Monday, January 17, 2011

Resolution Redux

Almost before I posted the previous blog, I was already rethinking and revising my new approach to New Year’s resolutions. While heartily agreeing with the Eyre’s Three Priorities philosophy, I saw right away that I needed to tweak the rest of their suggestions. Their balance points of “family, work, and self” just didn’t quite fit or feel right. For one thing, I don’t “work” or have a career.

However, President Uchtdorf’s October Conference talk, “Of Things that Matter Most,” was particularly helpful to me in selecting basic balance or focus points. Although he divided his priorities into 4 areas, God, Family, Fellowman, and Self, I condensed them into three: God, Others (which includes family and fellowman), and Self. Under those 3 basic priorities, I outlined my basic daily focus points.

The first two weeks of January have now passed. I am still trying to get into the habit of re-reading my priorities page with its focus points early in the day. All too frequently, however, I get launched out of bed and right into taking care of business. When I do stop and take the time to re-read my priorities page and focus points, I feel a sense of calm and purpose. And joy. Joy that I can focus on eternally important things.

I don’t expect Perfection, therefore, I cannot “fail.”

I do anticipate Improvement. In that, I have already had success!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Makes me think of this article I read in the Ensign:

"I ask you, brethren and sisters, i fyou expect to go into heaven, if you do not do His will on earth as it is done in heaven? Can those persons who pursue a course of carelessness, neglect of duty, and disobedience, when they depart from this life, expect that their spirits will associate with the spirits of the righteous in the spirit world? I do not expect it, and when you depart from this state of existance, you will find oit out for yourselves...." Heber C. Kimball, "The Potter and the Clay."

I think that resolutions are the divine in us trying to find order and correctness, and when we line those resolutions up with God's will, we can become so much more than we are! I like how President Kimball pointed out that if we want to be with the righteous in the next life, we have to be righteous now.