Hello everyone! Hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year in 2020. I assume everyone is crushing their new year resolutions right? I spent some time in prayer at the beginning of the year about my goals. If you haven’t, I think you should. I believe 2020 is going to be a big year! I have high expectations of what God is going to do in my life this year. I believe the breakthrough is going to happen. I believe God is going to restore my health. I believe I will WALK. I believe God is going to use me beyond what I can imagine. I believe that God is going to grow me and transform me into the character he has had planned for me all along. This year I made a goal to wait expectantly. Not to sit around think and wish, but to hope and know that God is going to do something new. To wait with high expectations.
Isaiah 43:19 “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
I did some research and I found that about 65% of people make resolutions at the beginning of the year. Then, between January 12th and the 17th, 80% of those people’s resolutions fail. The majority of new year resolutions don’t even last three weeks. Why? Research says there are 4 main reasons why people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Whether it is eating healthier, exercising more, reading more of your bible, budgeting better, or spending less time on social media, I’ll give some tips on how to keep your resolutions alive.
Your goals aren’t clear. This is the number one reason why people give up on their resolutions. Where are your goals coming from? Why are they important to you? How would your life be changed by achieving these goals? If you can’t answer these questions easily then you may need to clarify your goals before you set them. The most important part of setting goals is aligning the goals with who you are and where you want to be. Seek God’s wisdom first and be precise with your goals.
“Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33.
The next reason people quit on their resolutions is they feel overwhelmed. They start at the first of the year, but as they change it gets hard. It takes twenty-one days to create a habit. So, the first couple weeks it may be hard to get out of bed thirty minutes early to work out. If you’re like me, it may be hard to resist that extra Reece’s. Or, it may be hard not to click ‘purchase now’ on that Amazon account. At the beginning, you may not know where to start with your goals, but you also may feel pressured to hurry up and change. Then, the more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it gets to overcome. You see the long road ahead and it may cause you to feel as though it’s impossible. These factors may cause you to quit early or quit before you even start.
If these pressures start to attack you remember: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
The third reason people quit is they get discouraged. People become impatient in the process of changing. They strive to reach their goals but get frustrated when they don’t see progress or see change as fast as they would like. I can relate to this as I strive to get my legs back, working out tirelessly day in and day out. When I put the effort in and don’t see progress like I think I should it gets frustrating. When we get to this fork in the road we have two choices. We can either dust ourselves off, get up, and keep moving. Or we can remain comfortable, give in, and give up on where we want to be. For me I want to walk so I choose to trust in the Lord and his plan for my life. Even when it’s hard I put my hope and trust in the Lord.
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
Lastly, people quit because they really aren’t ready to change. Growing pains may be to daunting. If you are considering goals for yourself you obviously are hungry for some level of change but are you ready to carry out the actions required to actually change? If you don’t ask yourself what, when, where, why, and how, it may cause you to lack asking yourself if you are truly ready to change. If you can make a plan, be precise, and be motivated to start changing then you will be more apt to carry through with the goals you have set. Goal setting takes preparation. Make a plan, be specific, and mentally get ready to do whatever it takes to reach your God given goals.
Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is pleasing and perfect.”
So, whether you have started and quit on your resolutions, have been teeter-tottering on the fence about starting, or keep putting off any goal setting at all be encouraged… Tomorrow is a new day. The day the Lord has made. It isn’t too late to start or start over. Every morning we wake up we have choices. The choice is yours. So, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, choose joy, and NEVER GIVE UP! Let God do something new in your life.
