By: Stephanie Conner

Six weeks. That's all the time I thought I'd need to complete a self-led class last year. Spoiler alert: I didn't make it. Life happened, and my good intentions and eagerness didn't match my reality.

Does this sound familiar? If your New Year's resolution isn't going the way you planned, you're not alone -- and you don't have to give up.

So what can we do to keep our resolution going?

First, give yourself grace!

We have all struggled with keeping our resolutions. Sometimes we’ve eaten way too many cookies or we’ve skipped some workouts. Our failure or struggle doesn’t have to keep us stuck or define if we succeed at our goals. 

Pray

Invite God into your goals for the year. Ask God to give you wisdom and discernment to guide you as you continue with your resolutions. If you need strength, self-control, or encouragement, ask the Lord for those things. He cares about you and will answer those prayers in the way that is best for you. 

Fine-tune Your Plans and Be Flexible

Ask yourself: What isn't working? Is your timeline too short? Did you forget to include certain steps? Did you have all the resources needed? Write down what went wrong, then brainstorm new ways that you can reach your goal. You can adjust your plans to better fit your life. I had to adjust my class to working on it one day a week until completion.

Maybe you planned to read your Bible first thing in the morning, but your mornings are chaotic. Look at your day and see when you have space to read. It could be during your lunch break or even in carline.

Perhaps, you planned to meal prep meals every week, but found you don't like eating the same foods each day. Try finding quick, easy recipes that give you leftovers but still offer variety throughout the week.

Remember our plans don’t have to be concrete, they can be altered. They are a guide to help you achieve your goals. Sometimes it can take multiple plans to find what is right for you. The plan that works for you might not be what works for those around you. Be flexible and adjust your plan as many times as needed. 

Accountability

Find someone you trust who will encourage you and hold you accountable -- not someone who sugar-coats things. You want to choose the person that’ll keep you moving forward. Call them when you are struggling. Share with them the ups and downs of this journey. It is hard to make changes in our life without others there to support us along the way.

Don’t Give Up

No matter what, don’t give up. It will be hard at times.

Thomas Edison once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Maybe you’ve tried 25 times and you want to give up. But what if your success is right around the corner?

Quote: “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” —Thomas Edison.