2013 is here, which means people everywhere will be making their New Year’s resolutions. We will come up with the things we want to do or change in the next year. One of the biggest resolutions people make is to lose weight. I’ve worked at the YMCA for a few years, and January and February are by far the busiest months for the gym. Our parking lot turns into a zoo around 5pm. We even have to create sign-up sheets for workout equipment due to the number of people that will be there.It is a bit frustrating to me because the youth program I work for runs our carpool in the parking lot. It can be crazy enough just trying to get over 100 parents through the line, but to add people who are coming to work out trying to find parking spots makes it insane. Our members that are regulars through the whole year usually end up changing their workout routines for the first few months of the year to avoid all the massive crowds.
Usually by mid-March the number of people coming to work out start to dwindle. By April, we are back to our normal crowds for the rest of the year. People start off the year strong, but don’t usually make it past the first few months. I have heard so many people say something along the lines of, “I don’t know why I am making this resolution because I know I won’t stick to it.” Last night, comedian Jim Gaffigan tweeted, “Great. I have an hour to lose 40lbs.” A few years ago my resolution was to not make any New Year’s resolutions. It sad but true that most people won’t stick to the resolutions they make. Even though they have the best intentions and they are trying to do things to better themselves, they won’t stick to their decision.
I believe there is a huge reason people don’t stick to their commitments, and it is a word most people don’t like to hear. That word is accountability. As much as we would like to think we can, most of us can’t do it on our own. Having someone hold us accountable will give us the motivation and encouragement we need to meet the goals we set for ourselves. A few years ago, I made the decision that I needed to lose some weight. Since I like food so much, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it without someone helping me. I had someone hold me accountable to meeting weight goals each week. Not every week was perfect, but in the end I was able to lose over forty pounds and get down to my desired weight. I know that without the accountability there is no way I would have met that goal.
So as you make your New Year’s resolutions this year, I want to encourage you to find someone to help you stick to them. To me, good accountability has two main things- goals and punishments. You need goals so that you make progress towards the objective. You need punishment to help motivate you to meet those goals. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” If you are like most people are make resolutions every year that you don’t stick to, make 2013 different. Whether you want to grow closer to God, lose weight, get rid of sin in your life, or whatever it may be, have someone help you out. You don’t have to do it alone. Let one of your resolutions this year be to have someone hold you accountable for all the other ones you make. It is one of the biggest keys to success.
until next time…