NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

"...the old is gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

As the year comes to a close, people around the world are virtually doing the same thing. Reflecting back on the year, celebrating the times to come, and especially making New Year's resolutions. Year after year, we all make this list of things that we want to change or that we want to be different in the following months. This list of goals is usually comprised by the same elements on everyone's list every time January rolls around: lose weight, enjoy life to the fullest, get organized, travel, etc.

Whether or not the list is in your head or on paper, it seems like these goals and ambitions fade by the time March is here. We stick to that healthy eating plan or we put away trip money for a few weeks, until it fades to a point where our resolutions are the last thing on our minds. (And I definitely can't be the only one that relates to this.)

I've sort of come up with a way that I'm going to sort my resolutions this year, and I decided that I would share it with you all, in case someone else is struggling to keep up with their goals the same way I am.

Simply writing out my goals for the upcoming year usually doesn't cut it for me, and is probably one of the reasons I fail to keep up with them. You may know what ambitions you want to tackle and achieve, but maybe you don't know how, or maybe you have trouble keeping track of them all.

It's all in the way you write your resolutions out! To battle this common struggle I have, I decided to write them out this way, despite the normal way of jotting them down.

Goal → How You Plan to Achieve it → What You Need to Meet Them → Your Game Plan

• Goal - You have to know what exactly you want to change. If you don't know what your goals are, how are you going to accomplish them?

• How You Plan to Achieve it - You have to figure out what small things you need to change in order to change the big thing. It's one step at a time, and it won't happen in a day!

• What You Need to Meet Them - You may need certain items or people in order to complete the tasks to meet your goal. If so, you probably want to get these things beforehand so you can start working your way towards achievement.

• Your Game Plan - You have your goal, your necessary items, and your plan. So how are you going to go about meeting your goal? You have to know what you're going to do before you start doing it, you know?

Now that you know exactly how we're going to go about this, let me show you what I'm really talking about. For example:

Lose Weight → Go to the Gym Regularly → A Set Time and Place, an Accountability Partner, A Fitness Plan → Attend Fitness Classes Four Times a Week, Get a Friend to go With You, Track Your Progress

One of the most important things you can do to help you meet your goals is to pray for them! There is nothing that Christ can't do for you or help you do. He is, after all, the Almighty God! He is above all things, especially above any struggle or hardship you may face while trying to change an aspect of your life.

Phillipians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Ephesians 4:22-24 - "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitudes of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Proverbs 23:18 - "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."

My last piece of wisdom for you is this: don't give up! It's so easy to just quit when things get rough and say, "Well, at least I tried." Stay faithful! You'll be so proud and so happy when you finally accomplish the goal you've been working on for so long. (And trust me, I'm in the same boat you are. Preaching to the choir here!)

I truly hope something in this article has helped you or inspired you in any way, and good luck working on those resolutions! Happy New Year!

Image Source: https://unsplash.com/@chadmadden?photo=e6_96LXv2mE

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