Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Things I'm Not Going To Do in 2018

Resolutions for a new year are great. Even if they aren't always kept, it's good to look at a new season  in life and resolve to do things differently. Inspired by a recent podcast that I heard, I decided to instead make a list of things that I am NOT going to do this year. Let me know if any of these resonate with you.

In 2018, I am not going to...

Ignore family or friends to look at my phone
I’ve got a friend on Facebook who recently posted that she was deleting her Facebook account and getting a flip phone. I’m not doing that anytime soon - I think that online community and the ability to keep in touch with others far away is a great thing. But living life in front of a screen while missing out on things going on around me is not going to happen in 2018. I may not be getting a flip phone, but I’m keeping my phone in my pocket more often when there’s real life to participate in.

Be hard on others
Pastor Ken shared a quote in a recent message that said, “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” I admit to not doing this all the time. I can be quick to judge people who annoy me. I want to stop doing that and instead give others the grace that I would want to receive. God knows I need it. This includes pointing out others’ mistakes or flaws. I don’t need mine pointed out to me, I’m well aware of them. I’m going under the assumption that other people don’t need me to point theirs out either.

Dismiss people whose beliefs are not the same as mine
Religious, political, philosophical. We all have differences and we can all learn from one another. It’s so much easier to dismiss others and stick with my own ways, but this year I would rather put forth the effort to hear and learn from them.

Stay quiet about things I believe in
Along those same lines, I tend to be quiet about things I believe in when I know that the resulting conversation is just going to be one where we “agree to disagree.” This was especially tough in 2017, and I don’t imagine it getting much easier this year. However, the few times I did open up there were definitely “agree to disagree” moments but there were many more moments of great conversation. When I feel the urge to just keep quiet, I’m going to try to speak up in an effort to have more great conversations.

Go through the year on autopilot
Sometimes, I’m pretty good at just going through the motions. Whether due to boredom or fatigue, I can quickly make one day blend into the next, not noticing the beauty and excitement of the world around me. Routines are great, but I’m trying to catch myself when I feel that I’m on autopilot and snap out of it.

Let myself stay the same
I like change to happen fast. But it most often happens slowly. Instead of abandoning new practices when they don’t produce change right away, I’m going to stick with them. Read one more book. Spend 5 more minutes in prayer. Run an extra half mile. Over the course of 2018, these small changes will result in a different person.

Feel free to email me with your list of things you're not going to do this year! I'd love to read them. Joe Mazza is the Director of Worship Arts at Broomfield UMC and leads worship at our 8:30 and 9:45 worship services. He and his wife Theresa and son JJ can always be found making music around the church as a part of the Worship Arts family. Joe also plays guitar with local Colorado artists and if you friend him on Facebook, you can find out where he's playing and catch a show.
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