New Year Resolutions ? ? ?

[Ray12614]

Well . . . here we are closing in on completing this year, and starting another new year (Gregorian calendar).

So . . . Anybody going to make some new resolutions for the coming year?

Should we  even do that at all, since most resolutions are broken by the end of January?

How about:

Reading Bible more, or completely through in one year?  Well, we should already be doing that, right?

Praying more, or spending time in meditating scripture and letting the Holy Spirit teach us ?  Same thing - should be doing that now.

How about church attendance?  Same thing . . . should already be doing that . . . 

Losing weight? (Laughing while typing that) . . . Ahemmmm . . . .  .

Allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself through us more?  (Fruit of the Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit)?

I'm interested in knowing what you all think about this . . . 

Ray . . . 

[ladypeartree]

I dont make new year resolutions I just make new year suggestions that way I cant break any  

[enoob57]

your a tree snap out of it!

[ayin jade]

I havent made any in years. Whatever I should be doing I tend to make an effort to accomplish them whenever the issue arises. By new years day I dont have any that I still need to make. 

[Alive]

Its funny, but in recent years I sort of just see one day blending into the next one.

:-)

[tim_from_pa]

The OP is correct.  We should already be reading our Bibles regularly.  To get through the bible in a year, one has to read all 1189 chapters at the rate of about 3.26 chapters a day.  As many times as I have read through the Bible and also various translations, I wanted to try my experiment called the 3-3-3-4 plan reading 13 chapters in a 4 day cycle. So January 1 we read 3, then on the 2nd we read 3, 3rd is 3, and then the 4th we read 4 chapters and repeat the cycle.  One will get through the Bible in 366 days (or read 6 chapters on the 365th).  All one needs is a calendar to mark off the 4-day cycle and any paper bookmark to jot down what chapter is next to read the following day. 

Pros:  No charts or bulky things to put into your Bible.  Just a modest little desktop calendar and bookmark you will know where you are at all times guaranteed to complete the Bible in a year.

Cons:  This is with the understanding that some chapters are very long (like Psalm 119) and one will have heavy reading days.  Other times one will have short chapters and a little reading vacation.

I am completing this experiment now and it works but I have yet a simpler way:

I asked myself, what is so special about a solar year? Just use a paper bookmark and read 3 chapters a day - you'll get through in about 13 months.

With 4 chapters it ill be under 10 months; 5 chapters about 8 months and 6 chapters (very aggressive) will take slightly longer than a half year. With long reading days, one may want to break it up into a morning and evening time akin to prayer times.

The 3-3-3-4 plan is just a "checklist-less" way to get through the Bible in exactly a year if a year means that much to anyone.

 

[Dennis1209]

Only one. Not write "2022" on all my checks paying bills for the first few months. Changing time back and forth twice a year is problems enough. 

[Vine Abider]

To me, resolutions are a pointless wishlist activity that really has no "bones" to it.  Therefore I don't make resolutions this time of year (or any other time), but if the thing is actually worth doing, I will schedule the specific activity related to it on my calendar, because "What get's scheduled gets done!" (or at least stands a much better chance of getting done)

If it's a more involved thing, then I do what's called a "Goal Planning Sheet" (GPS for short).  The GPS consists of these basics:

1. What is the specific goal? (SMART goal format)
2. What are all the benefits to achieving it?
3. What are the obstacles & solutions?
4. What are the specific action steps needed with timeframes? 
5. How will it be tracked and measured?

In doing this, it takes something from being a wish or dream and turns it into a concrete goal, and stands a MUCH BETTER chance of being accomplished.

For more info on this, see the recent thread: 

 

[Vine Abider]

7 minutes ago, Walter Goraj jr said:

Yes. I hope to be more compassionate. 

What's a specific thing you can do toward that?

[farouk]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

Its funny, but in recent years I sort of just see one day blending into the next one.

:-)

I know the feeling..............it's when the decades start flying past also...........

This is why the ongoing habit of prayer and the Scriptures is so important.........