A Year of Discipline: Day One/Two

I walked across the parking lot yesterday as the wind swirled around me. December 31 seemed determined to bluster and blow away the old year and usher in a new, gloriously clean year. My thoughts were on the idea of the new year. I've always liked the idea of newness. Of starting over. Of having no mistakes behind you. That is why I always love starting new things on Sundays (the start of a new week), first days of the months, and things like that. But January 1 on a Sunday has to be the ultimate new, fresh, beginning. A new, blank slate with no mistakes in it, or so Anne might say. But as I felt the jerking of the wind against my sweater, I felt the jerking of my heart. It didn't feel like a new start. The sickness that had sneaked upon me on Christmas still lingering, I felt sick and exhausted. My house had been a construction site for the past weeks, and the dust was still lingering. I felt utterly and completely unmotivated. Less than unmotivated, I felt like giving up entirely on everything. Not the best way to start off the new year.

However, Luke and I had a plan. Early in December we had decided that 2012 was going to be a Year of Discipline for us. We both know that we struggle with discipline, and lately, we have decided that we want to change that. Since I had become disillusioned with new year's resolutions many years ago, I had started trying to do monthly goals. This, along with some inspiration from other sources such as The Happiness Project, led to The Year of Discipline.

The plan is simple. Every month we have a category to work on. Within that category we will make about three specific goals to work on that month. However, it is also accumulative. So, in February we have to do both January and February's goals. So by December we should (hopefully) be a little disciplined in many areas of our life.

We shall see how it progresses.

Our January Category is Spiritual.

Our goals:

1. 30 minutes of personal devotion time (with 10 minutes specifically for prayer) every day.
2. 15 minutes of couple devotion time (with 5 minutes specifically for prayer) every day.
3. Going to church every weekend.

So begins the Year of Discipline...