No Resolutions – Just Plans
I learned a LONG time ago, that New Year’s resolutions don’t work. We’re not committed enough to them. And why wait until New Year’s Day, or the beginning of a month to start something new?
I’m finding that if I want to change something about myself, I have to contemplate it, then plan it, then implement it. I don’t know why it takes me so long to do it. It just does. I’ll use a Fast as an example. People always want to lose weight after the holidays. Why wait?
Photo via Flickr
Contemplate
I think about it. If I decide to do a fast, I think about it, and think some more about it. My flesh practically screams at me when I think about it – maybe it’s because in 2006, I did a 40-day partial fast. I did what would be called a Daniel Fast for 21 days, then a liquid fast for 19. By the end of it, I’d lost 25 pounds, unfortunately it didn’t stay off, and I was beginning to feel hungry. Really hungry. I couldn’t even be around food. I was supposed to go to a political interest banquet, but I found I couldn’t. No way.
Plan
How long? When to start? What kind of fast should I do? I’ve done all kinds – a one-day, three-day, five-day, two-week, 21 days, and 19 days. I put the 21 and the 19 together to make a sort of 40-day fast.
Photo via Flickr
I’m actually on a sort of fast right now. I’ve thought about it since early November, when my weight crept up to what I call my “danger” point. It’s the point I don’t want to get beyond, because I have been beyond it before, and I don’t feel good when I do. It took me weeks to contemplate it and figure it out.
Since I don’t “party” a lot over the holidays, I figured I could do it. I did a three-day semi-liquid, one-meal a day fast, and got five pounds off. Now I’m keeping it off, and I’m going to try for more. I’m kind of going day-to-day, keeping track of what I’m eating, making sure I exercise. I like to walk. On bad weather, I do indoor exercises.
Implement
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. I started the Saturday before Christmas, and had gotten five pounds off. Now, I’m working to keep that off, and get some more off before the Hershey writer’s conference in mid-January.
The thing is – when you fast, your body goes into “starvation” mode – it’s from early times when humans didn’t always have enough to eat. The body thinks it’s hungry when it’s really not.
That’s when I have to be careful. I’m finding the key is to keep busy, and not to roam the cupboards.
Contemplate Plan Implement
What Does This Have to Do with Writing?
Fasting is a discipline. Writing is also a discipline. I have friends who’ve said to me over the years that they want to do something, but they just can’t find the time. Really? They don’t want it bad enough, then. That would be my blunt answer. My gracious answer would say, “I understand. It is difficult.”
My realistic answer would be: “We find the time to do what we really want.”
Via Flickr
So whether you have New Year’s resolutions or not, you will find the time to do what you believe you’re called to do, you want to do, and balance all that with what you have to do.
I think my first post was entitled “A Novel Idea – A Novel Process.” It was very short, because I had no idea what I wanted to say. I’m finding that even though I’m still what would be classified as an “unpublished” author – meaning I haven’t had a book published by traditional means – you still like me sharing my resources. We’ll get back to that next week.
If I live by one resolution, it would be: to continue to pursue God, my craft, and my relationships.
I’ll continue to share about my writing journey. I’ll continue to share my resources, and a bit of what I’ve learned, and am still learning.
I’m excited about this next year. I have no idea what it holds for me, but I’m praying it will be good.
Happy New Year! May your 2015 be blessed, happy, and full of promise and life!
Donna L.H. Smith 