January's resolution

Well, I started off in January with every intention of jumping back into daily Bible reading. And I kept it up for a couple weeks.  In fact I was feeling pretty confident that it would settle into a newly formed habit by the end of the month.

But then one night I didn't get my reading done. Or the next night, or the night after that. Before I knew it a week and then two had gone by, without any attempt to catch up or even start over.

So this past weekend, I took a few hours and caught up. (Is that the best way to read the Bible? Arguably no, but there's that OCD part of me that needs to be "on track" - whatever that means, and by whatever means necessary.) One disclaimer I feel I should add, even though it doesn't excuse my lack of study, but the Bible is the only book I have picked up and read with any frequency as of late. A stack of hardbacks sit forlornly in my nightstand. Not even the surprise Christmas gift of a second Kindle has ignited my interest in reading anything else. So it's not that I'm not interested in Bible reading, it's a general malaise.

Now that I'm caught up, I'll be using habitforge.com to re-start this resolution and make it part of my daily routine, while also starting on February's resolution. (Sorry, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what THAT is :-)

How are you doing with your new year's resolutions? If you're struggling, take heart - you're definitely not alone! And if you need to start over, now's as good a time as any.

Happy reading - and resolution-keeping!

This month's resolution? So far, so good.

As I mentioned on January 1, I'm approaching my resolutions a little differently this year, and focusing on one area of improvement each month.  (Trying to change too many things all at once has been my downfall in years past.)

So, putting first things first, January is my time to get back in the routine of regular Bible reading, study, prayer and meditation. A couple years ago, I got halfway through the Bible, but when the summer swim team schedule shifted around, I let the daily readings fall by the wayside. So I'm picking up where I left off, and at a minimum, will finish what I started in about six months.  If the habit is ingrained enough by then, I'll simply start over and keep reading.  (The Bible is definitely not the kind of book you can read once and say you've gotten all there is to learn from it :-)

I'm using a free online tool called habitforge.com to keep me accountable during these early days of re-establishing this habit, and so far it's working. Getting that email every morning and being able to press "YES!" every day is a good feeling. (It's a handy little tool for ANY habit you're trying to adopt - or quit, if it's something you're giving up.)

And every so often, I'll post how I'm doing with the current month's resolution.  I hope everyone who is trying to become healthier, more spiritual, more organized, etc. is faring well with your resolutions.  And if you've already had a slip-up on a resolution, it's okay - every day is a new day to start over.

Happy weekend - it's national bubble bath day!!!