Don't quit

In 2019, Strava, a social network for athletes, conducted an extensive research project on New Year's Resolutions, discovering that 80% of those who set new goals quit them by the second Friday in January -- nationaltoday.com/quitters-day/. Designating Jan. 12, 2024, as National Quitters Day.

Sometimes, quitting can be good. A bad book, bad job, or a bad habit are examples of a good quit. But quitting what you have decided is good and beneficial has a more profound impact on body and soul than you may realize.

When you decide to make a positive change of direction in your life, your body releases endorphins. (Sonia McDonald, "Endorphin Goal Setting!" May 4, 2018, soniamcdonald.com.au/2018/05/04/endorphin-goal-setting/#:~:text=Endorphins%20are%20released%20by%20the%20brain%20to%20provide,and%20are%20multiplied%20when%20a%20goal%20is%20reached) In other words, it feels good to set goals. The good feeling you get from positive changes goes back to creation hardwiring in which Adam and Eve were to cause everything they touched to thrive. It's good for you to take action to make what you are responsible for do well.

Quitting then does more to you than stop your activity. Quitting sends a message that you are not good. You may even say to yourself, "I am not good. I am a failure; I will never live my dream life." Quitting what is good can be detrimental.

Christians are both commanded and are to exemplify encouragement (Dt. 1:38, 2 Cor. 7:6, and 1 Thess. 5:11, to name a few references.) This column aims to encourage you towards your goals when your motivation is the lowest.

First, be kind to yourself. Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another ..." To be kind to others -- giving and extending grace and goodness -- you must be kind to yourself. You would never speak to another the way you talk to yourself. For your own well-being and that of others, be kind to yourself.

Secondly, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Sin has caused everything in creation to be hard. Work is hard, relationships are hard, everything is hard. Our tendency is to flee what is hard.

The Bible, however, in Psalm 119:71, Romans 8:28, James 1:2, and 1 Peter 1:6, to name a few, describes the outcomes of hardships as beneficial. Good can come from pain. Persevering through difficulty is virtuous.

Life is hard. There are days when it feels like you can't. Days when you get off track. Days you make bad decisions. Be kind to yourself. Don't quit; adjust. Begin and begin again.