January Marks The Start of Putting In The Work.

January felt like a long month for many; perhaps it was the adjustment from the holidays to getting back into work. As we took a break from personal growth strategies in the last month, I am happy to be back as we continue on this constant and never-ending improvement journey. Back to talking about January, did you know that statistically, most people quit on their New Year’s resolutions in the first month?  Approximately about 64% of people call it quits. They have the zeal at the beginning of the month, life happens, and they lose their momentum. Around October, November, and December, most try to go back to their goals because the year is about to end. Unfortunately, that is not how life works; it’s not about what you do in January and December, but what you do between January and December.

Dreams Don’t Abruptly End; They Slowly Fade Away.

I get why many people quit in January. They have so much zeal in January, put in so much work, and sometimes see zero to little results and give up. Most people don’t wait long enough to see the results. We do that with our prayers as well, one minute your hopes are high, the next, you feel like your prayers are not being answered, and you passively let them fade away instead of holding on. The thing is, you don’t wake up and say I no longer want this; you let go slowly instead of waiting. If you started working on your goals for this year, for the majority, chances are results are not showing yet, you are in the wait. Our first personal growth strategy tip for this year is waiting, not passively, but with a confident expectation, while not growing weary in doing good, because definitely in due season we will reap only if we do not give up. ( Galations 6:9 paraphrased )

The First Soldier

The waiting period before the manifestation of your goals or prayers is not the easiest. Sometimes we mistake giving up for waiting. At times, waiting does not mean being idle. During the waiting period, that is when the battle for your dreams and goals is at its peak. The biggest arena of the battle is your mind, which is why it’s a silent battle, because only you know what’s going on inside of you. One of the soldiers ready to fight you is ‘doubt’. In the waiting period, we are susceptible to doubt. We doubt our capabilities, let alone the goals. This soldier makes you question the viability of your dream, and sometimes you begin to have thoughts of settling, masked in “let me be realistic, or no one else has been able to achieve this and everyone else is struggling. The soldier named doubt can cripple you into not showing up for the dreams and goals God placed on your heart.

You can’t achieve what you don’t believe you’re worthy of.

The second soldier in this silent battle of waiting is a total gas lighter in my opinion. Am I worth it? Many people do not live the life that God has intended them to live simply because they don’t believe they are worth it. You might want it, but the biggest sabotage is that you don’t think you deserve it; that’s when your actions start to get in the way. On the battlefield of the wait, this soldier is capable of paralyzing you when it comes to showing up for your dreams. The best way to fight this soldier is belief, and one of the ways to stay on the belief page is speaking life into yourself and your dreams through declarations. Whenever this soldier shows up, fight it with words, speak life. You can be proactive about it by writing down declarations that you constantly speak out loud.

Physical Manifestations During The Battle

Lastly, there is a soldier who exhibits physical manifestations. After your mind has been crippled by all these other soldiers. There is one other soldier who then drifts you from your goals completely during the wait. Distraction is a very crafty soldier. This is the time you find yourself in activities that distract you from life/ showing up. For some, it may be watching TV, spending too much time on social media, or working.  With distraction, you can drown in anything else but what you are supposed to be doing, and that is how your dreams drift. Be intentional about how you are spending your time; constant reflection will help you see when you are drowning in distractions.

Your Dreams Are Worth Fighting The Silent Battle of The Wait.

Choose not to be part of the statistics this year, give your dreams and goals the wait they deserve. I know waiting comes with a silent battle, but remember, you are not in it alone.

tanyafungai