What Would It Take To Keep Your Resolutions This Year?

Of course this is the time of year when many people start wondering about their resolutions, turning over of new leaves and hopes to finally win the battle to lose some pounds, start exercising, quit smoking, begin school or conquer their latest mountain.

And my hunch is that most of those people are pretty serious and sincere in January.

Sadly, so many of those hopes, dreams and goals simply never happen. Why? And what WILL it take for us to finally look back and realize we actually did accomplish something in the new year?

I think there are a couple of key ingredients for success. First, we need a crisis mentality. A good friend of mine just discovered that some cancer he had had removed has returned other places. While it was serious before it's a potential personal crisis now.

I know this. He doesn't need anyone's motivation, list of resolutions or accountability partner to fight this now with all of his being. If he doesn't the results will likely be disastrous. And yes we hope that many of our goals aren't that serious but we need to think more that way. For example, we might need to lose ten pounds or more.

What if we started thinking that if I don't lose this weight I could end up gaining more, becoming more unhealthy and perhaps not be able to enjoy my family the way I could if I got healthier? To not lose weight with this kind of thinking could be a crisis. That would probably motivate us a lot more than just a list.

Second, we must have a plan. The old adage, you don't plan to fail you just fail to plan, fits here. Write down not only your big goal but the little goals you need to get there. Have someone doing it with you if possible. Make deadlines for when you will start, join a club or group, start classes, etc.

Ideally, have an accountability partner keeping tabs on you, too. Plan to work and work the plan.

Third, we must get real. So many of our resolutions are just talk, way beyond our resources or ability and discourage us just thinking about them. So start at a realistic trailhead. Make sure you can accomplish the first few steps before you commit to the bigger ones. And if you can't really do this find something else!

Fourth, anticipate and then enjoy your early successes. Dave Ramsey, financial expert, tells couple in large amounts of debt to first pay off the smallest amount. That way they get success and can apply those funds to the next smallest sum. We need to do the same no matter what our goal is. Get to the first plateau and celebrate it, encourage yourself and look forward to the next one.

Finally, remember that God wants you to grow, become more like Jesus and to be the person He intended. Invite Him into the process, ask Him for strength and wisdom along the way.

If you'll tackle your resolutions wisely and with God's help they might just turn into a personal revolution!

Are You Really A Winner or Not?

I watched two vastly different scenarios this weekend during the Winter Olympics. One athlete came from out of nowhere and won the gold. The other was expected to win or at least medal and didn't even come close.

Who won? It depends. In human, Olympic terms, the gold medalist won. The other was a disappointment at best. But the real winner will be the one who responds with a winning attitude.

What would a winning attitude look like?  Certainly it would not be without sadness. After all that work, training, money and time given to the pursuit of a medal only an automaton would not feel great emotion in missing out on a prize. But a winning attitude can still bring great outtcomes and benefits in the months and years ahead.

Four time World Champion Christopher Bowman never won a figure skating medal. Neither did Rudy Galindo or Nicole Bobek. In professional sports, Charles Barkley, Dan Marino and Ted Williams didn't win a championship either.

But those who don't win the big one, don't summit their Everest or McKinley, can still win in life.  What will it take?

First it requires thankfulness. How many people actually get the chance to be in the Olympics, the championship game or on the slopes of an 8000 meter peak? For the rest of us, how many people get to live to be our age, have the advantages or relationships we have or enjoy the education, experiences and blessings we have been given? Be thankful for something.

Second, it requires a healthy view of oneself.  If our worth is tied up in our achievements and accomplishments then that worth can be snatched a way in one loss of an edge, one missed basket, one failed exam or one setback to our health. We must know that our ultimate worth only comes from the One who made us. No one can take that away.

Third, it requires humility. When others outperform us, when someone else gets the top prize or is more successful we must humbly let them have their moment, celebrate with them not in spite of them. Maybe you need to encourage someone else right now as a way to actually live this one out.

So if you feel like you "lost" something this week, month or year, if that goal you were reaching for slipped away at least for now, still enjoy the moments you've been given. Don't be paralyzed. Let this loss challenge and motivate you to keep going and to never quit climbing. Someday you'll be at the top of some mountain and the view will be worth it!

