New Years resolutions can either be invigorating or depressing. If you look at the last year or even several years and think to yourself, “I just can’t seem to keep any of my resolutions” then perhaps you’ve decided this year to not make any resolutions, or goals so that you don’t have to feel bad about not keeping them.
A resolution is nothing more than a promise you are making to yourself. Here are a few things that may help you when trying to mold your future…
1. Only make goals that you have control over.
Don’t make any resolutions or goals or promises where the outcome depends on other people or circumstances that are beyond your control. Only make goals that are dependent on you. Instead of saying “I’m going to make X amount of money this year” say “I’m going to measure my success by what I get done rather than how many hours I worked” or something else that you can control.
2. Find a middle ground.
Don’t shoot for the stars, and also, don’t shoot for the floor. Find goals that are attainable, but also are a challenge. Pie in the sky goals will get you depressed fast as the mountain just may be too high to climb at this point in your life. Conversely, if you make resolutions that don’t inspire you, they won’t really mean anything in the end.
3. Create milestones and accountability
Regular milestones can help keep your resolutions in the front of your mind. If you know that you’ve promised yourself to step on the scale every morning, you will be reminded to make better eating choices that day, because you will be accountable to the scale the next day as well. This will greatly enhance your ability to keep your resolutions.
4. Create a consolation prize
One of the problems with New Year’s resolutions is that if you are not exactly perfect with them, the first time you make a mistake, you lose all hope and then just stop moving forward all together. Another option is to give yourself three outcomes. One high, another medium, and another low. All three should be challenging, but if you don’t hit the high, you can still hit the medium or even exceed it and consider yourself a success.
5. Lastly and most important, call on power beyond your own.
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi was commanded to build a ship by the Lord. He had no experience in ship building and really had no idea how to go about it. But Nephi had the faith that if the Lord commanded him to do something, the Lord would provide a way for it to be accomplished. Nephi understood that in the end, it was the Lords power that provides the real miracle in our lives. If we put our faith in God, ask for His help, and then go to work on what we know He has commanded us to do, He will move mountains and even part seas to help us fulfill His commandments.
Nephi said:
1 Nephi 3:7
7And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Nephi understood that God is the one that prepares the way and gives us the power to accomplish even His will. Our part is just to have faith enough to act upon His commands and stay the course.
When Nephi’s brothers mocked him for trying to build a ship he said:
1 Nephi 17:50-51
50And I said unto them: aIf God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.
51And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot ainstruct me, that I should build a ship?
In the scenario described here by Nephi, it wasn’t Nephi who changes the water into earth, rather it was the Lord.
It is my testimony that God can do the same miracles in each of our own lives. He can turn our water into earth. He can change our very hearts and minds to be fit for His kingdom. But we must be willing to show faith enough to act upon His commandments and stay the course through all the trials that come after that. If we do, He will help use accomplish infinitely more than we could ever resolve to do on our own.
So this year, don’t shy away from creating new goals for your life, you have a power beyond all other on your side.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.