Move in Your Moment!

I have a question for you - how are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions? By now, most people have totally given up on them. I've seen all the suggestions to set goals instead of making resolutions - make them specific - measurable - give them a time frame. Truthfully, while setting goals is definitely important and something I do, I don't think that's the answer in this case.

I think, with both resolutions and goals, we get excited and set these huge, extravagant goals. You know - lose 50 lbs by March, start a new business, begin making an extra $5,000 a month, find my soulmate. While I believe we should "think big" and set goals that stretch us - we forget that no one takes one big step and reaches their goal. The road to fulfilling any goal - whether it's improving health, finances or relationships - is paved with a series of well-thought-out, concrete, smaller steps.

I like to call them "baby steps." Not one of us begins to teach our child to walk and gets impatient and disgusted if they take one or two teetering little steps and then fall. No, we celebrate and cheer them on and when they take three little, tiny steps the next time - we are thrilled that they made progress! Why are we so hard on ourselves?

The Bible tells us in Zechariah 4:10 we are "not to despise the day of small beginnings." That's really good advice. In order to achieve any goal or fulfill any resolution, we have to schedule a series of baby steps. But that's just the beginning. Then we are to celebrate each time we make progress - no matter how small. This creates momentum. I heard one teacher describe momentum as "moving in your moment." I like that!

Every day we have 1,440 minutes to use. We all have the same amount of time. Each one of those minutes is yours to move in. You can move forward, backward or stand still. The choice is yours. To my way of thinking, even moving a half-step forward toward the fulfillment of your goal is preferable to either of the other two alternatives!

So, instead of punishing yourself for not making more progress - congratulate yourself on the forward movement you have made in your particular moment. Don't despise them if they are small. Instead of focusing so much on the size, focus on the direction.

Go back to your New Year's Resolutions or goals - it's not too late - really, it's almost never too late! Break them down into baby steps and see how much progress you have already made! Let me know so I can celebrate with you. This is your year to move in your moment!