Opportunities for Improvement

With the New Year, some of us reflect on what changes we’d like to make in our lives. Perhaps a resolution or two are made. Annual professional and personal goals are developed and written down with the intention that this action may strengthen our commitment to achieve the objectives. 

Unfortunately, the goals and resolutions made in January can leave us with guilt by February if we have failed to take the actions we had initially planned. Instead of being aspirational and motivating, thinking about our goals just brings us down as the weeks fly by without progress being made. Let’s “think small”, doing little things to move us in the right direction. Define your OFIs, Opportunities for Improvements. Here’s a top five list that I am sure will help you make the most of the year ahead.

1. Lose Weight—Don’t carry around heavy burdens that drag you down spiritually. Put the load you are carrying on to God to handle. If you are carrying guilt, let it go knowing you are forgiven and loved. Be thankful that you don’t need to deal with that extra weight as you face your future as a lighter, brighter you.
2. Be More Active—sometimes we hear a small voice that tells us to take an action. Help someone in need. Encourage someone who is down. You are busy. They don’t want me to bother them. I don’t know them. No excuses, follow the voice and act with kindness, it may be God telling you what you should do. Pray and act out your faith, you will be amazed at what can happen.
3. Stop Smoking— When something happens that has you fuming, stop and breathe. Don’t fan the flames of your anger thinking about how it is unfair or how wrong someone or something is. Getting mad and exploding never helps a situation and more often than not people can get hurt.
4. Eat Healthy—Seek out God’s word and other sources that feeds your soul and nourishes your spirit. Making healthy choices of what you are taking into your body and mind will make you stronger, more resilient and allow you to reflect the best version of who you were meant to be.
5. Get Organized—Each of our lives is full of stuff, stuff we own, stuff we have to work on, stuff we enjoy and love, and stuff we don’t like and want to avoid. Too much stuff can be a problem whether it is too many thoughts circling around our brains or too many items cluttering up our lives leaving us stressed out. It helps to get organized and prioritize what is most important. Ask God to help clear up your thinking and to follow His will for what matters most. Purge out the stuff that isn’t good. Focus on the positive stuff, the things and people that build you up and give you peace. Look for small steps to take or problems that you can solve so that the life you are living has meaning and purpose. You are worth it!