The Calendar Turns
Years ago when we were dating, my wife gave me a little perpetual calendar for my desk. That calendar has been with me for nearly a decade now, quietly counting off the days, weeks, and months of school, work, and life as they pass. It has become one of my favorite physical possessions.
The calendar doesn't track years, so there is nothing particularly significant about January 1. It is simply the next day, the next turn of the dial. Yesterday was December and today is January. Yesterday was Wednesday and today is Thursday. Tomorrow will be Friday.
In the same way, there's nothing materially significant about setting goals or starting habits on January 1. Making positive changes is a good thing to do on any day that we can begin. Setting good goals is a good thing to do on any day that we realize their importance. And yet, our human minds benefit from a certain amount of structure and predictability. We need containers that can hold our hopes, dreams, goals, and projects. A calendar year makes a good container.
All of this to say, I'm not opposed to New Year's Resolutions, though I tend to shy away from the term myself. Around the same time I received my desk calendar, I set these 5 daily intentions for myself, a miniature "rule of life," if you will:
- Pray first
- Read the Bible intentionally
- Exercise for 30 minutes
- Eat mindfully
- Engage creativity
I have experienced varying degrees of success with each of these in the years since, but I have not yet been tempted to change them. They still express the core of what I'm striving for in this brief, human life: to grow closer with God, care for the body he has given me, and use my gifts to add a bit of beauty to the world around me.
I've added some bullets under these intentions in the past couple of years to give myself a bit more structure. And I've done that again for 2026. Still not quite "resolutions," just landmarks that will remind me that I'm moving in the right direction. The calendar will keep turning, and the days will continue to pass. My prayer for this new year is to approach each day with intention and purpose. And I share that prayer for you, as well. Happy New Year!
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