Maybe Yes
As New Year’s approaches, many individuals set forth their New Year’s resolutions. They determine how this new year will be different; in fact, many use the social media hashtag "New Year, New Me" to publicize how they are different. Nevertheless, according to Strava, the social network for athletes, the second Friday of January is known as "Quitter's Day." They analyzed over 800 million user-logged activities to pinpoint the exact moment motivation breaks. And it is by day 17 of the new year when many abandon the so-called New Year's resolution.
Jerry Seinfeld is a comedian and actor, and he had this joke about the battle between “Night Guy” and “Morning Guy.” The premise of the joke is that while Morning Guy wants to be productive, Night Guy has no regard whatsoever for Morning Guy. So, Night Guy stays up late, causing Morning Guy to not be at his best. This is a good illustration of how we often find ourselves battling between the goals we've established and the habits we've kept.
In the pursuit of accomplishing our New Year's resolutions, we cannot be ambiguous in our decision-making; otherwise, we will not only have "Night Guy" to face but Quitter's Day.
Let me talk to you about the “Maybe Yes.”
"Maybe Yes" is what we tell ourselves when we hear the call to something greater. On the surface, we say, "This will be nice," and begin to walk towards the horizon. But when we encounter the violent winds and challenges that rise, we shift into "Maybe Yes." We don't want to be caught saying "no" to growth, so we say "Maybe Yes." Thus, we give ourselves an out. We walk the tightrope of ambiguity, not committing.
But can you imagine a man and his bride standing at the altar, and the groom replies, "Maybe Yes," when the minister asks, "Do you take this woman as your wife?" What do you think she will say about his commitment?
Recently, my wife and I looked at the calendar and we started talking about the New Year and our resolutions. And as we looked at the calendar, one date stood out to us: January 9th. This is our anniversary date. When I said "yes" to my wife, I promised "yes" in 2010, and in 2026, I still say "yes."
This isn't about more strategies; this is about commitment. No one can stop you if you've mentally prepared yourself, emotionally committed yourself, prayerfully commanded yourself, and say yes come hell or high water.