ABC’s To Successful New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year brings a wonderful feeling. It signifies a new beginning and a fresh start. It is an opportunity to make serious changes. It is the closest chance we have to a “reset button.” No wonder New Year’s Resolutions are so popular. We want to do things better. We want to make better decisions. We want to make life-altering changes. No time is more inspiring to do so than the New Year.

Unfortunately, resolutions are easier said than done. Breaking old habits fashioned by years of repetition are not easy changed. We all want this year’s resolutions to stick and to become our new way of life. So, here are some ABC’s to help make our New Year’s Resolutions successful.

Accept Responsibility (Galatians 6:4-5; Matthew 12:36). If we truly want to make changes, then we must accept responsibility for ourselves. Have we developed bad habits? Have sins crept into our lives? Do we just want to make improvements? Then let’s accept responsibility for any bad qualities we’ve formed, face them head on, and commit to make changes!

Believe You Can Change. We’ve all felt that sense of hopelessness when we failed to break a habit.   The deeper the roots of a habit grow, the more hopeless change seems. This is especially true of people who struggle with addiction. The good news is, we can change! We are stronger than we think we are! We can control our minds and bodies (2 Peter 1:5-9; 1 Corinthians 9:26-27). We can escape from sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). Believe in yourself and lean on the Lord for help!

Clarify What Is Important. Sure, losing weight and eating better are great resolutions (they are on my list this year too). These are only so important though. We need to clarify what is truly important for our lives. Paul said it this way, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Don’t let the most essential changes be absent from this year’s resolutions. Make sure the eternally important goals are at the top of the list!

Do It With All Your Might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Make clear and specific resolutions. Have a way to measure success along the way. Have a plan in place. Work hard. Push towards these goals with everything you have. Don’t let yourself forget about your resolutions. Write them down and keep them in a place where you will see them several times every day. Do whatever it takes to fulfill your goals!

There is no reason 2023 can’t be a life changing year. This can be the year we look back on as the turning point. It’s within our grasp. No matter what roadblocks come or challenges we face, we can improve ourselves, we can make our relationships with others better, and most importantly, we can make our spiritual lives better (James 4:8). May this year bring happiness, success, and above all, spiritual growth!