With the new year upon us, many of us are undertaking New Year’s resolutions, which is all well and good. Unfortunately, many of our resolutions fall by the wayside within a few weeks for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that many of them are simply unrealistic! When it comes to making changes in our habits, the changes need to be realistic and incremental, lest we become overwhelmed and give up before we really get going. It is always a better idea to celebrate small successes along the way instead of waiting to celebrate a monumental achievement.
As people of faith, we know that change is at the heart of the Gospel: Jesus calls us to repent! Too often, however, we become frustrated by our inability to repent, because we are striving for perfection, which is beyond our reach as human beings. The change that Jesus calls us to is indeed dramatic, yet, it can and should be achieved incrementally; we need to keep it real.
With that in mind, I recommend a few books to help you begin the new year in a manner that focuses on incremental, achievable change—all available at 30% off the regular price when you order from loyolapress.com.
- Small Simple Ways: An Ignatian Daybook for Healthy Spiritual Living by Vinita Hampton Wright
- MicroShifts: Transforming Your Life One Step at a Time by Gary Jansen
- Make Today Matter: 10 Habits for a Better Life (and World) by Chris Lowney
See these and more books to guide you through small changes you can make for a big year here.
And the rest of this week, we’ll be talking on Catechist’s Journey about small changes we can make for a big year in ministry. Our friends at IgnatianSpirituality.com are also taking up the challenge to make small changes for a big year, so read those posts too.
Together, let’s celebrate small successes throughout the year!
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