God is Bigger Than...

We have dug into the new year now for a whole month! Many of us made New Year's resolutions...and many of us have lost the vision of them already.

I am one who balks at the prospect of making a resolution just because it's January, because I feel it's important to be regularly making new goals to improve throughout the year. And with each new thing I learn about, study, and eventually write about on this blog comes a sense of responsibility to make the associated changes myself.

If you find yourself needing additional ideas on how to make some of the health changes you've been wanting to--whether they're physical, financial, or emotional/mental--or just need a jump start to get back on track, feel free to peruse my previous articles on this topic. Not that I am an expert, by any means, or have everything perfect myself, because I don't! We're all on this journey together.

One blog I have particularly appreciated lately is Heavenly Homemakers. Last month Laura wrote a post for every day of the month, under the theme "31 Days of Real Food Reality." I love her down-to-earth attitude, her openness about what works in a real family and what doesn't, and her focus on faith throughout this whole health journey. Prayer, she points out, is what makes it all work out, because God will help us if we ask Him.

One of Laura's posts particularly hit home with me, entitled "God is Bigger than a Free Range Chicken." Definitely humorous, but such a good and needed reminder. Sometimes I forget to think about these issues on such a simple (and profound) level. Sometimes I feel guilty about feeding my family things that aren't as healthful as I know they should be, even though quite often the problem is money-related (or the lack thereof). But Laura is so right: "Not able to make a meatloaf with grass fed beef? Raw milk too far outside your budget? Stop feeling guilty. Stop worrying. God knows your desires and your ideals for your family. He will bless your efforts to feed your family nutritious food."

And I love her reassuring words of wisdom: "God is big, bigger, biggest. Take all the complicated details out of the process of switching your kitchen to a real food kitchen, and just focus on going back to the basics – whatever that may look like for you right now."

Goals and Resolutions

It's that time of year again when many people set goals and resolutions for the new year. If you're looking for better ideas of how to do that in 2013--and how to effectively keep and reach your goals--check out my list from 2011 of ideas for improving your health, a Stop Doing List from 2012, and my article Goal-Reaching. This would also be a great time to start a Money Makeover or try SlimKicker, both of which help motivate healthy habits (financial and physical).

SlimKicker: A New Way to Motivate Healthy Habits

One of my readers, who is way more tech-savvy than I, has just started a new site and app to help people motivate themselves to increase their healthy habits, particularly when it comes to exercise. I've checked it out and it looks really good--and it's free! There are already lots of users. You can peruse it, too, at http://www.slimkicker.com/?tag=beta1.

This is her philosophy:

"For me, I think the problem with being healthy is motivation. It's an abstract, overwhelming goal. I think the best way to counter this is to have concrete, winnable games and small victories.

So, this app will makes living healthy, and fitness into a RPG game, where users earn points, and "level up' as they achieve their goals. Everytime they eat something healthy like vegetables, they earn points. Everytime they complete a workout, they earn points. Each level will present different challenges.

The challenges will follow a certain structure. First will come changing your environment such as getting rid of junk food. Then, reducing stress, as stress leads to eating comfort food. Then concrete goals like keeping track of everything you eat, or taking the stairs for a week. Small, concrete goals rather than abstract ones like "be healthy" or "exercise more".

The whole point is to create a holistic framework/game so people will rely less on willpower, and more on fun, achievement, and changing our environment."

Resolutions and Saying No

Since January is the most universal time to make resolutions for the new year, I have been reflecting on what changes my family may need to make as we continue our quest to be healthier, greener, and more self-sufficient. I don't know if my list last year helped anyone focus on what their family needed to do, but it is a good reminder for me of what to continue.

I also saw this article online that offers a valuable tip which I had not thought of in quite these terms before. Sometimes--more often than we realize--it is just as important to know (and plan) when to say no as it is to plan all the things we're going to do: "Focusing our energies--and goals--on what we should NOT be doing in the coming year can have just as positive an effect on our productivity, not to mention well-being." A "Stop-Doing" List sounds like a great idea to me!