REVOLUTION vs RESOLUTION

The Difference between a New Year’s Resolution and a New Year's Revolution is a paradigm shift.

Who hasn’t made a shallow promise to themselves – accompanied by fist pumping, and other firm hand gestures? Why in the past have we been so pumped during January, but low on - or even out of fuel by February? I would venture to say that it’s because mentally, WE ourselves were not the ones driving the vehicle. Perhaps outside factors were driving us to make promises to ourselves that we didn’t keep.

Outside factors come and go – Inside Factors have the power to keep you fueled for life. Permanent Life Style Changes do not warrant temporary solutions – they require consistency, and lifelong commitment.

LIFELONG. . . sounds so daunting, right? Look at it from a different perspective: lifelong means there’s room for mistakes. Lifelong means there is room to fall off the wagon and get back on. Lifelong says you don’t have to try and lose 50 lbs in 4 months. Lifelong means you don’t have to go from Messy Bessie to Susie Homemaker within the next week. Lifelong means you can enrich your methods, by various means, to the degree you would like, and over time, change bad habits into good ones.

Just imagine, you are a student, in the most difficult class you’ve ever taken – under instruction by a person appearing to be your most rigid instructor. The instructor hands you the thickest test packet you’ve ever seen, and hands you the scantron with a million bubbles. Your palms sweat as you face one of the biggest challenges of your life. Just when you begin to think:

You Can’t Do It
The Instructor’s a Lunatic
You Aren’t Smart EnoughYou Won’t Pass
Your Handle on the Subject Matter is Subpar
You Shouldn’t Have Taken the Course
You Want to Run and Hide
You Might Just Die

…the instructor steps to the front of the class and announces that, the test is open book, and open note. Crib sheets are not only allowed – they are encouraged. Oh yeah, and the time allotted is The Rest of Your Life.

That’s the time frame we’re working with here, folks. Look your toughest challenge in straight in the grill, and remember – you have the rest of your life to fight to the finish.

… and come to grips with the fact that the battle never ends.

It takes a mental REVOLUTION in order to achieve your RESOLUTION. Therein, my friends, lies the difference between these two choice words, if you ask me.


Pick up your pencils, open your test packets – you may begin.




Kristin 12:28 am 8/22/2009