That is why this time round I’m not just going to write a New Years Resolution List for 2015, I’m also going to write a Thankfulness List for 2014. We always spend so much time thinking futuristically about what we want to change in our lives, the new lifestyle habits we will create and the places that we will go. Yet we forget to reflect on what has come and gone, the people that we have become friends with, and our successes and accomplishments. We forget to have an attitude of gratitude.
First of all, New Years Resolutions. Don't set yourself goals that are obviously unattainable, like going for a run everyday for the entire year. Lets be real, it’s probably not going to happen. If we are getting serious here, from personal experience it’s best to set long-term and short-term goals, and to have some way of measuring them too. I get great satisfaction from crossing things off my to do lists and goal lists, so when I set attainable goals and actually succeed in them, I’m pretty stoked with life.
For my thankfulness list I’m going to be thinking back over my year and being thankful for all the cool people, the fun adventures, the great hangs, and all the little things in-between. Not only am I thankful for the good times, I’m also thankful for the bad times, they shape me to become a better person, with more wisdom, and more life experience.
Here’s a wee sneak peak at some of the things on my 2014 Thankfulness List:
- The close group of guy and girl friends I’ve formed this year at church. Friends make a huge difference, and life is so much better when you know you have people to turn to.
- A summer job that will continue as a part-time job next year.
- A great flat- warm, tidy, sunny, best flat I’ve ever lived in…and even better flatmates- bonding, crazy dancing, being hospitable, and weird jokes that only really make sense to us.
- I have somehow been able to pay for all my compulsory expenses without too much struggle, despite a very limited income (holla Studylink), and not being given back my job after my holiday last summer.
- The opportunities of leadership, serving, and responsibility at church: lifegroup leader, creative team, serving team, ‘project manager’ for renovations. I’m loving getting more involved at church, and I’ve really loved being a lifegroup leader too- love those girls!
- For a great year at uni, great grades (some of my best yet), and smooth sailing study times.
- For my blog. I never thought that it would turn out the way it has. I didn’t intend on writing blogs once a week for an entire year, but the ideas kept coming, and the passion never died.
- Most of all I’m thankful to God for making everything happen. I am thankful for his unconditional love, for a year of development in my relationship with God, and for new revelations and understandings.
That really is just a wee bit of my thankfulness list, there really is a whole lot more that I didn’t put up. So I want to encourage you to write a list for yourself, once you get started you’ll find that there are actually SO many things we can appreciate, we just need to stop and acknowledge them.