My 2008 Resolution Unveiled

Posted by Liana at 9:43 PM

Previously posted HERE:

Okay, okay... in all seriousness, I'm here to tell you the REAL reason why I've been MIA in 2008. I've got something in my life for the FIRST TIME since I've been an adult. Actually, I don't remember a time I had this since before I was in JR High School!! It's something very foreign to me and has been a gradual change for 2008. It's actually my MAIN 2008 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION. (No, I haven't posted it yet!) There is an surprisingly small percentage of working Americans who have this.

Can you guess what it is??





Yes - MARGIN is the answer!!

I came to realize recently that my body has slowly been breaking down... trying to tell me something... fighting against me. Trying to tell me that I need to SLOW DOWN and JUST SAY NO more often. Perhaps it's the long list of things I've kept busy with lately ... or the fact that I can't remember the last time I've been 100% healthy ... or when I realized that this week and next is the first time I've been home for two-three weeks at a time in a year!! WOW.

While my resolutions could cover many areas.... loose weight, eat right, get more sleep, stay home more, read more, dance more, give more, save and invest more, spend more time with friends and family, etc, etc.... they're all simply ailments of one root cause: Not Having Margin in my life.

I honestly don't remember the last time (if ever in my life) that I didn't have stuff all scheduled out. Between school, dance 6 days a week when I was little, working since I was a teenager, then all the extracurriculars and volunteer work I always take on..... time to Just Be Available has been slim to none.

Articles like this back my theory that it's an increasingly prevalent problem in the culture we live in, and not just me. For example: "When surveyed, Americans report that they have only sixteen and a half hours of leisure a week, after the obligations of job and household are taken care of. Working hours are already longer than they were forty years ago. If present trends continue, by the end of the century Americans will be spending as much time at their jobs as they did back in the nineteen twenties."

Andy Stanley puts it plainly and spells it out well in the "Take it to the Limit" 6-part series which you can listen to here. You can also download the free podcast on iTunes I think.

January ended up being a LOT busier than anticipated but I've finally found some Margin this past week and am looking forward to some EXTREME MARGIN in April. In fact, I've purposefully NOT scheduled ANYTHING for April yet. Even part of March. SO from MARCH 20 through MAY 1 I'm going to do the impossible and just See What Happens.

Opps...I do have to amend my previous statement. I have a single afternoon charity commitment that I made back last fall. But that is it. I'm tempted to schedule a Boot Camp and a bunch of photo shoots for then... but I think I may just play it by ear... let each day hold a new surprise. Slow down. Practice saying "no" more often.

What would YOU do with SIX WEEKS of UNSCHEDULED time??


EDIT: I almost forgot about the contest! I've already got days off, a new house, an IRA, and a savings account. Mike is the only one that said "Margin" and was first so I guess it goes to him since not even he knew my resolution. Since he already has my copy of new favorite book (The Traveler's Gift)... guess he gets the new Dave Ramsey one instead!! Muaaahhhhaaa! Congrats! Fitting into size 2 jeans would be SUPER cool too.. or a horse... hmmmm.... possible '09 resolutions?!? Contests are fun... I think I'll do more!!