I’ve always hated making resolutions. Besides being too undisciplined to actually achieve many of the goals I set, the idea of living life so planned and strategically has always seemed like it cramped the idea of living by faith in the moment. This is most likely a lame (and over spiritualized) excuse for living lazy, but I’ve been able to convince myself over the years that resolutions are not what God wanted me (or anyone else) to do. Nobody can argue with you when you say that God told you to do (or not do) something. Just blame God and the conversation is over.

Still, I’m going to turn 54 this year and there are things I think ought to be different in my life. Some of them are more important because I’m getting old (and therefore cannot ignore like I used to without consequence). Some of them reflect spiritual convictions. Some have to do with the massive change of life I have entered into, where I am no longer the relational beneficiary of being a part of a large church or organization (for the past 30 years or more I have worked in ministries that sort of forced me into significant relationships). There are a few things I think need to change in my life to make this next year work for me.

But rather than pummel myself with another list of unreasonable and lofty goals and targets, and in the spirit of my new vocation, I decided to make my list of resolutions “doable”. In other words, if I didn’t think I’d actually be able to hit the target, I either removed the target or reduced it enough to give me a real chance of forward progress in that area. So some of these resolutions will appear so minute that they seem almost silly. They are on the list because they lie in an area of discipline that I have had little to no success over the course of my life. Small steps, “ordinary attempts” if you will, are going to count this year.

So this is my Doable Resolutions list for 2008.

1. Do something resembling exercise each day for 30 minutes. This can be a walk, stacking firewood, kayaking, riding my bike, or gettin’ busy with my wife (and yes, thanks be to God, I still can). As long as it takes a minimum of 30 minutes of sustained activity, it counts. I think it has to be something I really enjoy doing, or I just won’t do it. I am allowed to mix it up as I want (I can walk every day or do something different every day…doesn’t matter). And it can be done any time of the day…whenever it works. Just 30 minutes EVERY DAY.

2. Go lower carb. Carbs are not good to me. I get fat, I get lazy, and I get flatulent. My fingers peel on the ends. I get something like arthritis in my hands. I know this is carb related because I did the Atkins diet a few years ago and all this went away (including nearly 40 pounds). I have since been a bit slack when it comes to my eating habits. Ok…I’ve been a carb junkie. My goal this year is not to eliminate carbs, but to eat more selectively, and to eat protein intentionally. My body isn’t letting me slack on this very much anymore.

3. Work at least three days a week outside my home office. This can be at a coffee shop, a library or the local Community College. As long as there is free wifi, I can work. I just need to be around people more, and I actually focus better when I have more ambient noise around me. Working out of my home has been isolating and unhealthy. I should probably pick three specific days, but I want to leave myself some room here (just to keep it doable).

4. Intentionally connect with people. I work isolated from others and I don’t have a team or staff to interact with automatically anymore. I need a social life, which is something that 20 years in Young Life and 9 years in a church sort of imposed on me (and I sort of never really had to think about it, consequently). This new life I’m living requires that I become more intentional about meeting people, establishing friendships, etc…like the rest of the natural world.

I can start with my immediate neighbors, some of which I know pretty well and even like a little, but none of which I have really invited over for dinner or gone out with intentionally. It occurs to me that I should include my kids and my wife and my extended family on this targeted group as well. I assume too much in these important relationships.

I belong to no clubs, regular social groups, local ministries, or service groups. Never needed to, frankly. I might look into serving with some local group that interests me. My wife is very social, so I can ask her to work her magic in my life by scheduling such social activities as dinners out, parties, dancing, etc. This will be more like work than any of my resolutions thus far, for me.

5. Organize my work and life. This sounds on the verge of being “un-doable”. I’m not totally disorganized, but I am working at home and have not found my pace yet. I have been fumbling around with systems to keep me on track, and have a nice office space in my son’s former bedroom upstairs. So far, five months into this new gig, I mostly feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of projects I have going all at once…and the amazing pace that I impose on myself to get them all done. That has to change.

I have ordered a Day Timer system that will allow me to keep all the projects I’m working on “in hand”. It’s the original personal “digital” assistant (meaning you use your fingers and a pencil to write stuff down). I have used almost every size and variety of Day Timer since 1974, but sort of got away from it when I worked at the church (we used computers on a server to keep track of each other, and PDA’s, which I never got used to and therefore abandoned early). I’m going back to what works.

This organization will undoubtedly affect my spiritual disciplines (some of you were wondering when I’d get to this, weren’t you?), which have also become somewhat haphazard since I started my work at home life. In reality, spiritual discipline was more of a hassle when I worked in a church. I am less busy taking care of everyone else these days, and I’m living less of a structured spiritual life (meaning I am not at church every day doing bible studies, funerals, weddings, counseling, prepping for a Sunday message, etc.), so I am actually more aware of my spiritual life now. Interesting.

That’s it. Five doable resolutions for 2008. I cannot promise I’ll get these simple and doable goals accomplished this year, but they all seem important enough to try, and I’m totally into celebrating the attempt these days. I’m posting these publicly because if I think someone else has seen them it might provide extra motivation to do them. It’s an open invitation to ask me how it’s going…anytime this year.

I think if I can make even moderate progress in these areas that my life satisfaction level will rise significantly. And I’m getting old enough to realize that life is just way too short to let it coast by unnoticed or unappreciated.

Carpe diem, facile!