New year celebrations are funny things especially when it comes to resolutions. I mean, I’m the same person at midnight as I was an hour before waiting on the ball to drop. Nothing changes just because the date does. It’s just another day, after all
But, there’s something about resetting the clock. A fresh start. A new year full of possibility.
As Chip and Dan Heath put it in The Power of Moments, New Year resolutions really should be called “New Year absolutions.” It’s like the slate for old me is wiped clean and new me has the potential to come alive.
We’ve all tried (and failed) at resolutions before. So, I took a different approach this year. I decided to take an entire month to discover areas of change and focus for 2019 rather than determine them by brute force.
I began with a solid look back at 2018. And then, I took inventory of my habits as they relate to my personal values.
Over the years, I’ve learned that habit and process goals have a much greater chance of success than outcome-based goals. (Check out Atomic Habits by James Clear or The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg for more on this.)
As things began to take shape, I had a running list of some things to focus on but one thought stood above the rest. On one line, I wrote:
Consume less. Create more.
ON CONSUMING
By definition, to consume means to take away or use up.
Consuming isn’t inherently wrong. It’s not bad. It’s neutral. And like most neutral things, the path of least resistance is the road we end up on. Without intentionality, we consume the most convenient thing available. Our options are endless in the consumer culture we live in.
Netflix binges. The infinite Instascroll. Amazon Prime. Mindless eating. Fast food.
It’s not necessarily about consuming less but consuming better.
The problem is that we can’t create and consume at the same time. If I’m caught in the infinite scroll on Instagram for an hour (yes, an hour), that’s an hour I’m adding nothing to the world.
And, most of the time it adds nothing to me. In fact, it’s likely taking. Peace. Contentment. Energy.
The question isn’t really one of quantity but of quality. It’s not necessarily about consuming less but consuming better.
So, I’m asking myself: Is what I’m consuming adding value? Is it helpful?
If I’m honest, most of the time what I’m seeking is a feeling, a distraction, an escape. It’s not adding any true benefit.
Consume Better
So, how do we break the cycle? Here are some ways to consume better in 2019:
1. Consume God’s Word.
Make daily Bible reading and meditating on it a priority. I highly recommend the YouVersion app. I read through the Bible every year and have several other shorter plans going at any given time. I don’t nail it every day but it helps to have a guide. Feel free to add me and
2. Read more.
The best place to start is right here. With this blog (see what I did there). Seriously though. Read paper books. Digital books. Audiobooks.
Set a goal. Set a goal to read X number of pages each day or 15 minutes a day. It doesn’t have to be a certain number of books although it can be. Whatever helps.
I’m a big fan of Scribd. It’s the Netflix of digital and audiobooks. If you’d like to try it, here are two free months.
3. Discover new music.
Last year, I fell in love with classical music. This year, it’s jazz.
4. Seek inspiration.
I have a habit goal of allowing art (in some form or another) to inspire me every single day. I wanted to up my inspiration quotient. So each day, I take a few minutes to seek out something beautiful or interesting and then I pause. I take it in.
The key is pausing. On Instagram, slow the scroll. Resist the urge to double-tap and swipe. Actually look at the image. Explore it. Try and see what the photographer sees. It’s a much different way to consume than we’re used to.
Like mom always said… “Chew your food.” We have to slow down long enough to “chew” what we’re consuming.
5. Curate your feeds.
Unfollow. Mute. Hide. Whatever it takes to reduce the noise so you can actually enjoy what you take in. Create a digital commonplace book so that you can save and share things that are truly beautiful, fascinating, inspiring, or interesting.
Again, consuming isn’t wrong. After all, we all have to eat. It’s just impossible to create and add to if we’re always taking and using up.
ON CREATING
Consuming is easy. Creating is difficult. It takes effort. It takes intentionality. You have to combat never-ending distractions and actually make something.
It’s also really scary.
What if no one likes it? What if no one cares? What if no one even sees it? What if I’m no good?
Consuming is easy. Creating is difficult.
Here’s the deal. The world needs your voice. It needs your story. It needs your creativity.
But even as I wrote that, I let fear in. In that last paragraph, I took the easy way. It costs nothing to say that to you. It’s much scarier to own it myself and
The world needs my voice. It needs my story. It needs my creativity.
That’s scary. But, if I don’t own it, how can I expect others to?
So, here are some ideas for creating in 2019. Pick one… or four.
1. Create a moment.
If you normally stay inside and veg on Saturday, load the kids up and go for a hike. Then go for ice cream. Then go for more.
Surprise your spouse. Go to a new restaurant. Then, walk across the street and get a hotel. Who cares if you didn’t pack a bag?
Break the script. Mix it up. Do the unexpected.
Recognize a co-worker in a meaningful way. Do it publicly or privately. It doesn’t matter. But create a moment that’s positive. Make them feel something.
Surprise. Delight. Joy. All of these cost little but pay incredible returns.
2. Elevate a space in your home.
Take a space you’ve been avoiding and elevate it. Make it a
Last year, we created a “library” in one area of our home. It’s not really a library. Calling it that just makes us feel sophisticated. But, it is our favorite space in the house for prayer, reading, and talking.
We also stopped avoiding our mess of a garage and worked hard to create a truly useable space. The only challenge now is that we’ve removed all excuses for exercising. I guess that’s a good thing.
3. Shoot something.
Take a picture. Shoot a short. Make a movie.
4. Write.
Journal. Start a blog. Write an article. Write a novel. Write a love letter. Write a poem. Write a screenplay. Write a song.
Put pen to the paper or fingers to the keyboard and use your voice. Who cares if it’s bad? We all have really bad ideas inside and the only way to get them out is to write.
5. Cook.
6. Draw.
7. Paint.
8. Play.
9. Sing.
10. Dance.
Being an image-bearer means creating. It means movement. Motion. Doing.
In the end, the questions are the same
In the end, the questions are the same. Whether we are consuming or creating, we should ask ourselves:
- Is this of truly of value to me?
- Is this worthy of my time?
- Will this add to or take away from others?
It starts there, with forethought and intentionality. But then you have to act. You have to actually do the work. And, in that work is where we find meaning and life.
It’s in the adding, not taking away that makes the world a better place.
If you want to join with me in creating more this year, I’d love to hear and see what you’re doing. Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you’re working on.