I hate New Years resolutions. I love the idea of them, but I often get discouraged when I dont keep them all... “Go to the gym each day” is a great goal, but lets be honest, as much as I try, Im not going to keep it every single day of 2015. So instead, I like to write some simple goals that are measurable, but flexible enough to be achieved over a long period of time, not just in one year. Simple habits that can change your life when developed over time... So heres a great big list of New Years resolutions from different people on our team, in no particular order! Theyre simple habits and decisions that aim to inspire you, to increase your creativity, and will hopefully draw you nearer to Jesus this year! Have a read and see if any of them really resonate for you in 2015, and commit to it... I bet you cant pick just one ;-) __________________________________________ 1. Read the Bible from front to back If youve never done it, read the whole Bible this year! YouVersion has some great one-year Bible reading plans... heres the one Im doing this year, why dont you join me! 2. Write once a week Whether its songwriting, blogging, poetry, short stories, journalling... get in the habit of writing. It takes time, and it takes work, but develop a consistent outlet for your creativity. God will keep pouring into us as we keep pouring out! Read more from Aodhan King, about becoming a better songwriter 3. Learn a new skill A new language, a new instrument, a new genre of music... learn how to cook, or paint, or play soccer, or write computer code... Learn something new! 4. Take more risks. I dont want to live a safe life, and I dont want to lead a safe team... take risks on people, take risks on ideas. Dont be reckless, but dont hold back! 5. Serve in a church service every week If youre not already serving in your local church, why dont you make this the year you start! No more excuses, just start and see how God blesses you and those around you for your obedience! And be consistent with it - commit to doing it once a week and make a habit of partnering with Jesus in building what He would build... the Church! (Matt 16:18) (If youre curious about how we help people start serving at Hillsong Church, you can read more about it here) 6. Worship more than you rehearse We practice and rehearse and work hard to bring our very finest offering before God... but dont just get up caught up in the doing that you forget to sit at Jesus feet and lavish your love on Him in your own devotion. (Luke 10:38-42) 7. Stop and celebrate the wins We all have full lives, it can be so easy to just keep moving on to the next thing. But take the time to stop and celebrate the wins... in your life, in your church, with your team. Celebrate the wins and celebrate the people that made it possible! 8. Create more and push the boundaries Imagine if Steve Jobs stopped after he created the iPod ... what if Da Vinci stopped after he painted The Last Supper ... we wouldnt have the Mona Lisa, we wouldnt have the iPhone, the iPad, the iWatch and whatever else Apple intends to create ... Lets not stop creating, lets keep pushing the boundaries of whats possible! Lets push the boundaries in the way we lead worship, in the way we write songs, the way we create, in the way we serve our churches! 9. Make practice a habit, not an exception I dont think this one needs much explanation ... practice, practice, practice! We never graduate from the basics. If youre a musician, our drummer/ composer/musical genius Harry Wood talks more about practice here 10. Mentor someone New Years resolutions can often be focused on ourselves, so why not commit to mentoring someone this year, and teaching them what youve learnt and helping make THEIR life better. 11. Less coffee ... look after your voice! We all love coffee. And Krispy Kreme donuts. And black forest chocolate. But what a waste of the gifts God has given us if we make silly choices that destroy those same gifts... Plus its healthier, and thats a whole New Years resolution by itself :) 12. Be the new peoples team Dont just leave it up to the hosts or new peoples team to connect people into the life of our local churches. Dont just build your creative team, but commit to meeting new people and help them find godly community! If youre interested in how we connect new people at Hillsong Church, you can read more about it here 13. Listen more, talk less Listen to new music. In conversation, be the first to listen than to talk. Make a habit of silencing yourself before God and listening. 14. Make new friends Weve all heard the saying “show me your friends, and Ill show you who you are”... if we want to grow our lives this year, what better way than to make new friends! Maybe with people that challenge us, maybe with people that are very different to us... new friends will bring new experiences! 15. Find a teacher A vocal teacher, a music teacher, a mentor, a pastor — someone who has more experience and skill than you. Find someone you can actively learn from. Get lessons. Be proactive to place yourself under someone elses teaching! 16. Get lessons Enough said... :) No matter how good you are, there will always be someone you can learn from. No one graduates from learning. 