man can be judged upon how he responds to emails. and although that be no means can be the only requirement of character, i think it speaks a lot about how we respond to others. i use email as a mode of connecting with long-term friends who are living elsewhere in the world, as well as for work. for some reasons, emails always seem more genuine to me, perhaps of their ability to be more formal. i find i am quick to check an inbox for the sake of just receiving quick information to consume such as a long life-update from a friend, yet i am usually always slow to respond. Am i putting an email on the shelf to be responded to when i have a clearer idea of how to respond, or am i shelving it because i don't want to engage my brain or respond to something that takes work? i want to follow the guide-line if i am willing to open my email to look at messages, i should be willing to respond to whatever is sent my way.
4. more learning, less consuming
this point is mostly in the context of internet content and social media. i've felt convicted since last summer of how i receive news and information each day. i've found days in which i look to facebook to give me "news" are days in which my brain only lags. however, lately i have found a ton of joy in listening to podcasts and learning a ton. i'm growing in a desire for knowledge that has depth rather than breadth. podcasts and sermons are great for hanging around the house, getting work done, or driving in the car. one trap that i can fall into however is having too much "noice" going on as well. i've found there is a good balance in having silence throughout the day, as well as useful times carved out to listen to well-worded thought out ideas given by some pretty awesome people. Podcasts have also been a good way for me to be learning from multiple perspectives.
lately my two favorite podcasts / sermons include On Being by Krista Tippett, Fresh Air by NPR, and Bridgetown sermons by John Mark Comer
5. new forms of exercise
since training for distance running over the course of the last two years, running has become my go-to for exercise. however, for multiple reasons, i've found myself gravitating towards learning other forms of exercise. last summer was a season in which i loved getting into a rhythm of swimming laps regularly. its a practice that i'm not very good at, but that i have been able to clearly see growth ( when i'm not drowning, or when i am able to do more and more laps each week ). yoga was a practice that i was able to get into for the first time with my roommates this past year. although i don't go through full routines very much any more, i've found a rhythm in stretching before work and before my day begins. check it out. cross country skiing is next on my list for this year. i've had this fascination with xc skiing for a couple years, and i believe this is finally the year in which i get into it. ill have to keep you posted.
6. more (eclectic) books
this year is one in which i not only want to be reading more, but i want to grow in the types of books that i am reading as well. over the years, the main reading that i have gotten in has included books that have helped to grow my spirituality. which is very important. yet, i also want to make space for books like novels, memoirs, biographies and books that i don't know much about. we'lll see if i have time, but i'll take any recommendations!
. . . more to come!