I went to the gym yesterday. Fought through crowds of the newly resolved, put in a few miles on the treadmill and headed back to the locker room for the hour of reckoning.
I’ve heard it said that, “what gets measured gets managed” and it had been a number of weeks and a whole lot of Christmas Cheer since I weighed in.
I’m not obsessive about my weight or anything. It was after all Christmas and “Cheer” (and its corresponding calories) is quite appropriate but for me the new year means a new season of training for this years goals.
I hope you have some goals this year that you’re training for and I hope they are specific enough that you’ll actually and obviously know if you meet them.
What I mean by that is that I think growth is much more fun when it’s measurable. In my life i’m not always in control of the change that is happening around me and I’m ok with that, but in some areas I know that change is up to me.
I think it’s wise advise: to number our days. But I also think getting in the habit of numbering our days is the path to wisdom as well.
I’ve had lots of dreams and set lots of goals in my life. Some have happened and some seem stuck in the wishful thinking category. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the goals and dreams that have come true have been the ones that had both a deadline in the future and a plan on how to get from where I was on day 1 to where I would be on Judgement Day.
The first 10 lbs I lost happened because I decided to lose 15 lbs by Jordan’s wedding. (I missed the goal but learned how to lose weight)
The first half marathon I ran happened because I started an app that taught me day by day how to run, literally, one minute at a time.
If you want to start building a new you this year you need to start by learning to number your days.
Here’s an example of what I mean:
Get out your calendar and mark where you are today.
Yesterday was my first day back to the gym in 2015. Day 1.
Next pick a day in the future and mark it with a definable goal.
A goal can be a target on the horizon (lose 10 lbs in 2 months) or a time frame within which you will practice a new habit (read a chapter of the proverbs every day for one month) This is your Judgement Day.
When Judgement day comes you will know whether you accomplished your goal.
In Tbay we’ve got a race on May 24 weekend. I want to be at least 17 lbs lighter on that day than I was on Day 1. I’ll tell you on race day if I accomplished my goal.
To get to where I want to be there are a number of things that I need to do starting on day 1 and continue doing until Judgement day.
Now all of this might sound unbelievably mundane or sickeningly formulaic but it shouldn’t.
When I read Psalm 90:12 I think about all the times I let weeks and months and years go by without being intentional about how I was living. I’ve let years go by without thinking about how I’m going to teach my daughters and my son about dating. Judgement day is coming whether I like it or not. So I’m numbering my days. I’m going to make sure I’m ready they’re ready. In 10 years I’m going to be 50. My dad had his first heart attack when he was 50… Not me. Cause I’ve started numbering my days.
Spending time numbering your days really just means living each day intentionally. Living a life of purpose. Making sure the things that are most important to you actually get done.
What’s the new you, you want to be this year?
It starts by learning to number your days.
What do you want to do differently this year? What do you want to learn, or practice? What changes do you want to make to how your diet, how you react to stress, the quality of your relationships? Ask God to show you a bit more about the person he created you to be, the best version of yourself.
Think it, then ink it. Decide what you’re going to do differently this year, get out a calendar, write out a few new steps that you’re going to take in the direction of your goals. Then get going.
I have to admit. I was a little worried about what I was going to see when I stepped on that scale yesterday. Then I remembered what that same scale looked like 2 years ago. I love that scale.
Post a comment and tell me what day you’ve got highlighted on your calendar!
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