Luck Rarely Gets You To The Summit

I was in a convenience store recently and watched the woman in front of me plunk down sixty dollars for lottery tickets. And maybe she felt that this was a particularly lucky week but I got the feeling she did this all the time. It wasn't one of the "mega" type jackpots either where people spend all sorts of money once a year hoping to win the hundreds of millions.

She, like many, was probably hoping that luck would change everything and she was willing to sacrifice some of her resources to take that risk? And could a life change by playing the lottery? I suppose so though the statistics aren't very good for people who suddenly get rich. Even so, there's only one chance in scores of millions that any one person wins anyway.

It seems to me that luck is a pretty risky way to try and climb higher in life. Luck rarely gets people through cancer to a new job after many lean years or moved on following a messy divorce. Luck has no real power to help us other than to show up now and then but we can't control it anyway.

Summiting, whether a granite mountain or a life challenge, requires some other important things be substituted for mere good fortune. Like what?

Knowledge is a good place to start. Learning what we can about our disease, our challenge or options to  is vital. And in the age of the Internet (though not everything there is true or helpful) there is no excuse for not learning more.

I remember coming down Mt. of the Holy Cross in Colorado with my son. Unfortunately we got lost on the way down in the fields of boulders. There were cairns that we saw on the way up but we unwisely didn't look for them and got off the best route back to our trail. So we bushwacked our way hustling to outrun an approaching storm so we could get down to treeline.

All of a sudden we came upon a trail thinking we would be way off course only to realize later that it was the right one. We got lucky! But we would have done better if we simply had been better prepared and learn the correct route ahead of time.

Taking some wise next steps also beats luck. Many people get paralyzed by their struggle so they spend lots of time and energy hoping that something (like the lottery) or someone will get them out of their jam. And of course other insightful people can be wonderfully helpful but sometimes we need to merely take some next steps too and go as far as we can with what we know.

If you're on a challenging mountain like Everest you'd better plan to get to base camp first before you start thinking much about camp 4. And often that success, though limited, can also give you some encouragement and momentum.

Third, persevering always beats luck. Lucky people rarely win or even finish races but those who keep going usually at least finish. That's why I call this blog and website Never Quit Climbing. Don't stop, don't get paralyzed, don't give up. In fact the best option is to make the decision to keep going before you ever start out.

Perseverance is a decision, but one you probably don't want to try to make on the spot.

But whatever you do don't count on luck. If it bails you out from time to time, OK. But remember luck is just that - the chance that something good happens when you most need it. The better way is to do what you need to do so you never need it in the first place.

Sometimes Climbers Of All Kinds Seek the Wrong Goals

I'm currently reading Ed Viestur's book on Annapurna called The Will to Climb. And much of the book explains the history of the many expeditions and brave climbers who took on this incredibly hard mountain. In the middle of it all were those like Ed who at least entertained the goal of climbing all fourteen peaks above 8,000 meters.

The leader of that pack was one of the world's most revered climbers Reinhold Messner, the first in the world to climb them all (Ed Viesturs was the first American and he also did it without supplemental oxygen). However, it's important to note that closing the loop or climbing them all was only a secondary goal for Messner. His primary goal was one all of us who climb granite or even life's mountains would be wise to keep in mind.

Messner writes, "Climbing increasingly harder routes, setting myself new targets, was of far greater importance to me."

It's easy for us to become enamored with our own records or accomplishments and miss reaching the more important, though perhaps less noticed, goals in life. We want to be better than someone else, overcome our struggle faster or make some sort of name for ourself when there are far more important things.

Like what? Perhaps just doing the next thing, maybe reaching a place just farther down the trail than last time or getting to a new personal record of some sort. Some of us are possibly stuck because we're failing over and over again at some goal or target that really isn't that important. What we may need to do is find a new dream or at least one different from everyone else and go for it whatever that means.

Maybe God has some unique goal and plan designed just for us that we're missing because we're obsessed with climbing the wrong mountain or overcoming in ways that just aren't possible right now.

Try praying for and looking for some other goal more within your reach and purvue. No, don't settle for less, just something else. Chances are it will still be some big mountain that you'll need every resource including God to reach. But my hunch is that once you go for that one you'll know you're now on the trail you should have been on all along.

Overcoming, Like Climbing, Is Always Risky

I remember one of my first attempts at any serious rock climbing. A group of young dads had taken one of our kids out to Colorado for a four-day weekend adventure.  One of those days included some climbing and rappelling all under the tutelage of some experienced guides.

