Welcome to the 8 most dangerous days of the year.
Dec 23rd by JonHave you ever quit?
Has their ever been some action or attitude or behavior you wanted to eliminate from your life? Or maybe it was a good habit you wanted to start doing. Some beneficial thing you wanted to tightly bind to your daily activities.
It doesn’t have to be monumental, like kicking heroin. It can be small, seemingly insignificant. Maybe you want to eat one cream cheese on your bagel in the morning instead of two. Maybe you’re going to join the gym and take off those pounds that an age-slowed metabolism has put on. Maybe you’ll quit smoking or start reading your bible every morning.
The action isn’t what matters, there are a million things it can be. What matters is if you ever actually do it. And if you’re at all like me, the one thing that really stands between you and achieving a goal is the start date …
When I decide to do something different, I almost never make the start date “Right Now.” For some reason right now just isn’t the right time. Take today for instance. Wednesday isn’t a great day to start something new. Monday is your best chance at a fresh start. And if at all possible, don’t begin on the second or third Monday in a month. For best results you need to start on the first of a month. And the truth is, there’s only one date that’s perfect for a new beginning –January 1st.
We’re a mere 8 days away from the greatest start date in the entire calendar year. And it’s exciting. I can almost see the dozens of new people that will be at the gym there for a few weeks following the New Year. When I go to bookstores, rows and rows of magazines promise me better abs, whiter teeth and more fulfilling sex in 2010. There is a sense of momentum, as if the only thing holding us back is the date. And when it changes, so will we.
But when I set a start date, I traditionally tend to enter “last meal” mode. Like a prisoner right before execution eating a last meal, I start doing whatever activity I will be stopping before my official start date. If I’m trying to eat better starting on January 1, then December becomes a month full of Taco Bell. I eat horrible food knowing that soon I won’t be able to. Like a bear planning for a long winter of hibernation, I overdose on what I’m going to quit before I actually quit.
Ever done that? Maybe you’re doing that right now. This is the time of year to do it. Especially with the pressure of the holidays and end of year job reviews and parties and ex-boyfriends that don’t really care how your Christmas is. These are the 8 most dangerous days of the year, because the rules don’t apply. A clean slate has been penciled in for January 1. The new you is already on the docket, it’s time to let the old you eat a big meal, and maybe smoke one last cigarette before you put him up there in front of the firing squad and say goodbye.
I’m not doing that this year. I’m not letting the calendar dictate who I am. I’m not waiting for January to set me free of me. I’m not putting my hope in 2010.
Today is the day I’ll be different. Today is the day I’ll give God the freedom to change me. Today is the day it changes.
Today is January 1.
Comments
Well said!
I too have fallen prey to this. Yet, when God challenges me to change something, He isn’t usually ok w/ me saying “ok, next week I’ll start…” In fact, delaying like that usually is followed by pretty strong conviction (and in some cases, repentance). And when I do come around to accepting the challenge, it is never as fulfilling as the times I’ve taken God up on it the first time around.
It makes perfect sense… I mean, didn’t Jesus say “Let the dead bury the dead” when one person wanted to delay? That regardless how good the excuse, today was the day to follow? And yet, I never seem to get it…
Just over 2 years years ago, my dad decided to quit smoking. In the two weeks prior to January 1, I think he smoked 10 cartons of cigarettes.
My teenaged sons have both vowed to quit arguing with us, quit talking back, etc. Apparently, though, they read your mind or you got your inspiration from them (Thanks a lot Jon Acuff), because they’ve been ten times worse than normal this last week. The next few days are going to be worse?!?! Oh, I don’t know if I can take it.
My pastor has said, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." That's stuck with me whenever I think "I'll start tomorrow."
that's really good!
My pastor says that too! Do we go to the same church?
Oh, I like that.
If you cannot do it entirely right away, try cascading it. Reduce your intake by half or two thirds, and when you go into full withdrawal, it will not be so difficult. For those of you trying to reduce your weight by diet, try drinking three to six liters of water a day, and snack instead of eating meals. Or just remove candy and soda now. It will make you more used to not having those things in the storm, and makes survival and success easier. I like getting as close to the top as possible when I comment.
Two years ago I read this blog (http://christinekane.com/blog/). I gave up on the new years resolutions and chose a word to define my year. This eliminated the "pass" or "fail" issue and replaced it with a mindset. and it works…
I started on the 19th. I, like everyone else on the planet, gained a few pounds this Fall. So I made a plan on the 19th to get back to the pre-holiday me. Then I went upstairs and put on my sports bra and shoes and did something with that plan. I wasn't about to waist 12 days so I can start on January 1st. That's lame. So when all of you are at the gym on the 1st, know that I had a 12 day head start and won't even be sore on the 2nd!
