Fix It in '06!

Author : Adeea Rogers
Most people coin a phrase or a cliché at the beginning of a New Year. Usually this practice grates on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard, but this year I'm jumping on the bandwagon. In the days leading up to the New Year, I decided that I was going to "fix" or set my mind and heart on some things that I wanted to accomplish. So my motto for the year is "Fix It in '06!"I encourage each of us to set our minds on those things that we would like accomplished in 2006. No, this is not a set of resolutions that will be forgotten by March. But these are things that fall in line with what's in our hearts to do, be or change. I think there are a few things that each of us can agree to FIX IN '06!Fix our hearts (Psalm 57:7). I grew up hearing my grandmother and a lot of older people say, "My heart is fixed, and my mind is made up." Each of us needs to do a constant heart check. Having a heart that is fixed on purpose, happiness and wholeness will create an abundance of blessings in each of our lives. Matthew 12:34 says, "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." If our hearts are fixed on being positive and living a righteous life, then it will be reflected in our speech and our actions. Unfortunately, the converse of the previous statement is also true. So let's determine to "set our affections" (Colossians 3:2) on things that will propel us into the kind of life that God has for us.Fix our minds.We are taught that we should take into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Often times our greatest enemy is not external, but internal. Joyce Meyers wrote a book entitled The Battlefield of the Mind. I know personally that it is sometimes a struggle to maintain a positive thought life. Bishop Rosie S. O'Neal says that "thoughts become deeds" unless they are captured. We should strive to think about things that are positive, pure and noble (Philippians 4:8). Researches say that our brain is not designed to process negative thoughts and that they lead to stress-related diseases and poor health.I don't know about you, but there are enough external stressors that affect my life to not want to add my own negative thoughts to the mix. So I encourage us to make a conscious effort to examine the thoughts that we have and determine if they are positive or negative. Then we should "cast it down" or get rid of it and replace it with a positive thought (2 Corinthians 10:5). Initially, this takes a lot of effort and thought. But as we build positive thoughts, it will become easier. The best place to look for positive thoughts…the Bible. But they can also be found in books of daily affirmations.Sometimes we cannot "fix our mind" on our own. It is not a bad thing to seek counsel (as long as it's wise) or even professional therapy. What is bad is to not recognize when we need help. If our physical health is in jeopardy, would we not go see a doctor? The same logic should apply if our mental or emotional health is in jeopardy. Fixing our minds can lead to a much happier and more fulfilled life.Fix our credit. God wants us to have a prosperous, successful life (3 John 1:2). When our financial life is in order, it frees us up to not only enjoy life, but to help others. This is one of my top goals for 2006. We are taught to be on top of our personal business (Romans 12:11). I am going to work on reducing my debt and build up my savings. It will certainly require sacrifice and discipline. And my shoe fetish will have to take a backseat at times, but the satisfaction of not having to live from paycheck to paycheck will be more than worth it!Fix our bodies. This is another one my top goals for 2006. Good physical health allows us to lead the kind of life that God wants for us (3 John 1:2). This does not mean that we have to starve ourselves or even give up the foods we love. But there is a lot to be said for moderation. And even more to be said for exercise. Most Americans lead a very sedentary lifestyle. It's time for all of us to get up and move. And it starts in small ways. Park a little further away. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Walk to and from lunch, rather than drive. Bring a healthy lunch like salad, water and fruit (this also saves money).Some health coverage plans offer discounts on services like nutrition and menu planning, massages and other preventative health services. Look into your health coverage plan to see if it offers any of these types of services.Fix our organization (or lack thereof).I admit, my bedroom is not organized—at all. My car is the same way. But at work, I'm organized—well, most of the time (smile). So this year, I'm going to get organized, once and for all. It took me a long time to get unorganized, so it will take some time for me to get organized. One of the books I've read on organization says that we should create our own organization style. So if you find yourself putting something in a certain place every time, then create an organization area around that place. For instance, if you drop your purse, briefcase and coat at your entry way, why not put hooks on the wall or buy a coat rack to hang it up? Little things like this will create a more organized home and life. It also helps with time management. You are not scrambling around trying to look for things in the morning.Time management is also part of fixing our organization. I am usually a procrastinator. But I realize that it does not always serve me well. It increases my stress and it affects my ability to fully enjoy life. So I am going to create a management system that will give me more time to enjoy life and reduce stress.Fix our goals.Goal-setting is not some buzzword used by self-help gurus. It is something that each of us should strive toward. But most of us are so busy working and taking care of ourselves and our families that we have little time to discover and work on our own goals. But if we are fixing our organization (above), we should plan time to develop our own personal goals. Like the cliché says, "If we fail to plan, we plan to fail." Goals are not just for our careers, but they can be for our physical health, education, personal relationship or finances. I write goals for each of these areas and am pleased to say that I have actually accomplished a few of them. This gives us the greatest sense of accomplishment, when we can cross a goal off of our list.Most goals take more than a day or two to accomplish. That makes it seem like a far off dream. But if you begin to break that goal down into steps, you will be able to see your progress in smaller, yet measurable steps. Once, we determine what our goals or dreams are, we can begin to brainstorm what steps it will take for us to get there. After that, we can begin to factor these steps into our daily planner or to-do list. Before we know it, we will cross off a major goal or dream off our list.Begin to gather your own list of things you want to fix in 2006. Commit them to God and to yourself and declare it fixed in '06!Adeea Rogers is an event planner and blogger. She is a columnist for Soul Sistas United and edits an ezine called God's Gift.
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