How’s your January gone? Has it lived up to your New Year/fresh start ideals? Or have your resolutions fallen by the wayside more than you care to admit?

If you’re like me, maybe a little bit of both. I’ve actually just completed four straight weeks of no coffee, no dairy, and no wheat in order to add healthier stuff to my diet and help nail down some food allergies. Never thought I’d be able to do that (emphasis on never as in, like, *ever*). Jury’s still out on the allergies…

But my schedule, productivity, and white space dreams have not fared so well. A big project, an out-of-town meeting, an illness here and there, unexpected issues with family and friends, and three of the four weeks went by with only about half of my time-related goals fulfilled.

Not deterred, though! I just reviewed my 2018 ideal weekly schedule yesterday, and it’s still good stuff. Sure, I wasn’t able to do everything, but the guardrails I set for myself there helped me accomplish the things I did. Without them I would have drifted aimlessly each day after wrapping up life’s interruptions (more about those in a minute).

That’s why we need to create rhythms, not resolutions. It’s the difference between returning to a point and to a plan: the difference between going back to a “should” with a side of guilt vs. a “how” with a path forward. Rhythms are just that — drumbeats that give your life anchor points to steady you and to return you to your ideals when life inevitably drags you away. They are a plan that allows for failure and pattern that gives your life meaning in the crazy.

NEWS FLASH: Interruptions aren’t stopping your life; they ARE your life. They are your story, they are your song, and they are your people. Create rhythms for yourself and your goals. You’ll always get back to what’s important, and you’ll be freer to enjoy all the moments in the music.

I’d love to hear about the rhythms you set for yourself! Right now, mine include family night on Wednesday, church on Sundays, and getting all my homeschooling done by the weekends so I can have Mondays free for bigger projects and thinking. Also working on something cool for February…