It happens this time every year. A hundred million plus people commit themselves to making certain changes to either their weight, character, or even their quality of life. They resolve to adjust their focus and to alter their current lifestyle in order to meet their own unique expectations. Unfortunately, very few people actually ever stick to and achieve their goals. A quick Google search on “how many new year’s resolutions fail” reveals that a whopping 91% of all new year’s resolutions are never fully accomplished.

ANTI-DONUT RESOLUTIONS

I remember when I worked at Krispy Kreme a few years ago. Business was booming. Lines were constant and the donut belt almost never stopped. There were few times when I would actually get a moment to catch my breath, but one time in particular stuck out to me like a sore thumb. It was the end of the first week of January and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse! Don’t worry! There were never any mice! 

Anyway, I asked my boss why it was so uncharacteristically slow and he told me that every year it’s the same routine – people make these absurd anti-donut resolutions and by the end of the third week they have all but completely fallen back into temptation. And, just like clockwork, that is exactly what took place! By January 21st, the normal numbers were back and business picked up right where it left off.

SO WHY DO SO MANY RESOLUTIONS FAIL?

There are many reasons for why, after a few days or weeks, we choose [yes, choose] not to follow through on what we had resolved to do. Some of it boils down to us having made an unrealistic set of goals like, “I don’t normally read, but this year I’m resolving to read over one hundred books!” Now, that’s meant to be funny, but it is also not too far from the reality of resolutions made. Our folly is in thinking that we can go from zero to sixty simply because the year’s number changed, but this is not the case.

Another reason for why resolutions tend to fail is because reality sets in and, upon doing the math, you realize two weeks into the new year that you haven’t even finished the first book. This feeling of discouragement quickly sprouts a defeated mindset which leads someone to give up altogether…even though they had already read ninety-six pages more than all of last year combined. 

WHAT MUST I DO TO SUCCEED?

Here are a few helpful tips to ensure success for all you New Year’s Resolutioners out there:

1. Pray about this and ask the God’s Spirit to guide you in areas needing growth.

2. Write down some realistically achievable goals. Set the bar high so that you have to stretch to reach so that you grow, but don’t make it impossible to grab onto.

3. Think through and write down certain habits you must create or sustain if you are to meet your goal. For example: I am going to read for fifteen minutes every weekday after dinner and I am not going to feel pressured to finish the chapter if I happen to be somewhere in the middle.

4. Tell someone about your goal(s) and ask them to hold you accountable. This gives others the opportunity to encourage you toward your goal as they periodically check in with you to see how it’s going.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST

Jesus said in Matthew 5:37 to let your yes be yes and your no be no. Basically, stick to what you say and follow through with what you resolve to do. Jesus did/does and our ultimate lifelong resolution should be to become more like Him in every way.

Cameron Neace is the Senior Pastor of FBC Kahoka. He and his wife, Caitlin, and their two cats, Pierogi and Poptart, have called Kahoka home since February 2022. In his free time, Cameron enjoys playing board games and writing.