[RST] New year’s resolutions and fireworks

All of a sudden it’s December 31, which means it is 2015 tomorrow, and there seems to be a tradition of making new year’s resolutions on such occasions. The change of year seems to bring with it an opportunity to make personal changes, to turn over new leaves, to set off on new paths, to give up lingering bad habits, to achieve something remarkable.

It is generally held that setting goals can be empowering, that naming a concrete target rather than expressing a vague wish is more likely to produce outcomes. However, we also have to be realistic. We may well have been commanded to be perfect, but if we think we’re going to get there by the end of 2015 we’re in for disappointment! Be reassured that we have also been told that to every thing there is a season, and that we are not required to run faster than we are able. We need to get ourselves facing the right direction and moving forward, line upon line, precept on precept, seizing opportunities for growth as we can, not procrastinating things that need changing, prayerfully judging what might be an appropriate focus and level of commitment for our efforts.

So grab a pen, think about what you’d like to achieve in 2015 — be it trying something new, doing something better, eliminating something worser (!). Then, check if it is realistic (or think about how to break it down to manageable bits), set a time or a target for its attainment, and make a plan to achieve it. Remember that not everything you want to do can be done (e.g., I have grave concerns about simultaneously getting my email Inbox down to 0 with everything properly filed together with going to bed at a much more sensible time than I have been in the past!), and remember that being overambitious can lead to frustration and despair (one achievable small goal moves you further forward than an unattainable grand plan). Some people like to set goals for different facets of their lives: spiritual, physical, mental, creative, family, educational, recreational, etc. … and the “etc” is not meant to imply that you should use all these categories and then some, but rather that finding a balance and progress in a few different areas is a nice feeling.

Finally, the words of Nephi seem kind of apt here: “Wherefore ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:20)

May your new year be a happy one that brings you personal spiritual and temporal progress.

[After posting this I popped out for an evening walk, and caught the early fireworks, which prompted the following postscript:]

PS Bright flashy lights are rarely anything more than fleeting; never underestimate the luminescence of your own candle — dim though you may think it — if only you set it out for all to see.

Note: The Relief Society Thoughts posts are reprints of little mini-sermon/parable/homily-thingies that I’ve been writing for the women in my Relief Society group at Church. I write them when inspiration strikes and email them out as well as posting them to our facebook page. I thought I’d add them to my blog as well. You can find others by clicking on the “Relief Society Thoughts” category label, in the grey box at the end of this post, and the most recent of the thoughts should have a list of all the posts by title at the end. Previous posts are:

Faith, Hope and Charity at Christmas (Dec 2014)
Charity and hebe (Oct 2014)
Getting our priorities straight: Mary, Martha and us (Sep 2014)
The stinging nettles in my garden (Aug 2014)
The black Sunday shoes (Jul 2014)
An unspectacular sunset (Jul 2014)
On not doing ALL the things (Jun 2014)
Gulp! I didn’t see that coming (Mar 2014, which sort of explains the job of “Relief Society President”)