It’s been a week since 2020 began—have you kept your New Year’s resolutions? Hopefully you’re not already among the majority of people who will stray from their goals within the first few weeks of the year. If you need some help to stay focused on your goals, look no further.
If you’re already struggling, it might be wise to evaluate your resolutions. Why do so many of our resolutions fail? Maybe you’ve made unrealistic goals and are biting off more than you can chew. Make sure your resolution is attainable and try limiting yourself to one or two resolutions at a time so you aren’t spread too thin.
You might also struggle if you are choosing resolutions that aren’t as important as they should be. Are you hoping to exercise more so that you look more physically fit for summer vacation, or are you exercising to be healthier and strengthen your mind, body, and soul? Motivation behind a goal can make a big difference.
Working on your spiritual life can also help you to accomplish goals in other areas of your life. “I always pull a lot from St. Thomas Aquinas, and he writes a lot about the way spiritual virtues are to the soul as, like, health and fitness are to the body. And they do coordinate,” explained Dr. Kevin Vost on The Drew Mariani ShowTM.
When we focus on spiritual resolutions and growing in virtue, we increase our will power and develop good habits that carry over into other areas of our life. If we can develop a consistent prayer life or cut out vices, we will be better equipped to choose healthier meals or make smart financial decisions.
Sticking to a resolution won’t be easy and it will take work to reach your goals. “I think as we begin the New Year we need to know what we have to struggle against to be more like Christ,” explained Fr. Rocky, Executive Director at Relevant Radio®. “Because that’s the whole point of our life—to know Christ, to love Christ, to imitate Christ.”
We won’t ever be perfect—we will fail and we must get up again. Recommit yourself to reaching your spiritual goals and New Year’s resolutions as many times as you need to and continue on the path of growth. You can’t expect to be perfect today, but you can hold yourself accountable to keep on trying.
Hear more from Fr. Rocky on New Year’s resolutions:
Tune in to Morning Air® weekdays at 6-9am ET / 3-6am PT only on Relevant Radio®.
Tune in to The Drew Mariani ShowTM weekdays at 3-6pm ET / noon-3pm PT only on Relevant Radio®.
