It's a "newborn" year

               It's a "newborn" year   

                                   Shutterstock. com

It's kind of amusing to me when I  hear people recite all they have planned to do this new year.

Whilst pondering over some of the reasons why majority of people who make resolutions fail to keep them, it just came to mind a lesson I learned during a Bible Studies class at high school. Now this was about the cycle of sin during the period of the judges in Israel: the children of Israel fall into sin and idolatry- israel is enslaved -israel cries to the Lord -God raises a judge (deliverer) -Israel is delivered -Israel serves the Lord -then Israel fall into sin and idolatry again. In fact it went on and on as many times as the number of judges they had.

The lesson is this: it seems like the majority of people who cannot keep resolutions behave similarly. Last two years or last year, they made resolutions and couldn't keep them. This year too the have their resolution goals and will not be able to achieve or follow through with them. Next year God willing, they will make resolutions. They will actually follow for a very short time and get back to their former situation.It becomes like a  cycle. It should not be so.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION (GOALS).

New year resolution is all about a person resolving a firm decision to continue in positive lifestyles, to accomplish a personal goal or improve their lives.

 Or  to change certain undesirable ,negative habits, behaviors or practices

Several surveys have proven time and again that more than half of a percent of people do not make new year resolutions.

And then also, the less number of people who make new year resolutions, more than half of them do not keep their resolutions. They fail to keep them even before the year comes to end. A survey carried out in 2007 by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions failed, despite the fact that 52% of the study’s participants were confident of success at the beginning. At the end of the year, only 12% actually achieved their goal (Richard Wiseman, 2007)

According to a survey by Statista, only four percent of people who made New Year's resolutions in 2018 said they kept them.l

Many people will readily admit that they have good reasons for not making new year resolutions, including their inability to keep them. Not making resolutions at all will definitely not solve the problems.

But rather making resolutions is a good way to begin the new year. It's just like the habit of goal setting;
https://kasukose.blogspot.com/2017/11/self-discipline-and-goalssetting.html?m=1 

Note: Resolutions are not made with mouth only unless they are only wishes. Don’t make a fervent wish on new year's eve (Dec. 31st night). Resolutions are to be written down and reviewed as many times as possible to keep one focused.

• The most common resolutions are: losing weight, doing more exercise, quitting smoking and saving money, get more serious about establishing a career,pay off debts, eat healthy, save for retirement, or visit parents at home often. All these are good. However, I suggest in order not to have too many things to be written down, one could classify his or her resolutions  in terms of;
• Academic
• Health
• Work /career
• Relationships
• Spiritual

The main reasons why people don't stick to their new year resolutions are;

•  that they set too many goals that are unrealistic to achieve. 
• that there are false hopes about how fast and easy the consequences of the change in behavior will be. Real change in behavior is hard.
• These few steps I suggest will help :

1. Set practical goals. It should be real resolutions that you can keep. You know certainly  that you can't just stop that attitude at a sudden or you can achieve that goal overnight. So you begin gradual and not in a haste.

2. Do one thing at a time. It's not the best to 'have too many irons in fire'. Get one resolution under your control before moving to another one. Develop interest in getting them done one after the other.

3. Change your company. I mean your friendly relationships if they are not going to help keep your resolutions. In essence, the behavior should be changed with others. You cannot change a behavior when the close friend you walk with is still in that old habit. The Bible warns, '³³ Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”- (1st Cor 15:33).

4. Be determined. Do not give up on especially undesired behaviors you have resolved to end. No matter what, do not compromise today and stand your grounds tomorrow. Be consistent and persistent. Some people require radical conditions to help them change. Be careful it is not radical enough to affect your health or peace. Do not limit yourself. 

5.Be self-disciplined

6. Change in your environment. If it's possible then change your environment. It provides fresh energy and training grounds. Change in your environment reduces your 'stumbling blocks'.

• Finally, learn to accept lapses. Meaning sometimes you may do well other times too you may fail. When you fail to keep a resolution, accept it,  forgive yourself and plan again to conquer it. This is especially to those who want to stop habits like, (binge) drinking, smoking, lateness, procrastination. Do not be too guilty that you are even discouraged to continue. Accept that it's part of the learning process. 

If you have difficulty knowing where to start your resolutions from, you may ask yourself the following questions:

• What did I do that I shouldn’t have done?
• What did I spend a lot of time on? Was it a priority? 
• What didn’t I do that I should have done?
• What is the most important thing I did this immediate past year to help someone else?
• What did I do this year that helped me grow more than anything else?
• Where do I need to be more intentional?
• How can I take things to the next level?

If the idea of new year resolutions scares you, start with daily resolutions:

• Make daily goals
• Get daily goals
• Make daily continuous improvement
• Be accountable daily
• Reward yourself daily
• Audit your relationships daily
• Make personal development a daily affair
• Set daily boundaries

Spiritual Goals as part of your new year resolutions:

Your relationship with the source that sustains you, God. If we first think of resolving to have a better relationship with God and to render ourselves as instruments for accomplishing His task, the change we seek towards other aspects of our lives will follow easily.

2Cor 13:5

5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified*

Lamentations 3:40

Let us examine and probe our ways,

And let us return to the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

Galatians 6:4

But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. No wonder, Paul wrote all but expect one of the above verses.

Paul taught us the importance of spiritual goal setting: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".

Paul achieved his goal:  7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

And I quote from one writer "If you think this all sounds like too much hard work and that it’s not worth making resolutions to begin with, bear in mind that people who make New Year’s resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t" People really can succeed with their New year's resolution. It's possible. 

Wishing you a happy, commemoratory and promising new year. 

Continue to visit: kasukose.blogspot.com

Shutterstock.com