Build, Ask, Seek, and Knock

It’s that time of year again when people make New Year’s resolutions–only to break them in the next month. That won’t happen to me, we reaffirm every year. I’ll make it to the gym every week, I’ll walk every day, I’ll stop spending, snacking, smoking, scrolling, [insert bad vice here]. And some years we keep our resolutions. More often than not, we don’t.

So how can this time be different? How can we keep our new goals? How can we break our bad habits?

The Greek philosopher, Socrates, tells us, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” I think he has a valid point.

Focus all of your energy. This means to go all in. Completely. Totally. With everything we’ve got. To use our full force, power, and drive.

Not on fighting the old. Why? Because what we think about is what we do. If we focus our thoughts and energy on not eating sugar, we’re still thinking about sugar, which means we’re more apt to eat sugar.

But on building the new. If we focus our thoughts and energy on adding five to ten servings of fruit and vegetables a day, we’ll eat healthier, and the no sugar habit will happen anyway.

The same method works for spending, snacking, smoking, scrolling, and [insert vice here]. Focus on building the new desired habit. Visualize it. Go all in.

When we focus our full attention on something, who knows what we can accomplish? And if we are struggling with self-doubt, prayer goes a long way. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8.

In the year ahead, may you build the new, receive what you ask, find what you seek, and open new doors.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8