Routinely at this time of year, countless numbers of us expectantly embark on some New Year’s resolution…only to find our good intentions undermined later by our inability to follow through.

Every New Year, like clockwork, thousands sign up for memberships at the gym. They begin with full intent to visit the gym regularly and watch the weight come off and the muscles bulk up. But by April or May, their numbers have dwindled abysmally!

Chances are we must all reluctantly admit to having made New Year’s resolutions to start, stop, or finish something, only to see them crushed under the weight of a busy life or dry up due to neglect.

what you accomplish is secondary to who you become in the processOur past failures may discourage us from making new resolutions. But we can’t get around the fact that January 1st marks more than the beginning of a new year. It also offers a fresh start. There’s motivation in that…if we can follow through!

Question:

If you were to make one New Year’s resolution that would significantly improve your life and/or someone else’s life and you were guaranteed success, what would that resolution be?

Now, I can’t guarantee you success, but with faith, good planning, hard work and perseverance, your chances of success are very high. Think of what you could accomplish if you really followed through with your New Year’s resolution this year!

I believe the primary reason so many of our New Year’s resolutions fail is because they lack staying power. What is staying power?

7 Tips for a New Year’s Resolution with Staying Power

1. A goal with staying power begins with prayerful reflection.

Give careful reflective thought to what you want to accomplish. Consider your stage of life. What are your primary motivations in life? Who or what are you living for? What are your personal values? In what ways has God gifted and equipped you? How might you serve others in this coming year? What brings you the most life-fulfilling joy?

2. A goal with staying power impacts your character.

What you accomplish is secondary to who you’re becoming in the process. Click to Tweet.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? What is your one greatest character flaw? What one character trait would you like to improve on this year? Who will you engage to help you correct this flaw? How else will you bring about the improvement you desire?

3. A goal with staying power benefits others.

Purely self-serving pursuits may fail. Goals that only serve self could be noble, but may yield to the needs of others. What needs of others really stir your sense of compassion? Also, this tip can be tricky. For example, taking care of your health, may seem to be self-serving, but in the long-term it benefits your spouse and all who love you. In addition, by taking care of your body you provide others with a strong example to follow.

4. A goal with staying power enhances relationships.

Choose a goal that will build relationships with others. In the process, what relationships need to be repaired? Whom do you need to forgive? To what extent is the crowd you spend time with helping you become a better person? Who is your confidant?

5. A goal with staying power must be lofty.

What one tangible goal would you like to accomplish this year that is really worth pursuing? What have you been yearning to accomplish for a long time, but just haven’t gotten around to doing? Be sure this goal is specific and achievable. By what measures will you know that you’ve attained it? How will it benefit your life and that of others?

6. A goal with staying power enlists the help of others.

We rarely accomplish anything of real value apart from the assistance of others. Click to Tweet.

we rarely accomplish anything of real value apart from the assistance of othersWho can you enlist to help you accomplish this goal? Also, telling someone else our plan is key to following through with it. Meet with a confidant and go over your goal. They will help keep you accountable and may be able to assist you in reaching your goals.

7. A goal with staying power casts vision.

What is it about this goal that makes failure absolutely unacceptable? Visualize yourself attaining this goal. With the goal accomplished, how will you feel? What will it do for you and others? With the vision of its completion before you, what steps can you take to see it through?

A goal with staying power may not meet all 7 of the criteria listed above, but the more the better.

What if making a New Year’s resolution was different this year? It really is up to us. What if you and I made some well-conceived resolutions with staying power? Consider some examples concerning health:

Whatever your goal, as the New Year begins, make a resolution with staying power!

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Rob_FischerRob Fischer has been writing professionally for over 35 years. His experience includes writing curricula, study guides, articles, blogs, newsletters, manuals, workbooks, training courses, workshops, and books. Rob has written for numerous churches, for Burlington Northern Railroad, Kaiser Aluminum, and Barton Publishing. He has also trained managers in effective business writing. Rob holds two Master’s degrees, both focused heavily on writing. Rob has published eleven books and serves as an editor and ghostwriter for other authors.

 

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