4 Ways to Keep Your New Years Resolutions

It's the first day of the new year and as usual there is talk everywhere of New Years Resolutions. For most of my life, I haven't been big on them. Mostly because I haven't done very well at keeping them in the past. The same seems to be true for many people I talk to.

Resolutions seems to be a word with negative connotations. Often speaking of something we make with good intentions, but fail to keep. And that can be depressing.

But what if you could make resolutions that you actually keep this year?

Resolutions you would realize you kept for 12 months when we get to the end of 2013.

It's possible. There are things you can do to make keeping your New Years Resolutions possible.

I usually call them goals, not resolutions. But they really could be called resolutions. And by doing what I'm going to share, I do often keep them.


1. Be realistic

You can't make drastic changes in a short period of time it's probably not going to work. You have to make changes in small increments. If it's manageable, you have a much better chance of being able to keep it.

If you want get in better shape, you can't go from nothing to hours every week at the gym. You need to set goals that are more realistic than that. Start with something shorter and consistent. Then increase it over time.

The same principle is true of anything you want to change.


2. Make them measurable

You have to be specific. Just saying you are going to do something more or less isn't enough. Set specifics for how many times a week and how long.

For example, if you want to memorize Scripture this year. Choose a specific number of verses you want to memorize and how often you want to start memorizing a new verse. Such as memorizing one verse every two weeks. It makes it easier to stick to it.


3. Set up accountability

If someone else knows about it, you're more likely to keep it. Tell a few people who are close to you and ask them to ask you how it's going on a regular basis. Knowing someone else is going to ask you about it, can motivate you to keep going, or to start again when life seems to get in the way.


4. Pray

This one is the most important. Pray about them before you make them. Pray while you're living them out.

Some changes we want or need to make in our lives aren't ones we can do completely in our own strength. We need God's help. So we need to pray about them.



The most important lesson I've learned about making and keeping New Years Resolutions in that you must be flexible. Sometimes we make a resolution that seems right and good in January, might not be right and good in July.

We have to be willing to allow them to change with how life changes. If something changes in our lives that requires one of our resolutions to be altered, it doesn't mean we've failed to keep them. It just means we need to alter them a bit to fit our life circumstances better.

Looking Back

It seems like the end of the calendar year is a time where we look back at where we've been in the last year, and also to look forward to what is coming in the next year. There's something about the change in how we write the date that causes me (and maybe you) to think.

The last couple of days have had me thinking about the last year of writing on this blog. I've been writing for 5 years here. I didn't realize it had been that long.

This year: I wrote more than I have before. I reached the milestones of 300 posts, then 400. I never thought I would get to that point.

I wrote some of my favourite posts this year (you can find those ones here, here, here, here and here). I wrote posts I never thought I would write and actually post for others to read. I even attempted some poetry that I've shared (you can find those ones here and here).

Some other posts were favourites of those of you who read this blog. (The 3 most read posts from the last calendar year can be found here, here and here.)

I don't know what the future holds for my blog. I know I want to keep writing. I'll see where things go with the coming year.

I went back and read the first post I put on here. I wrote about service and the impact that it can have on our lives as we serve and on the lives of those we serve. Every word I wrote in that post is as true to me today as the day I wrote it. So much has changed for me since then, and yet so much is still the same.

I don't think I've written a post like this before, but I've often taken the time to look back at things I've written on my blog. It's always interesting to me to do so, but I've always wondered if it would be for anyone else.

God Still Speaks

Once again, this post comes from an experience a few years ago, that God is using now to teach and remind me of things...

I pulled a piece of paper out of my mail slot at church on my way to find a seat. Once I was seated, I began to read it.

Women Connecting. Women's Bible studies on Monday nights.

"Well, I won't be going to that," was my first thought.

I mean, I was honestly only in church that Saturday night because it was a habit. After all that had happened in the last year, I wasn't sure I wanted to believe in God anymore.

I read the bulletin I'd been given at the door to the sanctuary. There was still a few more minutes before the service started, so I started reading the paper about the women's Bible studies.

I had no intention of going, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to read it.

Three different choices for studies. I read the first two. Your typical Bible studies.

Then I read the title for the third one: "Believing God."

As soon as I finished reading the description, I was sure I heard an audible voice, "You need to go to that one."

I looked around quickly, but no one was paying attention to me, so I must have been the only one who heard it. It was pretty clear now that it was God talking to me.

An argument began in my head: "Why would I go to a Bible study if I'm not sure I want to believe in God anymore? And why would I go to that one? I'm not going to go. No way!"

As usually happens, God won the argument and at the end of the service I walked over to where I could register for a study and signed up for it.

Fast forward two days . . .

It's Monday night and I pull my car into the parking lot. I'm not convinced I'm actually going to go yet. I turn off my car, but I don't get out.

I just sit and watch other ladies going into the church. If I wait long enough, maybe it will too late to go in.

But I can't seem to shake this feeling that I have to go in. Finally, I grab my Bible and get out of my car. I walk in and pick up my workbook.

As I begin looking for a place to sit, I tell God I'm not staying if I can't find someone I know to sit with. Across the room I notice someone waving at me.

A friend calling me over to her table.

I guess I'm staying.

Things get started. Some announcements. Some worship. Then everyone heads to the study they signed up for.

My friend signed up for the same study as me, I guess I really have to stay now.

Some information about the study we're in. Then the video teaching starts.

I can't stop listening. I don't want to take it all in, but that's all I can do. It's getting right to where I'm at - to the questions and struggles I'm having.

I guess this is where I need to be. I'll be coming back next week and every week to come.


When I look back on this, I'm amazed at how God speaks even when we stubbornly try to ignore Him. And how He will speak to someone who isn't sure they want to believe in Him anymore.

God knew I had just enough belief left to get me to the Bible study. And that's all I needed.

I just needed to get there, because once I was there, I heard what I needed to hear. I began again a journey of believing in God and believing what God says.

It really is amazing to me how God cares so much about a person who is struggling that He would go to any lengths necessary to draw them back. That's pretty cool! What a reminder of both he vastness and the personal nature of God's love.