Making New Years Resolutions that Work

New Year's Eve already! And time to think about those resolutions again. It seems that we always either break our New Year’s Resolutions or just plain forget about them. Why do they not work?

I think one reason is that we make them too vague. Something like: Be a better wife. Help my kids more. Read more.  Improve my spiritual life.

Part of the trouble with vague resolutions is that we never really know if we’ve accomplished it or not. How do you measure “better” or “more”?

Here’s a suggestion for making a resolution that you can keep: get specific. Start with a general issue, but then get specific in just how you will do this.

Here’s an example. Start with one issue you’d like to improve, and continue to get specific until you reach an obtainable and measureable goal. Suppose I want to help my kids more.  Here’s what my progressively specific list might look like:

Help my kids more

Communicate more with them

Call each of them once a week

Ask each of them one area they would like prayer for

Pray for the requested area

Pray for the requested area every day.

Pray for the requested area every day at 9 p.m.

As I get more specific, I reach an obtainable and measureable goal. If I cannot obtain it, what's the use? If I cannot measure it, how will I know whether or not I reach it?

You can do it with a project you would like to do too. Suppose I’d like to finish writing my book. I’d make another list.

Finish writing my book.

Writing one chapter a week

Work on the chapter every evening

Work on the chapter every evening at 8 p.m.

Finally, above all, take it to the Lord in prayer. He's the One who gives us strength and discipline to make changes.

How about you? What one thing would you like to accomplish or improve upon in 2014? Now give us your list! And many blessings upon you for 2014!