The main route that they had set up for us was pretty challenging, at least for us, and we spent a good part of the day doing the route or watching others tackle it. But after a while, the guides told us there were a couple of other routes we could try if we wanted a little more challenge. So a friend of mine, a body builder, strong-as-an-ox kind of guy, and I decided we would go for a little more.

He started up the one route as I looked on. And I saw him struggle significantly, especially at one point in his climb, but eventually he made it. So now it was my turn. And sure enough I got to the same place where he had difficulty and saw no way to make it any further. To do so would require a significant go-for-it moment that I was pretty sure I was not going to succeed in doing.

Of course I was safely roped in.  Missing the move wouldn't kill me but it might mess big time with my pride and personhood. Nonetheless, my friend encouraged me on. And within a few minutes I was touching the top of the ledge with a big smile on my face and some new confidence and pride in my soul.

A lot of us as we climb through life may find ourselves stalled because of big challenges or moves in front of us. We may feel like turning back or giving up. The risk might seem high and perhaps it is.  But will you ever get to the next step of your journey if you don't try?  Could you be missing out on a level of satisfaction, happiness and fulfillment that you would never have by staying put?

Even in your difficulties what will be the benefits of turning back or giving up?  There aren't many, if any.

What keeps you from going on?  Fear? Lack of confidence? Past failures? Pride?  Don't let those things paralyze you.

This week, this month, this year, take a healthy risk that you haven't taken before.  Try something new, meet some new people, go serve someone else, go for it. Let the encouragements of friends spur you on but trust the power of the rope - God, others, past successes.  Remember the view from the top is worth it.

When and Why Our Heroes Fall

Well, it looks like Lance Armstrong's explanations have run out. He appears to be guilty of doping during the years he was winning cycling's greatest race. A lot of us have been let down again, haven't we? I live in Austin, Texas, Lance's hometown. Ugh.

And while many will still support him and others will want him crucified, I plan to do neither. But it is worth a look at why our heroes fall so much of the time and how we should respond. What can we learn that puts it all into perspective and reminds us of what is really true?

I mean how many times will we have to sigh huge sighs when another Tiger or U.S. senator or famous minister or movie star takes a personal or moral dive? Probably lots because it will happen again and again. So we need to re-think some things about what a hero really is and the kind of role they should or should not play in our lives.

First of all, there is a place for heroes. They are good to have as long as we don't worship them. Heroes can give us healthy role models to emulate, standards to aspire to and the inspiration to work harder at what we want to accomplish.

But second, we have forgotten that heroes are human just like us. While many of them truly do amazing things and accomplish feats few will copy, they still mess up. They lie, cheat and even steal sometimes. They never were what we probably believed them to be: superhuman? invincible? perfect?  No, their humanity doesn't excuse their often pitiful behavior, but it shouldn't surprise us.  It wouldn't shock us if we initially assumed that they were just everyday people who just happened to be very disciplined and accomplished.

Third, popularity and fame are dangerous entities and the human tendency is to hold on to them no matter the cost. Once the seduction of being sought after, winning all the time and enjoying the myriad perks takes hold, it's difficult to admit anything that could force someone to let go of it all. It seems like Lance finally tired of the charade. Most people just eventually get caught in the act and have no choice. Either way it's ultimately better but there is always a fight and there are always consequences.

Fourth, we need to find and recognize better heroes. And the good news is that they are all around us. They are parents who love their kids even when times are tough, they are service men and women along with police and firefighters who protect us. They include people with disabilities and other challenges who persevere and live meaningful lives anyway. They are giving men and women who serve others in soup kitchens, ministries, churches and agencies out of love for their God and others.

Yes, while there will be others who we've deemed as heroes who will fall, we will be less disappointed if we remember that the ones typically given the title of hero are not. Most of the real heroes will never be famous or rich or write a book, star on TV or play in the Super Bowl. But once we find those genuine heroes, they will change us and be less likely to ever let us down.

Life Reminders After 8 Days In the Mountains

Jackie and I just returned from some much needed rest and hiking in the Rockies. We were away only a little over a week but we found ourselves seeing once again how many things about life the high places teach us. Here are a view worth re-visiting.

First, you'll miss a lot if you succumb to only taking the easy option. Our hikes weren't nearly as extensive or challenging as some might do, but there were a couple of days when we wondered if we should push ourselves too hard. "Why go to THAT lake up another couple of miles when we could stay right here and enjoy this scenery?"

