FOCUS is My Word

Short Story: FOCUS is the word I've chosen to keep in mind this year as I accomplish all God wants for me, including reaching my weight loss goals.

Long Story:

During the month of January the morning radio personalities on the national radio station K-Love have been talking about picking out a word for the year 2011. They were making a big deal about having a word for yourself for this year and how it helped each of them last year, yada. yada. Honestly, I thought this was silly every time I heard them talk about it, but nonetheless it got me thinking.

If I had to pick one word to encourage, motivate, describe or in any way keep in the back of my mind this year what would I pick? hhmmm.... Overcome? Finish? "Ah well", I'd think, "I'm not picking one anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Of course, it kept nagging me, because I thought, "It could be a good thing to have one word to remind me what I'm doing in life." hhmmm... more thinking....

Then our pastor preached a week or so ago on staying focused. He used the scriptures around Philippians 3:14, which happened to be my scripture on my high school graduation announcements.

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. "

He preached on staying focused on what God wants of us; watching out for distractions that would take us away from serving God. It was an answer to prayer, because I tend to get distracted and lose focus in many areas of my life.

I've always known this, but it was really brought out to my attention when I kept wondering what it is that keeps me from losing weight more steadily. As I began some serious introspection I realized, er, was willing to admit, I get distracted easily and lose focus on on projects and goals.

I set out to start something wonderful and then I end up not finishing it. Okay, I do get some things done, but I have a box full of unfinished projects and half a room full of craft stuff that's waiting to be made into the perfect "______". I even have cards that never got mailed and, more than I care to admit, I have days that seem to fly by with really nothing to show for them. Put me at work or with an appointment and I'm fine, but left to myself...*shaking head*...slightest distractions can keep me from getting things completed in a timely manner.

Okay...focus...focus...for the sake of my blog I'll stick with the weight loss area of my life in this.

Gosh, countless times I find myself doing well part of a day, part of a week and then not the rest of the time. That's what leads to great losses some weeks and not-so-great losses, or no loss, others. I know I'm not alone in this, but it's not something to be taken lightly when it's stopping me from reaching my goals.

I know it's okay to lose slowly and if it takes forever, then fine...unless it's simply because I'm getting distracted and not staying focused. Then, I don't think it is okay. I need to get with it and "git er done".

So, I prayed and committed to being more focused. Focused on what God wants of me as a woman, wife and mother, including being focused on reaching my weight loss goal. I know making it to the end of this journey ultimately is up to me. As I pray and work on staying focused I'll have to remind myself of that fact often. Like it says in James 2:26:

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Post Script

To start I bought a weekly calendar to write down chores I need to complete daily, just one or two things that HAVE to get done...and "workout" is one of them. :)