Friday January 13, 2016

 

Most of us are ready for the New Year. We are ready for new hopes and the expectation of better things to come. What is interesting is that most of us felt the same way last year and the year before that. Each year we start enthusiastically with new resolutions and expectations only to have these fade in just 30 days and by year’s end to become nothing more than a faded memory at best. Statistics show that 40% of us will abandon our resolutions by the end of January, 60% by the end of summer, and 92% by the time the New Year ends. More than likely the reason most of us are ready for the New Year is because many of us are part of these statistics. In reality, it should be that by the end of the year we are better off than we were at the beginning.

 

The end of a matter is better than its beginning. – Ecclesiastes 7:8 NIV

The reason people are unable to see their resolutions to completion, is because resolutions in and of themselves are not enough. In order for resolutions to become a reality, we must create a plan and set goals. A resolution without a plan is like driving to a place you have never been without directions. Whereas resolutions give us a mental and emotional image of where we want to go, the plan is the map that will allow us to get there.

 

Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

– Proverbs 21:5 MSG

Most people begin the year with great ideas and sincere convictions. However, it is through careful planning that those ideas and convictions become a reality; when our resolutions lack planning, instead of getting ahead, we actually fall behind.

 

Creating a plan for 2017

In which areas of your life do you want to improve and how?
In essence, our resolutions are a vision of what our lives could and perhaps should be. They enable us to honestly gauge where we are in any area of our lives and envision where we should be. Before you create a plan, you must have a vision.

 

Study and learn.
What ever it is that you seek to achieve this year, chances are that someone else has already achieved it. There is no shame in learning from those who have succeeded in the area in which you want to succeed. Remember, if you do not have a plan, you are only going to fall farther behind this year. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance. – Proverbs 1:5

 

Share your plans with someone you trust.
Ask someone you trust to hold you accountable. We always perform better when we know that someone is watching. If we get discouraged, they are there to lift us up. Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 

Pray, pray, and pray.
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 NLT

We can create the best plans, but it is God who helps us to achieve them. Nothing will fuel your New Year’s resolutions and help you to finish what you started more than prayer.

 

Remember and praise.
Remember where you came from, what you have been through, and what God has done in your life. Remember where you are headed and who you need to become. More importantly, remember who you are in Christ Jesus. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalms 103:2-5 NIV