Philippians 3:13-14 

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

 

Atomic Habits: How to Get 1% Better Every Day – James Clear 

 

The absolute worst time to try to go to the gym is in the month of January. Every year, seemingly overnight, my gym goes from average capacity to overflowing with people every January. By mid-February, it’s back to normal. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly people go from resolution back to old habits. Studies show that the average length of most people’s New Year’s resolution is right about two months, then they give up and go back to the old way of doing things. On average, only between 9-12% of people successfully keep their resolutions through the whole year. 

Growth is hard, and it almost always occurs exclusively through the forming or breaking of habits. Want to lose 15 pounds? It’s not going to happen by February, and it definitely won’t happen if soda and fast food remain as staples in your diet. The agony of change is that it takes time…a long time. And consistency…lots of consistency. As modern Americans, we aren’t wired well for patience. 53% of people will abandon a mobile site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.   

God wants us to grow. He wants us to continue to be shaped into the person He’s called us to be. This will be hard, and at times it will be painful and require sacrifice and discomfort on our end. But people who live a life of continuous pursuit of Jesus live the most fulfilling life possible. It won’t happen overnight, but in thousands of small decisions to grow by 1% every day. But as any good investor knows, 1% growth compounding over time leads to exponential returns. Set goals, make plans, and aggressively pursue growth. The beauty is, God will use us throughout this whole process, not just at the end when our goals are achieved. Strive continually after Christ, and make a resolution above all else to grow in Him this upcoming year.  

 

Brady Backstrom

mBridge