6 Tips To Not Waste 2023

Tip 1.  Pick a word.

You have most likely heard of the concept of focusing on one word as your theme for a year.  Do it!  Last year, my word of the year was “Generosity” and it made a real difference in my life as a guiding principle.

Pro Tip 1  Make a sign or plaque with your word of the year and hang it in your bedroom, as a constant reminder.

Pro Tip 2  Read a book on the word you are focusing on.  I read Go-Giver, and the concepts of the book helped to cement the importance or generosity as a lifestyle for me.

Tip 2.  Make tangible goals.

This is almost certainly not a new thought to you, but it’s an easy one not to apply.  Creating vague goals guarantees that you will not reach them.

Example.  “I want to lose weight” is a vague goal.  “I want to lose 23 lbs by June 25th.” Is a tangible goal.

Tip 3. Structure your life to make your goals easy to reach.

I have lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 lbs. in the last year or two.  It’s not because I’m super disciplined or motivated.  It’s because we only had food around the house that was “healthy” food.  Also, I was on a diet plan for about half of the year that sent me my food to the door, making my food decisions for me.  Obviously, that’s not sustainable as a lifestyle, but the concept applies.  Make it easy to stay on track, and hard to come off track.

Tip 4. Trust the process.

If you have a financial or health or fitness or spiritual or any other goal, it’s easy to get discouraged with your progress.  Trust the process.  If you eat “right” and exercise for long enough, you will lose weight and become healthier.  If you spend time with God’s word and pray and meditate and worship consistently, you will have a closer relationship with Him.  If you always live on less than you earn, you will make financial progress.

Tip 5.  Keep constant pressure.

Our nature is to lose focus, now more than ever.  Your goals will almost certainly not happen if you do not keep constant pressure in that direction.  If you memorize a Bible verse every week, (just 1 a week!), you would memorize a little over 1,000 verses in twenty years.  Twenty years is a long time, but you are most likely going to end up living it anyway, so you might as well be a better version of you at that point.

Tip 6. Live

Aside from literally living (as in not dying), live!  Put your phone down.  Take a moment to enjoy the best parts of your life.  Make time for that trip that you have been meaning to get around to.  Visit the old friend who lives a road trip away… or at least text them!  Live as if this life isn’t a guarantee, because it’s not.