WITH THE FEAST OF the Baptism of the Lord, the Christmas season is now officially over. We’re back to school or work; the weather is cold, and the days are still short. We’re a week into the brand-new year that started with such promise and enthusiasm. Now is the first test of those bright-eyed resolutions. Is it already time to rethink them?
As a self-proclaimed planner guru, I’ve got a few tips today to help you make or revise resolutions that will stick for the new year:
Adjust your timeline. A big mistake many people make is to set a resolution for the whole year. If you’re making a big change, a long deadline won’t help. Instead, break down your goal like a project into smaller tasks or landmarks, then set smaller goals per quarter or per month instead of one big one for the year.
Also consider opting for monthly resolutions instead of bigger annual ones. This helps you set multiple resolutions without being overwhelmed by all of them at once.
Set the right resolutions. Don’t be vague when setting goals. Something like “lose weight” has no pass/fail criteria, so you’ll almost always fail. Instead, set “SMART goals” that are:
■ Specific (Count calories and exercise)
■ Measurable (Visit gym three times per week…)
■ Achievable (…on the days when I have childcare)
■ Relevant (so that I can fit into this dress)
■ Time-related (by the end of the year)
If you spend the time to set your goals this way, you’ll already have a plan for success, and you’ll know exactly when you’ve achieved it.
Take baby steps. As the Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” If your goal is to run a marathon, your first step might be to jog one mile. If your goal is to declutter your house, your first step might be to declutter one shelf in the guest room.
Keep the right priorities. Sit down with a sheet of paper and evaluate where you stand in multiple areas of your life. (Family, work, finances, faith, self-care, etc.) Then determine which areas of your life need to take more of a front row seat. As always, your first priorities should be to God and to your family. I can personally recommend making time for a weekly holy hour. I’ve been spending time with Jesus once a week for the last several months, and it’s borne beautiful fruit.
Shift your identity first. Set resolutions based on the person you want to be, rather than the things you want todo. Earlier this year I decided I wanted to spend more time reading. I needed to take up the identity that I’d let drop some time in high school: “Reader.” I started by changing the way I thought about myself to myself — “I am a voracious reader.” Then I visited the library, bought an e-reader and fulfilled the identity I’d claimed for myself. Suddenly I’ve read more books in the past three months than in the previous three years.
There’s one identity we should all strive to live in 2026: Child of God, saint in the making. Above all, as you evaluate the goals you’ve set for 2026, remember the vocation that we all share: The universal call to holiness. God wants you to be a great saint! All the rest of our goals should be secondary to that. As Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (Matthew 6:33)