The start of a new year always brings conversations and actions toward the start of new resolutions. No matter the year, you’ll hear about people striving to lose weight, break or start a new habit, grow spiritually, or pursue a dream.
With each new beginning, there will be challenges, roadblocks, and even lies that try to stop you from achieving your resolutions.
Let’s look at three common lies that kill new beginnings and find the truths that will help us overcome them.
Lie #1: "You have to be perfect"
The lie of perfection says that you’ve got to get the right equipment, be in the right atmosphere, and have the perfect mindset. You tell yourself that you can never fail, make a mistake, trip, or stumble.
What happens when you hit a roadblock on your journey toward the new you? People quit the most often the day after that perfection fades. The day after the workout left you sore, or you ate what you shouldn’t. Maybe you felt awkward and uncomfortable, and it didn’t go according to plan.
The Truth = Perfection is the enemy of progress
Perfection is the enemy. Progress is the point.
Maybe It was an ugly run, but you still ran and showed up; that’s progress!
Perhaps you tried to date differently, to ask more questions and take an interest in them. It might have felt clunky, but you moved toward caring more than your natural tendency to just talk about yourself. If perfection were the measuring stick, then we’d all be done.
Every time the lie of perfection comes calling, call it out! Perfection is the enemy of your progress.
Lie #2: "Life is supposed to be easy"
Maybe you don’t say out loud that you expect life to be easy, but we can easily fall into that mentality. When we think life is easy and a difficult or painful challenge comes, we wonder why it’s so tough.
You’re annoyed at work and keep drowning it out with more scrolling.
You keep avoiding hard conversations or situations because they’re challenging.
You ghost that guy instead of telling him you’re not interested.
You complain more than you show gratitude. It’s way easier to be negative.
The danger of the “easy lie” goes deeper; it lures us into assuming that your end goal is pleasure and convenience. Watch this, buy that, go there, and everything entices us to believe that we deserve more entertainment, pleasure, and ease.
The Truth = Life is asking something of us
In John 16:33, Jesus said “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.”
James 1:2-3 says, “Dear brothers and sisters when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
When we own the fact that life is challenging, requiring something from us, then when it is challenging, it generally meets our expectations. Only then will we have the mental margin and resilience to take it on.
Lie #3: "I'm not enough"
In her book, The Growth Mindset, Carol Dweck outlines the crippling thought patterns like ‘I can’t do it just right; therefore, I must not be good at it, so why bother?”
It’s the lie of inadequacy: I don’t have what it takes. If it’s challenging and I stumble, I must not be good enough. It must not be my thing. I should give up. I shouldn’t try for what requires more than I could achieve without failure. This should be easy.
The Truth = You're not meant to do this alone
If the lie tells us that we’re inadequate and not good enough, the truth is we were not meant to go it alone.
Let’s look again at John 16:33 - Jesus said “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Take heart; Jesus is with us; he has overcome, and we are not alone.
Humanity was always meant to walk with God, be close to him, and have regular conversations with him. Our value comes from him. Our peace comes from him. Our new life is meant to come from and through him. It’s not all on you.
Imagine how your days will feel when you remind yourselves of these three truths when the lies start to creep in. Start shedding the mental baggage, and drop 20 lbs of mental weight this year by taking on these truths and taking background from old lies.
The truth will set you free if you apply it. It’s time to say hello to a new possibility. A new mentality for a new year. A new daily practice with these truths. There is new hope on the horizon.
God wants us to turn old lies into new possibilities.
If you're interested in more content similar to this check out:
- 5 Things to Do When God Makes No Sense
- The Foolproof Guide to Pursuing Quality Friendships
- How Can You Find Your Purpose?
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