The Value of Making Resolutions

The Value of Making Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are simply useless.  As we progress in this year and expect greater achievement of our dreams and goals, I implore you to forsake the meaningless ritual of nurturing resolutions.  Most of such promises to others and ourselves are discarded by the last day of January.  How is the diet going?  Are you still rising early and making it to the gym by the crack of dawn?  Have you lost any weight?  Do you have a working draft of your long-awaited book, song, poem, screenplay, script or some other creative piece of work?

Rather, I suggest and encourage you to develop the practice of setting periodic goals for personal and spiritual growth.  The timing of these objectives may or may not coincide with the ending and beginning of another year.  If so, what a pleasant harmony!  If not, the reality remains we face daily challenges of striving to become better people.  A perennial and fruitless ritual of deceiving ourselves that our egos will somehow submit to the necessity of embracing the pain of change and growth will not further our progress.

Self-evaluation is the foundation of personal development and spiritual growth.  We must be willing to look honestly and clearly at our characters.  Strengthening our assets and eliminating or neutralizing our liabilities are the purposes of this daily examination.  It is the major test of life.  Our egos deceive us into believing everything is fine and that we need not take this appraisal of our disposition.  It is important to consider our performance in school and at work.  How do we relate to people?  Do we possess integrity of principles and practice?  What small bad habits have mushroomed into serious character flaws that undermine our words and deeds?  Do we need supplemental help (counseling, analysis, hospitalization, vacation, retreat, classes, group work, twelve step program, etc.) to correct these deficiencies?  The results of a forthright and thorough self-examination usually yield a complete list of goals for emotional, psychological, and spiritual progress.

The writings of the late Norman Vincent Peale suggest we lift our goals to the light of God’s countenance.  God’s brightness exposes any residual ego that cloaks our intentions.  Do we desire growth so we can better become the vessels of God’s love and instruments of His peace?  I fear we desire personal improvement more than personal development.  In the former instance, we seek additional bragging rights by temporarily improving upon our shortcomings.  Instead, we eliminate our character deficits.  A comprehensive change enables us to mature into the image of Almighty God.

Each day, I hope you withdraw from life’s hustle and bustle to assess any potential areas for personal growth.  I doubt you will have any difficulty in naming five areas.  Additionally, I seriously hesitate to believe any of these areas will be new.  Honestly, we know our definitive character defects.  We are very aware of these raggedly parts of our characters.  As it relates to marriage, parenthood, extended family, work, church and community service, we know exactly where we underperform.  As a consequence, prayer, meditation and solitude afford an opportunity to evaluate our inadequacies and devise a holistic plan to grow.

Our fundamental resolve at New Year’s is another chance to dedicate ourselves to lifelong personal growth and spiritual progress.  If we rebuff the necessity of character development, then we obtain it through pain and adversity.  Interestingly, unfortunate circumstances often compel us to examine ourselves.  Termination, divorce, death, accidents, illness, or some other crisis substantially motivate us.  We possess capacity to define areas for advancement and work toward them.  We learn from the experiences of others; thereby sparing ourselves the agony of periodic trips through the valley of the shadow of death, defeat and despair.

Finally, in order for change to be enduring and effective, it must be holistic.  Practically speaking, growth addresses all components of our being: heart (love), mind (intelligence), soul (God’s spirit), spirit (imagination), psyche (character), and will (determination).  Shortcuts will stifle and weaken our labors toward progress.  Otherwise, we spin our wheels in previously mentioned fallacies of redundant and worthless resolutions.  Holistic change and growth is the surest path to finding the riches of love, joy and peace.