That was a convicting article.
I’ve been planning what can’t be called so much a New Year’s resolution as it can be called a New Year’s Lifestyle change. I’ve been anticipating taking my overweight, out of shape, smoker’s lunged, keen on the drink self to Orange Beach, AL for one last week of bad habits. And honestly, I will be at the FloraBama when the clock strikes midnight livin’ it up. However, I think you’re right. I should start now, not next Friday. Next Friday won’t be a good day for anything (except football).
Honestly, I think this "last meal" mindset is how I've gained many of my, ahem, MANY pounds that I need to lose. But – again, being honest – I'm not sure how to quit. (And for the record, I may possibly be sorta, kinda eating a cup full of peanut brickle as I'm writing this…)
This is perfect. You got me! I do this ALL the time. Today is a best day… yes! Thanks.
I can't start anything new this January 1 because it's not a Monday.
I vote you Average.
I've been thinking about this too, and as a type B perfectionist, I tend to not do anything at all unless I know I will succeed. Hence, I don't do a whole lot, and my type B personality is okay with that most of the time. In an effort to change that, I got a gym membership this week and my new motto is: NO GOALS! I think it will work, too. If I have no goal, then I cannot fail, and will continue to go the gym because I like getting a workout. It's really hard not to tell myself that I'm trying to go _ times this week or that I want to run _ miles on the treadmill while I'm there. But that's just the kind of challenge this type B personality needs
(DISCLAIMER: this theory has not been tested, and is probably not suitable for other people. Setting goals for weight loss and exercise is a good thing.)
You are me!!! I'm so glad there is someone else out there that gets it! Lmk how it all works out for you!
Know your strengths and weaknesses, it will help you later on. I think you got this right.
Oh, boy, if this isn't me I don't know what is. Most people don't "get" it – that doing nothing is better than doing something imperfectly. Let me know how it works out!
The *real* danger of starting something new on January 1 is that once you fail, you have 350+ days to go before you can start again.
The times I've had success changing my habits have been the times when the decision was made in an instant and I began immediately. No anticipation, no month to eat Taco Bell (which is exactly what I would do!), just a instantaneous decision/action combo that really worked. It's the old Parkinson's Law rearing it's ugly head again. A thing will expand to fill the time available for it's completion. Literally, the longer we wait the harder it is to start, and vise versa. Awesome article!
This is so true! My successful weight loss came when I said today I'm making a change. I gave up soda for Christmas (same idea as giving up something for Lent) and I made the decision as I was drinking a soda. I said this is the last one before Christmas and it's been easier than I thought.
Humorous side note: as I type this I'm listening to "City on our Knees" where the refrain is "if we're gonna start somewhere, why not here. If we're gonna start some time, why not now?"
First off, great comment JanetInLA.
About the post: I love that last line: "Today is January 1." I'm totally going to start using that. It echos the "Today is the day of Salvation" line from the Bible. Today is all I have. Today is forever. Today… I need to start living like it.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
There is no such thing as a new start on the new year. A new start is today, right now, as you are reading this. Use what tools you have, and, as I commented as a reply on the first post that is in no way related to the first comment, and cascade before the storm.
My Pastor wrote a book called Change Ain't Change Until You Change. I agree with you. Today is the for change!
My wife and I are going to refine our monthly budget meetings. 2010 is going to be the year of Dave Ramsey extremeness. If my car needs some oil, I'll take out an oxy pad wipe my forehead and squeeze that into the dipstick hole just like Al Bundy.
A month of Taco Bell? That sounds like the best thing EVER! Fourth meal!
BLEH! I prefer pizza to taco bell. I say that today is new years day, and we all need to quit wasting money on fast food, and instead have a family dinner. Start that today, or tomorrow depending on where you are. It is four o'clock here, and I think Jon Acuff just finished his supper three hours ago. That's right, I live in the northern non-contiguous, and also largest tourist attracting, state.
Life's not like a wireless plans with rollover minutes – I won't get to roll over the time I've not used wisely today when the next month (or next Monday, or next year) comes, so now is my chance to obey, to be different and make a difference, to take that first step. Who knows, tomorrow I could wake up dead (it's an oxymoron but you know what I mean
). How often I forget that.
Thanks for the reminder Jon.
"Yesterday is a canceled check: Forget it. Tomorrow is a promissory note: Don't count on it. Today is ready cash: Use it!" Edwin C. Bliss
Hey Jon, you gotta stop doing this. I've told myself to stop quoting you on my blog more than twice a week, but you're really not making it easy. Timely reminders like these are hard not to reblog.
