Check These 3 Things Before Making New Year Resolutions

New Year often becomes a time for resolutions. Why? Because many people see the arrival of a new year as a chance new, to start over. There is hope and dreams, that what was not achieved in the previous year will be achieved in the following year.

Are resolutions useful? Yes. A study in 2002 showed that 46% of people who make resolutions will be more successful in their lives, compared to 4% of people without resolutions. However, before making plans for the new year, it is good for us to understand what we want to achieve. 

If you still do not know for sure what resolution you want to pursue, the following 3 questions can serve as a guide.

Think About These 3 Things Before Making Resolutions

1. What Good Things Do I Need to Continue?

Throughout this past year, of course we have done and completed many things. They may be big or small, such as finishing a major project or simply cleaning a room that has been messy for a long time. Or, over this past year, we have developed some good character traits, such as communicating gently, loving, being punctual, or more patient.  

Well, these good things are what we need to carry on into this year. Perhaps you can even set an even better goal. For example, this year you have been regularly praying every day, but you have not yet been regular in reading the Bible. This year, you can make a resolution to be consistent in prayer and also daily quiet time. 

What good things have we already done? Let us evaluate, write them down, and carry them on into the coming year. For example, about focus. I learned to set deadlines when doing something. Over time, it became a habit and I continued it day by day. I know this is good, so I am determined that it must be there in the following year.

We can also begin by getting to know ourselves. What are our strengths ? For example, you may have strengths in organizing, drawing, or teaching. You can make a resolution to sharpen those abilities. Why? Because God wants us to develop the talents God has already given us (Romans 12:7-8). He also wants us to become God's fellow workers by doing good works. 

As it is written in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand. He wants us to walk in them.” As God's creation, it is only fitting for us to keep doing and developing what is good in our lives.

Let us not grow weary of doing good, because when the time comes, we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

2. What Less-Than-Good Things Do I Need to Stop?

Not only strengths, we certainly also have weaknesses. We also need to consider bad habits or weaknesses that need to be corrected. 

Do you find it difficult to see the bad things in yourself? As human beings, it is easy for us to see other people's faults more than our own. It may also be that, for various reasons, we keep justifying ourselves and blaming circumstances and other people. We also have blind spots or bad things that we do not realize. 

To deal with this, we can ask those closest to us about the weaknesses and things we need to change. In order to change, everything begins with self-awareness first. Without self-awareness and without serious effort, those bad habits will keep following us. 

Admitting and evaluating ourselves is clearly not easy, but it will surely bear sweet fruit.

Try to think about what things you must stop for your own good. Is it smoking? Drinking alcohol? Sleeping too late? Being wasteful and having no savings? Being lazy to exercise? Often arriving late? Often thinking negatively? Rarely having quiet time? Not coming to worship gatherings? Often wasting time unproductively by playing games, watching, being on social-media (social media) until you lose track of time?

Let us leave behind bad things and become new people in the new year, in accordance with God's will. 

That, in regard to your former way of life, you must put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, so that you may be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, which has been created according to God's will in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24

3. What Do I Need to Practice?

Related to the previous point number 2, this is something we can establish to deal with weaknesses and shortcomings. It is not enough just to stop bad traits; we also need to practice and build good traits in their place.

We need to be able to distinguish between practice and simply doing. Practice or training is something done over the long term, not just once or twice. Like an athlete who is going to enter a competition, he will train seriously every day. When he fails, the next day he will try and try again, until he succeeds.

What are the things we can practice? We replace often being late with being punctual. Liking fried foods is replaced with eating healthy. Being sullen is replaced with smiling readily. Bitterness we replace with forgiving. And there is much more we can build.

In addition, according to our interests and needs, we can also discover things we can practice. For example, if we want to lose weight, we can begin to train ourselves to exercise and discipline in eating. Or, if we want to master a skill or new ability, we can go deeper by attending seminars or courses. 

Therefore I do not run aimlessly, nor am I a boxer who just throws punches carelessly. But I discipline my body and bring it fully under control, so that after preaching the gospel to others, I myself will not be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 

Plan Ahead!

Fail to plan = plan to fail. 

Not planning is the same as planning to fail. However, before making plans, we need to explore ourselves by asking the three questions above: what good things need to be continued, what bad things need to be stopped, and what things we need to practice.

By knowing these things, surely we can make better and more focused resolutions. After making a plan, it is far more important for us to do what we have planned. Be encouraged!

Plan ahead, and have a good year!

Reference: www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11920693/ -  Related Articles:

• This Year's Resolution: Start Strong, Finish Strong
• Read the Bible, a Simple Resolution That Will Change Your Life!
• Fan the Flame of Life: Find Strength in Weakness
• Self-Evaluation, Why Is It Necessary and How Do We Do It?
• Rise from Failure with God

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