Happy New Year! Right? Something magical happened at midnight. We left the old year behind and entered into that mystical journey of a new trip around the sun. What’s different? Unless you are magically a “new you” then nothing is different this morning. Except for our location on the journey and a new number we must remember to use. That being said, how do you find success in the new year?
This is the most remarkable question of all time.
Last year’s goals, resolutions, projects and forward motion items all slipped into the crack of “next year, maybe”. Now, that next year has arrived! What are you doing different this year? Will you be more successful with the stresses that were no different than yesterday?
I woke this morning thinking that goals and resolutions are not going to cut it unless I have two things working in my favor. What are they? It’s simple.
Commitment
Knowing you want something in life when you are at the top of your game is different than when you are in the valley of decisions. If commitment is the simple willingness to do, what motivates you to continue when life is great, or bad. Many have created resolutions and goals in the warmth of the glow, but they have no motivation to continue when struggles or victories appear.
Hand in glove, commitment must find the bedrock of motivation to move successfully forward.
Think about it like this. How many times have you faced a new year with a resolution in hand, and a goal in mind, only to reach the next new year in the same boat as the last new year?
In the rush of a moment we say we are going to do, accomplish, grow, shrink, and make better choices. Even published, the desires do little to make us successful unless we have the motivation to move when the load is heavy.
After knee surgery in 2019 I promised myself some health goals. I began walking. Each day and week adding more steps until I was up to three miles…but then my knee started acting up and very quickly those steps turned to a shuffle. Then a death, another death, retirement, COVID, politics, BLM, riots, and heavy news invaded my space.
Where’s my motivation? As with many, I’m simply trying to make it through each day safe and secure. But wait, there’s much to do and little time to accomplish.
Come on now! Where’s my motivation?
System
Back when I was learning to pilot a plane, I made note cards (I still have them) of all the important checklists I needed to rattle off to make sure the plane was safe. Along with these cards, I jotted down additional knowledge based items I needed to fly basic routes.
Just putting pen to paper did little good until I developed a system and habit of reading and checking myself on the facts I had recorded. Putting them to memory was not enough. I needed to rehearse, recite, and imagine the moment they were needed. Not just during the good times, but also through stressful moments. At stoplights, in the middle of the night, when the phone is ringing, someone is trying to get my attention…
Now, practice, practice, practice. I practiced until it became second hand. That became my system. Adhearance to a “system” can be your motivation when the tough times appear.
Losing weight, strength training, advancing your career, or making money. They all require a system. You must find one, or create it for yourself.
Make It Make Sense
Now. Put lay all the ingredients before you. Let’s see, desires, wishes, and future. Commitment and motivation. System to order and organize.
Look at your recipe for life. Do you have everything you need? Wait! except for one thing. Order.
You have to make sense of everything. This includes knowing yourself, setting priorities, building a plan, establish some goals, and know when you arrived at success!
Some challenges must be overcome. Habits must be broken and built. Temptations must be curbed and controlled. You must find what works for you and develop some form of sticktoitiveness! Now, achieve!
Only you know yourself and what will work for you. Early morning. Late nights. Working through lunch. Taking a breather. Spending quality time to accomplish. Power naps next to Power Reads.
Success comes from Commitment hand-in-glove with the Motivation that keeps you going when you are down. Find a system that works for you! In every aspect of life, this is my truth. Click To TweetA Spiritual Thought
This morning I was thinking about the disciples. Jesus had warned them of this day, but then could not envision the brutality of the moment. He’s gone. Arrest. Trial. The cross and tomb.
What do we do?
Their training had not prepared them for this. Fear. Uncertainty. Did we choose the wrong path?
Wait! He’s not in the tomb! We have seen the Lord. “Tell his disciples… and Peter… go to Galilee”… (Mark 16:7) Why the focus on Peter? He has the keys (Matthew 16:13-20)
For the next 40 days, they struggle through the miracle and the realization that Jesus will leave again. Then what? A commission? (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:4-5) A mission? Can we do it? Is it within us? Acts 2, the church is formed by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Is that enough? It depends on the person.
Peter stands and preaches the first message. Not to the church, but to those who do not know Christ. He begins the system of fulfilling the commission. They committed themselves and had to find their source of motivation. Order was established. Perfect? No. It modified as time progressed. New pieces to the challenge. New steps.
Think It Through
They had all the pieces of their future. Knowledge. Spirit. Mission. Now. What do they do in Acts 3? I consider this to be the “Day after Pentecost”. Peter and John are on their way to the temple to pray. Custom. Habits. No change. It’s the Hour of Prayer. (Acts 3:1) It’s simply our life.
Except. A lame man who had been there for years, and probably a regular sight for Peter and John. They hear him ask an alms. Yep. Heard this before. But wait. Peter stops. Looks at the man. Something inside of him is motivated to do something. His commitment is to follow the example of Jesus. What can I give to this voice I’ve heard before? New insight!
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have,
but what I do have I give you:
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
(Acts 3:6 NKJV)
He reaches out to the man, grabs his hands, and as he pulls him to his feet, a miracle occurs. No fancy prayer. Simply a statement of commitment, motivation to respond, and a result to prove his focus.
Peter had to do something with his future. This is a prime example of what we need to be doing as the church. Not just saying, “Be healed”… but reaching out and touching the need, exerting some physical contact, and imparting words of healing.