One Day At A Time

This is a week when many of us get serious about considering what changes we want to make in our lives.  There’s just something about starting a new year that gives us fresh hope and fresh motivation.  Unfortunately, many people are quickly discouraged by their “New Year’s Resolution” failures, and end up in a worse state than they were before.  There is one simple shift you and your teens can make together than can make a world of difference in how much real progress each of you make in the transformations you want to experience.  Ready?

Don’t make a “resolution” for the year!

Declaring you WILL do something different for the whole year sets you up for discouragement and a sense of failure.  I know you don’t that for your teens.  Surely you don’t want it for yourself, either?  So, does this mean we should aim low and just remain satisfied with areas of our lives that really do need improvement?  And is THIS what we want to teach our teens?  Of course not!  Instead…

Decide to start facing each day, one day at a time, with a reasonable goal of improvement for that day.  Talk with your family this week about what changes everyone would like to make in their lives.  Be an encourager to your teen, and not a discourager.  If you are really feeling bold, ask for input from your kids and spouse about what changes you could make.  Talk with each other about what is realistic.  Really help your teens think through this part of it.

Then start making daily challenges and goals for yourselves.  Each day is a new day.  Each day is a fresh start.  And each day is a day to celebrate growth and progress.  Just think how much better your teen’s life will be thirty years from now if you do your best to set this example and encourage this way of living right now.  By encouraging each other in the simple daily living of moving toward something better, we can make every year the best it can possibly be.

p.s. – If you and your family have goals of moving more and getting more fit in the coming days, weeks, and months, I can definitely recommend getting Fitbits for parents, teens, and tweens.  We just got them for an early Christmas, and the fun and challenge is a refreshing motivation for all of us.