Smitty Wheeler
For much of the last 25-years, Smitty has worked with middle school through college age students as a mentor, coach, and volunteer youth pastor. He also operates an advertising agency, business consultancy specializing in business turnarounds, is the Chief of Operations of Student Ministry Partners and an Advisory Board member for The Journal of Student Ministries. .
Making Your New Year's Resolutions A Reality
- By Smitty Wheeler
- Published 12/30/2008
There goes 2008! Did you accomplish all that you wanted? Achieve your goals? Spend more time in The Word? Loose that extra weight and get in shape? Reach more kids in your youth group and bring in new ones who desperately need to hear about Jesus? How about spend more time with your family?
Well, it’s a NEW YEAR. Your first order of business for 2009 should be to throw away the old “resolutions” and rethink how you’ve approached them in the past. New Year’s resolutions are really just a way that we try and bring order to a list of things we want to accomplish. And, for most people, they are soon forgotten and never really pan out. The reason for that? We usually address the symptom and not the problem. What we really need to be doing is recognizing the root cause of these problems/issues/goals and create an inner determination to make the changes necessary to overcome/resolve/achieve them.
There are two hard questions you should ask yourself as you set your goals, or make this year’s obligatory list. First, why are you really making this resolution? Is it something you want to do, is it what all your fellow youth leaders are doing, or is it something that someone else in your life expects? The answer to this question will be a huge indicator of your likelihood of success.
Second, what are you willing to do differently to make this resolution a reality? There are costs to every commitment we make, and I’ve found that the only time I come up short on a goal is when I either, a) Make a hasty commitment - “A promise quickly made is easily broken” or b) Don’t count the costs up front - "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?" Luke 14:28
What all this means is, instead of saying, “I’m going to loose 15 pounds this year” we should be saying, “I’m going to remove all the junk food from my cupboards, stop eating fast food, eliminate meals after six at night, limit myself to one plateful of food per meal and start exercising every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.” Just tell yourself every day, exactly what you plan to do and you’ll be well on your way to achieving whatever your goal may be.
Will is the root word of willing, so you just have to be willing to get started. Remember, Jesus taught us to be very specific in what we profess and that when we do so, and believe, we can tell the mountain to, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and it will. Isn’t accomplishing a resolution – that’s clearly defined and that you believe you can accomplish – much easier than that? Just remember that the more specific you are, the more likely you are to see change happen in your life and your ministry.
Happy New Year...Now, go out and move a mountain or two!
Well, it’s a NEW YEAR. Your first order of business for 2009 should be to throw away the old “resolutions” and rethink how you’ve approached them in the past. New Year’s resolutions are really just a way that we try and bring order to a list of things we want to accomplish. And, for most people, they are soon forgotten and never really pan out. The reason for that? We usually address the symptom and not the problem. What we really need to be doing is recognizing the root cause of these problems/issues/goals and create an inner determination to make the changes necessary to overcome/resolve/achieve them.
There are two hard questions you should ask yourself as you set your goals, or make this year’s obligatory list. First, why are you really making this resolution? Is it something you want to do, is it what all your fellow youth leaders are doing, or is it something that someone else in your life expects? The answer to this question will be a huge indicator of your likelihood of success.
Second, what are you willing to do differently to make this resolution a reality? There are costs to every commitment we make, and I’ve found that the only time I come up short on a goal is when I either, a) Make a hasty commitment - “A promise quickly made is easily broken” or b) Don’t count the costs up front - "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?" Luke 14:28
What all this means is, instead of saying, “I’m going to loose 15 pounds this year” we should be saying, “I’m going to remove all the junk food from my cupboards, stop eating fast food, eliminate meals after six at night, limit myself to one plateful of food per meal and start exercising every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.” Just tell yourself every day, exactly what you plan to do and you’ll be well on your way to achieving whatever your goal may be.
Will is the root word of willing, so you just have to be willing to get started. Remember, Jesus taught us to be very specific in what we profess and that when we do so, and believe, we can tell the mountain to, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and it will. Isn’t accomplishing a resolution – that’s clearly defined and that you believe you can accomplish – much easier than that? Just remember that the more specific you are, the more likely you are to see change happen in your life and your ministry.
Happy New Year...Now, go out and move a mountain or two!
Spread The Word
Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by Tammy Smith)
Good suggestions! My NYRs usually last until mid-January. I see lots of areas for improvement with my youth group and several on the personal side as well. I'll take your message to heart because I am definitely willing ;-) Thanks, TS
Comment #2 (Posted by Armond F.)
I like the angle that you're using. In my life, the more specific the more successful.
