Commitment 2017

Commitment for 2017?

For years I haven’t made New Year’s Resolutions. Never could live up to them. Usually had forgotten the resolution by February.

But I’m all for setting measurable, accountable commitments. Right now I’m working on my Commitments 2017.

Just last week I received an e-mail invitation to Run the Year 2017. It invites me to run/walk 2017 miles in 2017. $25 gets me online encouragement, progress checks, a sense of camaraderie, a record-keeping tool and more. Another $10 gets me a medal I will wear if (and only if) I reach the 2017 miles goal.

2017 miles in 365 days equal 5.5 miles per day. That’s almost 39 miles a week. If my average run/walk speed is 12 minutes/mile (generously!), that’s almost 6 hours per week. Every week. For 52 weeks.

A good commitment offers  powerful tension between challenge and feasibility. Running/walking 2017 miles is  a challenge. The feasibility of running/walking 5.5 miles every day, every week through December 31, 2017 is a question.

Do we take on a commitment only if we are sure we can achieve it? Maybe not. Do we take on the commitment for the joy in the journey, whether we make the destination or not? I think so.

Some of my annual commitments I’ve over-accomplished. When I committed to 100 days’ sketching, I was hooked and stopped counting by the 2nd week. Sketching was more than enough turn on. It kept me on the commitment journey well beyond Day 100. Same with the several times I’ve committed to some sort of exercise for 100 days in a row.

Some commitments are not so successful but just as pleasurable during the doing. You may recall that Prayerful Life and I reached the 100/100 Affirmantra on June 5, 2015. Quite a high. But a year later we only reached 42/100 Morning Prayer. That shortfall had nothing to do with the joy of the journey. There was plenty of joy. Too many roadside distractions made me surrender that commitment. I fell short but felt good that I took it on.

2017 will likely tug hard for us to make and strive for commitments. If you’re hesitating, I offer some reasons to consider a specific Commitment 2017, almost any commitment. A number-of-times or number-of-days commitment will give you the opportunity

Now, since this is Prayerful Life, I offer these possible prayer-related Commitments for 2017:

Those are merely suggestions. You know what type of commitment will inspire you. You know what excites you as a goal, an objective, an accomplishment. And it’s up to you do work with a number of days or a number of times. Maybe it is a question of rhythm versus freedom. The beauty and the joy are it’s your commitment, so it’s up to you.

I’ve just sent RuntheEdge.com my $25.

Powerful GOD,
I set my sight on the mountain crest
and I feel your Presence behind me.
I send my heart to the project’s end
and I hear your encouragement.
I stretch my muscles to lift the wall or build the fence
and I enjoy your breath with mine
as I saw every board and stack every boulder.

When the mountain top comes no closer
your Presence stays as strong.
As my project dissolves unfinished
your encouragement speaks as loud.
While the winds toss away the frame
and the rains flood away the boulders,
your breath is One with mine.

And so it is. I thank you, GOD. Amen.

Love and blessings,

29 December 2016

Posted on December 29, 2016 at 6:00 pm by Tim · Permalink
In: Affirmation, Commitment, Energy, Grounded, Joy, Prayer, Praying, Zeal · Tagged with: , , , , ,