Busted…
People, please do stuff like that in the replys, not the comments. I use the comments to enhance my further learning from the sarcasm of this sight, and especially serious wednesdays (Can I just spell it in Espan~ol? It's easier.) So stop doing those one worders, and the 'Me Likey!" comments in here. Jon, Can we add a 'like' button to stop these pointless tiraids?
Gulp.
Once again, Jon, I think you've read the mind of this small town Missouri girl you've never met. In bed last night I was going over my new year's resolutions and was convicted on this vary subject. Its as if God was chastizing me "why not now?" "Why wait?" And, I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse.
What everybody else said. Squared.
Here is my new years resolution that i am working on today…Not ruining my sister. http://thoughtsaboutnothing.com/ruining-my-sister...
Here is my new years resolution that i am working on today…Not ruining my sister. http://thoughtsaboutnothing.com/ruining-my-sister...
Good New Year's resolution. How about starting that now, and tomorrow, renewing that vow each day. That should help you with that. But remember to not be too kind, sisters do not much like being treated too kind by their brothers.
I must have ESP or something. Last night, I said okay enough of this not doing a quiet time stuff. So, I signed up for a devotional to be dropped in my inbox every morning. It's a start. One day I may get to the whole hour, make your own quiet time with God, but at least it's better than the 3 second prayer in the car. And I was convicted. My husband and I are hyper involved in church. Committeed out the wazoo, praise team, decorating for Christmas, all around helper folks but I didn't take the time for myself with God. I haven't told the hubby yet I want to see if he notices a change. But I'd like to think today was a better day because I purposefully sat down for a little while with God.
I'm curious, who's devotional are you using? Can you provide a link?
After eating the worst lunch ever (fried mac & cheese at a restaurant…it wasn't even as good as homemade mac & cheese but probably just as bad for you) and then trying on clothes at Express, I said….That's it! Why am I paying for a gym membership when I don't go to the gym? I'm not going to wait until January 1st. Christmas Eve is a weird time to start going back to the gym but it's better than nothing. And oh yeah…this? "and ex-boyfriends that don’t really care how your Christmas is." so true.
… I wouldn't care how my own X-mas is. I rather would care that everyone else has a Merry Jesus Christ Mass and a Prosperous Year. I prefer Resurrection Mass, and the Idea that the sabbath is actually on sunday but english-speaking people are idiots. We go to church on sunday likely because the spanish realized that sunday should be the seventh day, and so made it so, causing for the catholic church to meet on sundays. That's right. It is the fault of the ingenious spanish-speakers that we go to church on the first day of the calenar week, and the seventh of the practical week.
I say we should start something. We should start to designate some songs as 'Resurreciton Mass Carols' and sing them on the first sunday after pentecost. That's Easter to you people who do not know already. We should rename it to rid ourselves of the easter bunny myths and other secular ideals, and so that we can remember by the name what our Lord did on that relative momentous day.
You will never rid the world of the easter bunny any more than you could santa claus. And you shouldn't try.
And I think that there are songs that are "Ressurection Mass Carols"… they're called hymns
01/01/2010. I still can't stop my destructive behavior. I've tried and tried and tried, more times than I care to truly admit.
Your message IS a powerful one though and I was touched.
I'm just so weak!
Sixth word of this post is bothersome. Other than that, great post. Merry Chirstmas!
The older I get the more I'm for living in the moment and making the most of it and not waiting to change anything until later. Sometimes we run out of laters. Besides that, normally when I really do have a sense of God wanting something to change in my life, He normally has a good reason for it and it's almost always better for me to get with the program sooner than later. Every day is a fresh opportunity for a fresh start. Even though I'm not a perky optimist, I really do believe that.
This is great Jon! I was waiting until January 15th to quit smoking – after the stress of the holidays and the work freeze was over. I am not a very committed smoker to begin with, maybe 3 or 4 a day, if that. So many people say, geez just quit. Well here I am, into day three of not having a smoke. Mostly because I'm sick as a dog and I'm not an idiot, I know having a cigarette would make things worse not better. The day my mom had her last cigarette was Christmas Eve Eve (haha) and that's the last time I had one also. Maybe its a sign, maybe not, but I figure why start again. I'm already three days in. Why wait for a set date to do something when today is as good a day as any.
P.S. I hate even admitting that I'm a smoker, so this is kind of a big deal. And the chapter from the SCL book for Christmas was terrific. I hope your Christmas was full of joy!
[...] And we always say we’ll start doing that… in a few days, right? Not right now. Juuuust a few more days. (That’s Jon Acuff, on his randomly hilarious or serious blog Stuff Christians Like, which I [...]
This can even apply to things you are going to do that day. I'm sure every student has at some point said to themselves something like "its only 13 minutes till 3pm, i'll start my study then" and then found excuses to keep pushing the starting time back one round number after another
My pastor quoted from this post in his sermon today. Awesome stuff.