Are We There, Yet?
It’s cliché, but I was one of those kids who asked that question on a long car trip. As I got older, I realized the best way to shorten a trip was to sleep. It was like magic. Go to sleep in one place and be magically transported to another when you awake. Either way, […]
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
I went for a long run recently on a brutally hot morning. The temperature was already at 80°. Many organized running events will cancel if the start time temperature is above 80°. A few miles into the run I realized that my pace was about 30 seconds per mile faster than my normal long run […]
Willpower Revisited
If you haven’t read my last post, The Myth of Self-Discipline, you might want to do so. This post is in response to feedback I received. Rev. Bud Brown emailed to challenge the idea that willpower is a limited resource. He noted that a meta-analysis of all studies since the original chocolate chip/radish experiment could […]
The Myth of Self-Discipline
“We first make our habits. Then our habits make us.” John Dryden I am undisciplined. I’ve known this all my life but have tried to ignore it. When I compare myself to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, I feel like the slacker that I am. Wesley typically arose at 4:00 a.m., began every day […]
The Hardest Part Is Starting
The worst decision I made in seminary was to ask for an extension on a paper that was due the end of my last semester. The professor gave me a week. It was the just before Christmas and the idea of writing the paper hung over my head the whole time. I had lots of […]
The Problem with Annual Goals: They’re Too Long (and Too Short)
As we begin a new year, you might be thinking about annual goals. This could be personally or professionally. It could take the form of the dreaded New Year’s resolution. Or it could be part of an annual plan that you’ve developed at work. Regardless, a year is too long. I’ve made annual goals before. […]
