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"On through the hours the quiet words ring,
Like a low inspiration: "Do the next thing!"
Old Saxon legend--

The New Year was rapidly approaching (several years ago), so I thought "hey, let's look at my goals for the year, and see how I did." Melissa's Plan for Life was the over-zealous, geek-ish name I had given the file saved conveniently on the desktop of my computer. I opened it, and began the excruciating scan down the page. Ugh. I had accomplished so little of what I had hoped. And then, an even more painful truth caught my eye. This list of goals had been written in 2002, not 2003. I was even a year behind in my miserable attempt at becoming perfect.

Several years ago when my kids were very young, I had complained to another mother that my kids were so untrained. "We need to work on so much!" I had moaned.
"Work on one thing at a time," was the advice she bluntly offered. What a stupid idea. How could I, with a clear conscience, just work on one problem area and let everything else go unchecked?

So now, with months, even years, of stagnation and frustration under my belt, I'm beginning to see the wisdom of her words. If I had worked on just one thing at a time as I moved down my list of 2002 goals, I could have gone through the list 10 times by now.

Even though multi-tasking is a gift most of us women have, I am choosing to rebel against the norm this year. I am picking one thing to work on. Just one. It is a thing that has plagued me for years, and now this year, by the grace and strength of God, through much prayer and study, I will conquer! Other weaknesses will rear their ugly heads to distract me, but I will not be moved off course. I will paraphrase the verse from Paul "I can do this one thing, through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Do you have a long list of wanna-be's? I want to be organized. I want to be patient with my children. I want to be a better neighbor. I want to be more gracious with my husband. I want to be thinner. If you are like me, the list could go on for pages and pages and be paralyzing because of its enormity. If you must, write a list of everything you want to change about yourself. Then rewrite the list in order of priority. Make the number one pick the thing that bothers you the most. (Or you could be nice and pick the one that bothers your husband the most.) Then join me in mono-tasking this year. Forge ahead with me on the solitary path of doing one thing well. Repeat after me:

"On through the hours the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: "Do that one thing!"
(adapted :) )

(Yes, Mom, I know it's a re-run, but I was having too much fun at your house on vacation to think about this year's resolutions. This was all good stuff of which to be reminded.)

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 29, 2010)