But each time we went beyond our preconceived limits we realized what we would have missed staying put. Mountain views, animal life and sunsets were just a few of the rewards. What a mistake it would have been to just remain comfortable.

Second, life is a lot about relationships with people. Along the trail we met a wide variety of individuals and families. Sometimes we took each other's pictures, other times we talked a little bit about where we were from. A group even found an extra lens that Jackie accidentally dropped from her good camera. We would never have found it without them.

Another young girl asked to borrow our sunscreen. We told each other about mountain goat sightings. While we relished the peace and quiet that we often had, we also loved the meaningful, authentic and spontaneous interaction with fellow climbers.

Third, there is more to life and creation than what we see everyday. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to be reminded of the greatness and majesty of the world all around us. The beauty of a flower, the power of a 50 mph wind and the size of a 14000' peak all spoke volumes to us about a greatness beyond ourselves and a Creator who made and controls it all.

Finally, the beaten path is rarely the most memorable one.  Rarely did we or others rave about what they saw in a local restaurant, on TV in the condo or their drive from out of state. The greatest stories were told about situations and places people had never been before or which had at least pushed them beyond their normal limits.

While you may be going up a trail that is challenging and beyond your usual scope of life, embrace it as a different climb, one with the potential to teach you lessons like the ones we learned this week.

Climb on.

Hope: From Cactus To Flower

The past few weeks have brought an unusual number of pressures and challenges to my wife and me. The latest is a family illness where the unknowns bring significant emotional angst. We've also both been traveling, much of it separately, and our physical reserves are pretty low right now, too. Sleeping has been irregular and interrupted much of the time.


Nonetheless, Jackie, upon returning home from her trip, went to the store and bought some new little cacti to put out on the balcony of our condo. She really didn't have time to re-pot them or anything but planned to do that within a couple of days. Three of them sat for a day or so just outside the door wall.


However, the next day, Jackie looked and each of them had bloomed with a beautiful yellow flower. They brought tears to her eyes and a lump in my throat later to realize that from the middle of those prickly extensions came beauty that we had not seen before.


That was an important reminder that yes good can come from bad. That the miraculous can rise from evil. That resurrection comes after the burial. That joy can result from mourning. That life in God always wins over death.


You, too, may be experiencing your own challenges these days. And it's easy to only see and feel the sharp edges of them. The pain, sadness and even feelings of despair can be overwhelming.


And picturing a potential flower won't remove the cactus but it can help you deal with it better. It can assist you in coping, keep you from remaining paralyzed and help you remember that God may be doing something beautiful in and through your circumstances that you simply can't see. Keep watching for the flower.

Your Climb Is Unique and It's OK

I love reading climbing magazines. They usually contain all sorts of articles about new equipment, places people love to climb and awesome pictures of mountainous areas around the world.

But they usually have a story or two about some of the new routes people climb both on known cliffs and others that have never been climbed before.  Of course most of the great climbers like to outdo the person before them and stretch their limits to new extremes.

Yes, some of you climbers out there are pretty amazing! You push the envelope and inspire others who need to be challenged to do something more difficult.

But new routes don't pertain only to those who climb on rock. Those who are climbing their own personal mountains also have to chart new routes. Yes, there are lessons to be learned from others who have climbed before you, but don't think that your experience has to mirror those of others who you talk to or read about.

Your "route" will be determined by a number of factors - your particular struggle, your personality, your resources, your time frame and your fellow climbers.  Push aside many of the comments from well-meaning friends and family who say things like, "Well, when that happened to me . . .," or "I heard about a friend who went through the same thing and she . . . ."

Sure, learn what you can from their experience but remember your route doesn't have to follow anyone else's route.  Chart new territory, be OK with the uniqueness of your experience, climb differently than all the others if you need to.

You see while using the example of someone else to spur us on can be healthy, comparisons have a way of deflating us. We can subtly begin to think that we should or have to or must do what they did and it's rare that we can anyway. We don't have their skills, personality and life circumstances. It's a lie frankly that somehow we must always equal or top other people.


Instead, the beauty of life is that each climb, each journey and each mountain route is different. Embrace that truth rather than shun it or war against it.

Just don't quit. Keep going.  Never quit climbing. The views on the way up and the one from the top are all worth it.