I never understood the amount of celebration associated with the New Year. To me, the stroke of midnight merely signified the beginning of a new day, albeit in a new year. Growing up, New Year’s Eve and day were lumped together with Christmas and were part of the much anticipated winter break. I suppose for some, the transition from one year into another is a way to leave the bad things behind them, locked in time as it were, and embrace a new beginning. Often this new beginning centers around goals, commonly referred to as resolutions. Now there’s an interesting word. A resolution is “a firm decision to do something or not do something” (dictionary.com). Firm indeed. Many abandon their resolutions within weeks of the New Year, falling back into old habits. Years ago when I belonged to a gym, extra equipment would be placed in the gym at the end of December only to be removed and put back in storage in February.
There’s a saying that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Many begin the New Year hopeful for a better year ahead. They aspire to lose weight, read more books, save money, eat healthier, and so on. For the most part, research indicates the majority of people only stick to their goals for a short period of time. Christians often set the goal of reading their Bible in a year. I always found that interesting because it seems to me Christians should have read the Bible cover-to-cover at least once in their lives along with studying it. With the start of a New Year, people desire change. They embrace hope for a better tomorrow, envision a better version of themselves, and vow to take the necessary actions. So why do so many people fail?
Some might argue they lack discipline. There’s truth to that. Change takes time. Motivation will get you started by discipline keeps you going. But is that the missing ingredient? People just need to be more disciplined to accomplish their goals? Maybe. Perhaps the goals need to be adjusted to be more attainable. There’s a saying that if your dreams don’t scare you, you’re not dreaming big enough. But what if one is dreaming too big? Establishing unrealistic goals is a recipe for discouragement and potential failure. And establishing too many goals will likely be overwhelming. So what is one to do?
Several years ago, my therapist asked me a question whose immediate answer eluded me. I had to give it some thought before responding. It was a simple question that changed how I viewed myself, my value, my life, and my purpose. He asked me: “If you woke up tomorrow and everything you had was gone, what would you still have left?” The question is meant to generate introspection, which it did. It’s also intended to cause disassociation from the tangible things in our lives to which we attach meaning. Often these things are an impediment to achievement because we allow them to occupy our time and attention. Soon they become part of our routine and define our lives and provide a semblance of meaning. However, as meaningful and fulfilling as these things may be, they are not the composite of our being.
Back to the question. After considering what I would have remaining if everything were gone tomorrow, I realized, quite obviously, all I would have is me. But who am I? That is the real question. What makes me who I am? Is there anything unique about me? What would I do with my time if tomorrow was a blank slate and I had to begin all over in every way possible? In many ways, the question reminded me of Job. Those familiar with his story will recall God allowed Satan to take everything away from him and even afflict him. In the end, Job was rewarded for his faithfulness. While only going to that extreme hypothetically, I pondered about who I was and what I would do. We all have unique traits that make us who we are. For me, I reasoned I have a sense of humor, enjoy writing, have an education, speak comfortably in front of others, and like to cook.
Okay, so with that in mind, I began to focus on reading and writing. Stephen King once remarked that if someone wants to write, two things are required - reading a lot and writing a lot. I took stock of how I spent my time and realized I didn’t spend as much of it reading or writing as I should. I did cook a lot, though. In addition, I considered my traits in light of God’s Kingdom and realized that He had equipped me for a specific work, one that I hadn’t fully embraced because I allowed the distractions and noise of life to interfere. Slowly, I began to get back on track, to develop blogpost ideas, make You Tube videos, and study my Bible. I have a long way to go, and like many, the start of a New Year is a time for resolutions. However, rather than make arbitrary resolutions that do not pertain to who I am as a person, I established goals that relate to those traits that make me who I am - the characteristics God instilled in me for His unique purpose.
I’ve given my response to my therapist’s question a great deal of thought over the years. It is the one lasting piece of information from our many sessions because its simplicity contained the most benefit. We spend too much time focusing on extrinsic things - the distractions of the world - and how we can best relate to it. We are called to not be of this world. Now, I’m not suggesting we focus on ourselves, which is a popular theme with mainstream churches today. No, what I suggest is that as we begin a New Year and embrace a fresh start, we do so by acknowledging the person God has created us to be. Ask yourself the question posed by my therapist. How would you answer? What would your life look like if you had to start over from nothing? What would you change? What would remain the same? Establish goals based on who you are, not who you want to be. We all aspire to various achievements and emulate those who have achieved success in their respective fields. They serve as role models and provide inspiration.
Perhaps the reason they stand out is because they embraced the person they were and focused on that rather than attempting to imitate others. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get in shape and be healthier, for example. But not all of us were created to be world-class runners or professional athletes. That doesn’t mean we can’t participate in those things. However, we must do so realistically and not allow our desires to overshadow who we are and what makes us unique. Instead, we must complete the journey to self-discovery, answer the question that defines us, and embrace those qualities that are the composite of our being. By establishing goals in alignment with who God created us to be, we are more likely to sustain them and accomplish them. The Bible encourages us to be hopeful and we should be. New beginnings are a time to renew that hope. However, we should do so realistically by assessing our character and identifying the person we are, the person God created us to be.
Ask yourself the question and examine your answer. Consider the New Year in light of who God created you to be. Embrace your uniqueness and establish goals that allow you to fulfill your potential in God’s Kingdom. Resolve to be the best version of yourself as you start 2024!
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