17. Smile when youd rather frown Serving in church, building teams, leading worship... theres bound to be opportunities to be frustrated, because were working with people, and people arent perfect (including me!). So when you get frustrated, make a decision to smile rather than frown. Make a habit of responding with joy and grace! If you dont believe me, check out what my enthusiastic husband Rich has to say about it :) 18. Read a book An e-book. An audio book. A good old- fashioned paper book. Heres what Im reading at the moment - A Farewell to Mars by Brian Zahnd 19. Plant a vegetable garden We recently moved to a farm, and we love planting vegetables and trimming our fruit trees and tending our honey bees!! Gardening requires patience, consistency, regular nourishment, an awareness of seasons — principles that are worth developing in our own lives! 20. Laugh everyday Laughter is the best medicine. With your family, at work, in rehearsals, during church... like our pastor Brian always says, “Church is to be enjoyed, not endured!” 21. Volunteer Be a volunteer - in your spirit, with your time. Do you serve because you HAVE to, or because you WANT to? 22. Read a Psalm every day I love the Psalms. They teach about worshipping God in the good times, and the bad. As worshippers, what better way to learn about the heart of worship than from the Psalms in the Word of God? 23. Plan to be generous Create space in your budget for generosity. Be generous with your words, with your encouragement, with your gifts. Make a plan to be generous! But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. (Isaiah 32:8) 24. Put your phone down Its so easy to live your life with your head down, looking at your phone and letting it rule your life... Responding to messages, writing emails, checking your notifications on social media... Look up. Put your phone in your pocket when youre walking. Hide your phone in your bag when youre having a coffee with someone. Leave your phone at the door when you get home. Try it. 25. Call your family You might love talking to your family, or it might be something you havent done in years. Pick up the phone and call your mom once in a while. Send them a card on their birthday. Dont just think about them, but let them know youre thinking about them! Im a mum, trust me when I say it goes a long way :) 26. Dream big, dream often I love dreaming and imagining ideas. I love dreaming with people! Let yourself dream big, and do it often enough that its not scary or intimidating. Get used to dreaming big! 27. Drink water and eat fruit Again, common sense thats not so common. Bring a refillable water bottle with you. Buy a small bowl for your desk and keep it full of fresh fruit. 28. Spend time with someone much older and wiser than you I love Proverbs 4 and what it teaches us about learning from the wisdom of our elders. Its just common sense! I dont know everything, and neither do you. Have a coffee with someone who you look up to and has more life experience than you. Let them teach you what they wish someone had taught them at that age... Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12) Spend time with someone who has lived many more days than you have :) 29. Say yes more than no Whats your default answer? Are you a person that leans towards no? The Bible teaches us to honour our yes and no (Matt 5:37)... Consider the opportunities that God puts in front of you everyday, and say YES to them! 30. Keep a journal Even if its just once a week or once a month ... write down your prayers, your thoughts, what God is speaking to you. Its amazing to look back and see God at work through the seasons of the year. 31. Look someone in the eye, ask them about their life, and listen Not just “Hey, how are you?” as you quickly walk past each other... Ask questions that matter (look them in the eye when you do), and listen and care about what they have to share. Its usually when you ask that one extra question that youll make a meaningful connection... Whats new in your life? Are you enjoying your job? Tell me about your week... How can I help you? etc 32. Schedule reminders to encourage someone Set an alarm on your phone or send yourself a recurring calendar reminder ... a phone call, a text message, an encouraging word in person... Make a habit of proactively encouraging others (not just when they do something great) and take the time to say what you appreciate about them! 33. Pray! When you walk out your front door in the morning... When you comb your hair... When you set your alarm clock. Take something you do every day and make a habit of praying every time you do it! Rejoice always, pray continually , give thanks in all circumstances ; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:17) For me, its when I brush my teeth... I pray for a different person on our creative team each day. _______________________________________ Well there you have it !! Pick one or two or seven and commit to them and dont stop when 2015 is over :) I pray that you will have the very best year and that you will look back in 12 months time and be amazed at what God has done in your life! Happy New year !!!
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 07:45:46 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015