Two weeks into the New Year & how’s it going? Are you hitting the gym everyday? Have you cleaned out your closets, set up a budget or started that business you always talked about? So many of us make resolutions each year but how many do we actually fulfill?

The best made resolutions are great but without a plan they are just intentions. Resolutions are really a different way to say good habits. We raise our children to have good habits. Clean up your room, do your homework, take out the trash, study, yet as adults, we somehow lose sight of our own resolutions & good habits. I know too many adults who seem to mindlessly go through their lives without a plan. When asked where they see themselves six months or five years from now, most have no idea. When I inquire as to what are they passionate about or what makes them happy they cannot say.

Life is a never ending string of events, experiences & interactions. From birth through death life happens. While we all dream of what we would like, without putting a plan into place we limit our ability to achieve those dreams. When you plan a road trip you know where you want to go. You pack up your car, plan a route, figure out a time & even anticipate when you will have to refuel. You wouldn’t get into your car & not know where you are going. Similar to going on that road trip, your life is your ultimate road trip. Where do you want to go? What do you need to get there? Will you have to make detours or many stops & when will you ‘arrive’ at your destination?

This may be a simplistic view of what many believe is complicated, but is it that complex, or is it the circumstances & uncertainty that are so difficult? We live to grow up, go out into the world, make a career for ourselves, create a life with people we love & God willing grow old. The stress, drama & intrigue that sidelines so many people, can be attributed to no plan. Our children will not be young & need us forever. Some people get divorced, others lose spouses. People move away, start new careers, or marry. The thing that is constant however, are there are many things that make people happy & content & they are achievable.

You plan & God laughs is true, but rather than sit & wait for something that may never come, I believe it is more rewarding, fulfilling & more fun to live. Live passionately, live purposefully & live with resolve & that is my New Year’s Resolution.