A Promise to Keep: New Year's Resolution Clues- 2010



Since 2010 is right around the corner, I want to get a bit proactive in giving you some clues on how to make effective new year’s resolution. A New year’s resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, a or lifestyle. While this change is geared to positive results the problem is that most good intentions get derailed within a few weeks. Do you know why most people don’t keep their New Years' resolutions? Because the resolutions are not attainable. The hardest part of a New Year's resolution is choosing one, not keeping it.


I have a friend of mine who every year resolves to loose weight but instead he gains weight. As many of you read this article, it is my belief that you are making plans to make New Year’s resolutions. Have you considered this year as the year you make good attainable and measurable resolution? What are the areas you want to focus on?Whether your goal is to lose or gain weight, exercise regularly or stop smoking, become a good dad or mom, attend church more regularly, work hard or do something you have dreamed about for many years, make sure that your resolutions are attainable. If in the previous years you have made resolutions that you never accomplished, you may need to try something different.You may need to write them down and prioritize them according to agency. If your resolution is to loss weight, are you watching your diet or you are only focusing on exercises? Are you focusing on going to the GMY every day of the week? This may not be attainable. If you set the bar too high, you’re doomed from the start.


The only problem I found with my friend who wanted to lose weight was that he had other resolutions he had made. I encourage that you make at least one that is more pressing and concentrate on it.As said earlier in this article, the most difficult part of new year’s resolution is making one. A friend of mine told me that his new year’s resolution is “not to make any resolution for the year 2010”. Is this attainable? Yes, if he is not going to set goals for year 2010. I

later learnt that my friend had made many goals in the years past, and none of his goals has come to fruition.I would encourage my readers not to make resolutions if they think they’re not going to keep them, because what that does is; it sets you up for failure in the future. A few years ago I made a resolution to know God and follow him closely, and uh, I thought this would shape the rest of my resolutions I may want to make and attain.From a pastoral note, I want to encourage you as you make your resolutions for the year 2010 with the words of Apostle Paul:The word of God is always helping the renewed mind, possibly engaging in a battle with the desire to pass positive attainable New Year’s Resolution. Therefore, as we consider setting resolutions to improve our lives and the lives of those we love, for this coming year 2010, let us consider our walk with Christ as something that can help us in our struggle to make the best out of our resolutions.

Apostle Paul honestly admitted that he was struggling in certain areas, just like some of us today. Paul says, “I know the law but…can’t keep it…sin…keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I…need help…I decide to do good, but…My decisions…don’t result in actions. Something…gets the better of me every time” (Rom 7:17-20)”

Praise God for Paul from the rest of us who mistakenly think that once they are Christians there would be no more struggles! Then he goes on to say, “Consider yourself dead to sin” (Rom 6:11); “Just as Christ was raised from the dead…we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). Paul didn’t quit focusing on attaining his life’s goals. I would ask genuine Christians why should we quite our goals in the second week of the year? In setting your resolutions, have you considered God as you helper?

Instead of struggling to change what cannot be changed, let God’s transforming power sweep through our lives, wash our hearts and renew our spirits. We must simply accept that the coming year 2010 shall be a year of accomplishments if we invite God to be our partner in attaining the goals we set.