To Resolve or To Not Resolve...

2024. Wow.
                   
Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Lately, I've noticed that lots of people prefer the term “goals”. A great many others get flustered or wave the notion away dismissively, even aggressively.

I always write down resolutions. But I don’t count my list as a challenge. For me, January is a time of
reflection, renewal, and peace. In the northern hemisphere, it’s deep winter. Even animals are hibernating. It’s calm and quiet, not frenetic. Even my fitness resolutions don’t set off alarm bells.

Borrowing from Merriam-Webster:
Resolve: - to deal with successfully, to clear up
                 - to find an answer to
                 - to make clear or understandable
                 - to reach a firm decision about
                 - to declare or decide by a formal resolution
                 - to (make something) progress from dissonance to consonance

I especially like that last definition -- from dissonance to consonance. 

Harmony.

This year, I've neatly sectioned off my resolutions/goals/intentions. Without going into detail or getting too personal, here’s the outline:

    1. Soul Health

    2. Spirituality

    3. Mind Health 

    4. Physical Health

    5. Writing Life

    6. Social Media

    7. Love – as much as I possibly can.

Each section or category has a short description plus a few “specifics”. Those are more personal -- more for your sake than mine. I’m pretty much an open book. But I will say that publishing the sequel to Tremors Through Time is one of the specifics. 😊

I don’t compose my list feverishly or with aggravation, irritation, shame, or any other negative emotion. This is me looking back over a year’s time, thinking, praying, and seriously considering what I need to do… Here’s the important part – I consider what I need to do to better be able to answer my calling, to share and to love and to serve. In other words, how can I harmonize my hopes, thoughts, actions, and purpose? 

My New Year’s Resolutions are between me and myself, but they’re not just about me. They’re also not massive promises to God or to anyone. They are not Reconciliation/Confession, although some might lead to that.

It's simply a thoughtfully composed list of hopes, intentions, aspirations. I’ll even need help with them – from God and the angels He has placed in my life.

They are nothing to be feared or irritated about. I don't necessarily need to "attack" them. They are good because even though they might seem to be about me – and so they are -- there’s much more to them than that.

Wishing you joy and peace this year and always.