Happy New Year!
I'm so glad that you're here! I'm working on making some positive changes this year and blogging is one of them. I've never been good at sustaining it in the past, but I'm already encouraged by your presence, so that's a strong start.
If you're anythiing like me, you've probably given up the idea of making New Year Resolutions (NYRs), because they rarely last more than a few weeks, or even days!
However, the start of a new year is still a good time to take stock of your life and make some worthwhile decisions that can make the future look and feel brighter - and after the past five years, we can all do with some of that, right?
So I've come up with a few ideas that we might all like to implement sooner rather than later, so that we can all start making some positive changes in our lives. You may only want to have a go at one of them, and that's fine! I think the biggest drawback to making permanent change is that we take on too much too quickly. Huge change simply isn't that sustainable! So no pressure!
However, have a look through the list I'm going to share over the next week, and if anything hits you between the eyes, excites you, or fires up your passion, then have a think about how you might go about it. Maybe, together, we can encourage and inspire each other to make 2025 our best personal year yet.
1. Aim to Spend Some Time with God Every Day
If you aren't a Christian, then this one may not specifically apply to you, but maybe the same principles apply to similar areas of your life, like meditation.
If you are a Christian, then like me, you may often find that this is the hardest one of all to accomplish, so I'm starting with this one. But before I do, let me say that if you're not good at spending an hour on your knees every day, then that's probably not the best NYR to start with! I was given a challenge to read 10 chapters out of the Bible every day, and I don't want to tell you how long that lasted! Maybe it shouldn't be that hard!
However, it might be time to think outside the box on this one:
Maybe an email subscription would work for you. A friend of mine sends me a few verses of Scripture to meditate on every day via email but I already get too many emails, so they tend to get lost in the clutter. However, there is a page on Telegram that I subscribe to called "Lord is my Light" that pops up regularly with Scriptures and quotes on my feed, and they give me pause during the day to spend a moment with the Lord.
Most Bible apps have devotional series that we can plug into every day. They aren't long, but they can be a great way to start a regular daily practice. There are also good "Read Through the Bible in a Year" programs you can download and print off. I've got one here, so shoot me a message if you want a copy.
Perhaps the most important thing, though, is to find a specific time each day that you can set aside to spend with God. I know this take discipline, but setting a daily alarm on your mobile phone can also help!
If you find yourself nodding off to sleep while praying, then essential oils to the rescue! Blends like Clarity and Brain Power can really help keep you alert! Other oil blends may help you work through some of those tough moments, like Forgiveness, Acceptance, Gratitude and Hope.
Anyway, let's share together how we are going on this one, and encourage each other!
This is just a sample of what you can expect this year, so if you like my content, and would like to see more, please consider subscribing to my blog.