The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
Psalm 92:12-13
Last year I heard Katy Milkman on a podcast discuss the power of fresh starts and it was eye-opening.
She and her research colleagues conducted some amazing research on the reason why motivation is high at the beginning of things. The beginning of a new year, the beginning of a new month, the beginning of a new week.
What they discovered was that for aspirational behaviors like getting into shape, saving money, or quitting smoking, there is often a great deal of procrastination that prevents people from making progress.
But, interestingly enough, we are naturally wired to strive to implement positive changes in our lives either at the beginning of something new, say for example a milestone birthday, or immediately afterward.
These landmark times in our lives have a way of fueling motivation. Naturally. That’s just how God made us. It’s as if the slate has been wiped clean on past failures and shortcomings and we can have a fresh start.
Sure it’s been said over and over that new year’s resolutions often fail within a short time. But If we are naturally more inclined to be motivated at the beginning of something, then why not work with how God made us and at the very least use this natural motivation to get started. After we start there are a lot of productivity resources that we can tap into to keep us going in a positive direction. Here are the ones we’re leaning into this year:
Get Things Done – We love the focus on getting the things that stress you out of your head through capturing them into a system, even if it’s the notes app on your phone. > Grab it here: https://amzn.to/3Hiypnd
The One Thing – This book is great at helping you distill the most important driver for success on any goal. Grab it here: https://amzn.to/34pHVpQ
Eat That Frog – This book is all about helping you fight the temptation to avoid doing your one thing. Grab it here: https://amzn.to/3saXZnG
So go ahead, use the beginning of the month to refresh some goals, or write out some new ones.
- This could be the year that you read through the Bible.
- This could be the year that you train for a half-marathon.
- The year you drop 25 pounds.
- This could be the year that you practice obedience
- The year you start your mornings with the Word of God
This could be your year.
And grab these book recommendations so that you can successfully move from motivation to implementation.
