3 New Year's Resolutions Worth Keeping

I would just like to take a second and let you know that we are eight days into the year and I haven’t ruined any of my goals or resolutions…yet…“yet" being the keyword there. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to keeping my new year’s resolutions. There’s this new sense of hope and determination and commitment that comes with the changing of the calendar. 

But as February and March and April approach rather quickly, that hope and determination gets caught between the lines of everyday life. Who has time to read three books a month and do a weekly budget when there are work deadlines to be met, friends to text back, and laundry to be done? Not to mention sleep. Sleep is kind of important, right?

I will say though, there are some resolutions worth keeping, worth sticking to through all the craziness of life. I can think of three in particular that have had an incredibly positive impact on me since I’ve started doing each of them. A couple of them are resolutions from years past, and one of them is actually one of my resolutions for this year. Regardless, I think they’re all worth sharing if you’re wanting to make 2019 a better year, especially when it comes to your faith. I’m a firm believer that your walk with God is the one aspect of your life that can make every other area of your life better. Or as my pastor likes to say it, “Following Jesus makes your life better, and it makes you better at life.” So if you’re sitting here at the beginning of the year, wanting your life to be better than it was last year, here are three new year’s resolutions you should not only make, but that you should keep, too.

1. Spend time with God every day. 

I will be the first to admit that this is way easier said than done. We always have the best of intentions to have our “quiet time” every morning, complete with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and worship music playing the background. But then we snooze our alarm. We say we’ll do it that afternoon or that night before we go to bed. And then one thing leads to another and we find ourselves crashing from exhaustion at midnight, promising that we’ll get it right tomorrow. 

I used to feel so guilty whenever I didn’t do my quiet time in the mornings. I felt like I needed to read a certain number of chapters in my bible, journal for 30 minutes, and have prayer time, or God was going to be disappointed in me. Then one night, my small group leader said something I will never forget. 

“You don’t have to spend time with God the same way every single day. Think about the way you spend time with your friends. You don’t do the same thing every single time you see them. Sometimes you go to coffee. Sometimes you take a walk. Sometimes you watch a movie. There’s variety. And I think it should be the same way when it comes to your relationship with God. Some days you might sit down and read your Bible. Some days you might take a walk and listen to worship music. Some days you might just sit and be still and listen for His voice. It doesn’t matter how you do it. What matters is that you’re taking the time to spend quality moments connecting with your Heavenly Father.”

I had never heard anyone talk about their “quiet time” like that before. It was so cool and so encouraging to know that I had that kind of freedom and flexibility. The way I spend time with Him hasn’t been the same sense. So for 2019, the first thing I’d challenge you to do is to rethink how you’re spending time with God. Figure out how you connect best with Him, and make a point to switch things up instead of having the same, formatted quiet time every day. Remember, what’s important is not how you’re doing it, but that you’re doing it. 

2. Join a small group

This can be another thing that stays on our list of goals or big to-do’s, but one that can also easily get pushed aside by other priorities. We want community, but we also know that community comes with a cost. Not only are you investing your time each week, but you’re investing your heart. You’re voluntarily putting yourself in a position of vulnerability. You’re asking for prayer and accountability and encouragement. But sweet friend, there are few better investments than the one you can make into a community of other women. 

My faith has grown and matured exponentially since I joined my small group back in 2017. The girls in my group have become some of my closest and dearest friends. We’ve shared our life stories. We’ve cried through our struggles. We’ve cheered about our successes. And the best part of all of it, is that we’ve done all of those things together. Genesis 2:18 says, “And the Lord God said, ‘it is not good that man should be alone.’” Every single Wednesday night I see the truth behind that verse when I sit around the living room with my small group, feeling so grateful for the impact this community has had on my life. 

I want you to have that same feeling. If you’re not already in a small group, now’s the time to take a step towards joining one. Talk to someone at your church to see if there are any groups for women in your age and stage of life. If not, do what my roommates and I did - grab some of your friends and form your own group! All it takes is you making the decision that this investment is worth it, and I can promise you, without hesitation, that it will be. 

3. Keep a gratitude journal

I can’t take credit for this idea. One of my friends actually told me about her gratitude journal one night and inspired me. So I decided to start keeping one of my own. I was super excited to get started because journaling is one of my all time favorite things in the whole entire world. However, this is the first time I’ve ever kept a gratitude journal. I decided that I was going to write down three things or people I was thankful for every single day. Sounds easy right? Well at first, it’s super simple. But the catch is, you have to try not to repeat anything. So each day’s list should be unique. 

I’ve love this new little tradition of mine for several reasons. First, it forces me to be creative about what and who I’m thankful for. Second, it helps me find joy in even the crappiest of days. (Am I allowed to say crappiest? Is that even a word? Who knows?) And third, it helps me to take note of little memories, since the things on my list each day point towards significant events or conversations that happened on that specific date. 

This is such an easy resolution to keep because it takes so little time and effort, and I believe the payoff will be huge. My hope is that at the end of 2019, I’m going to have 1,095 items listed in my gratitude journal. And how special it will be to flip through that book whenever I need a reminder of all that God has blessed me with. So why not start this journey with me? Grab a journal or start a note on your phone, and get to writing. You’ll be amazed at how much there is to be thankful for when you really start to think about it. 

I hope that at least one of these resolutions stuck out to you, and that you’ll begin taking steps today towards implementing these habits into your every day life. Spending time with your Heavenly Father, joining a small group, and keeping a gratitude journal are all catalysts that can spark amazing growth in your faith. I want that kind of growth for you. God wants that kind of growth for you. And I’m sure you want that kind of growth for you too. So why not get started right now? I’m so excited for you to begin this journey into 2019 and experience God, community, and gratitude in a whole new way.

Cheering for you,

Kristen