New Year's Resolutions, New Habits, Life Vision Statements, and Simple, Achievable Life Plans: Five Articles

4 New Year’s Resolutions You Should Consider!

It’s inevitable and universal, as soon as Christmas winds down and December 31 appears on our phones, we all face a new year with new opportunities. Many are resolving to lose weight or gain greater income or set some other goal, typically requiring will power and time management skills — both of which often fade within a few weeks.

If God were writing our resolutions, what do you think He would come up with?

I think God wants us to make “time for a change.” Read more

How To Make A New Year's Resolution That Sticks

We have all heard the statistics: 50% of people make some kind of new year’s resolution, but 88% of those resolutions ultimately fail. That is more than a little discouraging. But I still believe in new year’s resolutions. I believe in them as a convenient opportunity to evaluate life and to make choices about living life better. I have done a fair bit of reading on how to make resolutions work, and it turns out that though there are many reasons your resolutions may not work, the most common ones are easy enough to avoid. Here are some tips on making wise resolutions and on making them stick. Read more

Don't Just Make a Resolution--Make a Habit

Making New Years' resolution is one of my favorite end-of-year activities. Every year I'm encouraged by the idea that in a mere 12 months I will have become a (marginally) better person. But every year I'm unable to keep the resolve in my resolutions for more than a few months. I've tried to be more persistent (Resolution #12 - 1988), develop more willpower (Resolution #9 - 1993), and even "resolved" to keep my resolutions (Resolution #1 - 1998). Nothing ever seems to be effective.

This year I'm trying something different. Instead of just making new resolutions, I intend to make new habits. Read more

Crafting a Life Vision Statement

Prepare for the new year with a time of reflection.

As we approach a new year, it is a great time for reflecting on what God has done, is doing, and wants to do in and through us. Over the past few years, I have used a life vision statement as a tool to help me think through what I believe God is asking me to do in my life.

Let’s walk through five questions to craft a vision statement for your life. To help you with this exercise, I will use my life’s vision statement as a template for you to follow. Take time to think about your own answers. As you respond to the questions, also ask yourself, “Is this what God would want for my life? Is this why God made me and put me here?” Read more

5 Step Process to Write a Simple, but Achievable Life Plan

Here’s a simple, step-by-step process to writing a life plan. If you don’t know me, you wouldn’t know that I prefer simple. If it’s complicated or too involved, I’ll opt out quickly. That’s my goal here.

(I actually wrote these posts several years ago and I’ve not updated them — just this summary page. If you find any links that don’t work, let me know.)

I’m praying God allows many of us to realize dreams and goals we never thought possible. Read more