I’ve never been a fan of the concept of ‘New Years Resolutions.’   They just seem way too easy to break.  I know personally how many times that I’ve failed.  And if you’re honest with your self, you’ve failed many times as well.  It just seems like no matter how hard I tried, I always found myself on the failed side of most attempts.

Let’s be real…failing, sucks!

Failing is also frustrating!

And when it happens often enough, we have a tendency to just give up!

This new year, I want to encourage you to try something different.  I call it, ‘The 5×5 Plan’.

It’s doing 5 things for 5 minutes each.

Here are my suggestions:

1. 5 Minutes of Bible Reading
2. 5 Minutes of Prayer
3. 5 Minutes of Exercise
4. 5 Minutes of Journaling
5. 5 Minutes of Encouraging Someone Else.

5 Minutes of Bible Reading.  I realize that to many of you, this is ludicrous.  Why just 5 minutes?  The reason is simple:  not everybody spends a few hours each day reading Scripture.  If truth be told, many Christians don’t read the Bible at all except to open it on the Sundays they attend church.  So 5 minutes a day is a great start to a longer lasting daily adventure in the future.

5 Minutes of Prayer.  Please don’t set the alarm on your phone to go off in 5 minutes!  This is NOT meant to limit your prayer time by any stretch of the imagination.  It’s meant to help you begin to devote daily time in conversation with God.

5 Minutes of Exercise.  Again, I realize that 5 minutes is not much time.  But there has to be a starting point.  As believers, our bodies are the temple of God, and it’s up to us to keep it in the best shape possible.  And, we need to do everything in our power to be healthy for our families as well.

5 Minutes of Journaling.  This idea is probably new to many of you.  I’ve found journaling to be a lost art.  But I suggest you take just 5 minutes each day and jot down your thoughts, emotions, excitements, etc for the day.  This is not supposed to be a manuscript, just quick thoughts about your day.

5 Minutes of Encouraging Someone Else.  I really like this one!  Spend 5 minutes each day and encourage at least one other person!  Whether you call them, text them, message them, Facebook them, just do it!  Be an encourager!!

It’s been said that it takes 21 consecutive days for a ‘habit’ to become a routine.  This is 21 easy days!  You can do this!  And I also encourage you to share this with a friend so you can do ‘The 5×5 Plan’ together!  This will help each of you be more accountable, and, can help encourage each other along the way!  Another suggestion is to get your entire Sunday School class or Small Group to do this, or even your entire family!

Let me know how your journey goes!  You got this!